ARCHER HEIGHTS & WEST ELSDON Compiled by Joseline Rodríguez Neighborhood Captain
PHOTO BY JOSELINE RODRIGUEZ
I
n the south and most western part of the city you will find the adjacent neighborhoods of Archer Heights and West Elsdon. These neighborhoods are composed primarily of single family homes, local businesses, and big streets that connect them to the far East, South and North Sides of the city. What the naked eye can’t see is that, for many of the residents that live or work in these neighborhoods, they also encompass the American Dream. For some, it's the place where they purchased their first home, for others, the place where they started, operated, and expanded their business. In either case, a goal was set and achieved. You have the desire to make something happen, you work hard to obtain this desire, and finally you achieve your goal. Isn’t this the American Dream? There is no denying that Archer Heights and West Elsdon embody this dream through the people and the businesses that make them. Even though the demographics of both of these neighborhoods have changed throughout the years, they have always been places where immigrants have been known to settle. In many cases, including my family’s, purchasing a home or starting a business are dreams one could only achieve by leaving one’s home country in pursuit of more opportunities and a better life. Families that migrate from their home country tend to settle where they already have friends and family in the United States. Like many of his friends and family from Guerrero, Mexico, my dad moved to Chicago because he was promised a job and a roof over his head. Even though he first settled in Little Village, he was determined to work hard and one day move out of his aunt's garden unit apartment and into a place of his own. Of course at the time, he had no idea it would be into his own home in West Elsdon. While it all didn’t happen at once or even within a decade, he accomplished his goal. What I find is that the American Dream is evolving. For my dad, it was purchasing a home and raising his family in it. For my sister and I, the American Dream consists of not taking any of the sacrifices our parents made for granted, taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to us, and fulfilling our dream of graduating from college. In either case, a goal was set and achieved. We had the 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
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desire to make something happen, we worked hard to obtain this desire and finally we achieved our goal. ( Joseline Rodriguez) Neighborhood captain Joseline Rodriguez is a South Side native who helps run her family’s business in Gage Park, La Quebrada Restaurant. She aspires to follow her parent’s footsteps and open up a business of her own. In her free time she enjoys going on walks with her xoloitzcuintle named Teotl.
BEST QUESABIRRIA
Birrieria Zaragoza
In 2020, the quesabirria blew up on social media and it seemed like everyone wanted to dip their tacos in the hot and steamy broth called consomé. While there are many businesses, including pop-up restaurants and food trucks, that specialize in quesabirrias, Birrieria Zaragoza is doing something completely different. For starters, their quesabirria is made with a handmade tortilla. This on its own makes their quesabirria unique, but it’s what’s inside that really differentiates them from the rest. To appreciate Birrieria Zaragoza’s product as a true quesabirria, we first have to understand the difference between birria and barbacoa. Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat that also refers to the meat itself, while birria is a product of barbacoa. Originating from the Mexican state of Jalisco, birria is a stew made by submerging barbacoa in its own broth. While barbacoa can be the cooking method for many types of meat, including goat, lamb, and beef, birria is typically made from goat meat—so one would assume that a quesabirria would be made of goat meat, right? However, some of the most coveted quesabirrias in the city are made with beef. Deceiving, some might say. Birrieria Zaragoza sticks to the origins as their quesabirria is made with goat. Their quesabirria is served as a type of sincronizada, two handmade tortillas filled
