LA VILLITA Compiled by Jacqueline Serrato Neighborhood Captain
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his year, La Villita received the most media attention in recent memory in response to the police killing of thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo. In the aftermath of his death, the community went through a torrent of emotions: anger, helplessness, shame, grief, and even harsh self-criticism. People from all over the country and on social media came out of the woodwork to confirm their biases about this community and to distance themselves from it: "Bad parenting, bad kid, bad mother, bad neighborhood, bad people, criminals," were some of the things that were said. Some conservative members of the community were on the defensive and had strong opinions about Adam’s ill fate. Nevermind that Adam never pulled a trigger, that he ran in fear of the police but then stopped and complied. Nevermind that, ultimately, he was an innocent child. The Mexican community are a proud and resilient people, sometimes to a fault. Most don't want to believe that after their migration to a different land, their backbreaking labor, and the sacrifice and discrimination that they or their family may have endured in this country could somehow result in street violence so close to home. Their journey could be interpreted as having been in vain when what they're seeking is progress and to feel accepted. They are still trying to believe that it all paid off even after an anxiety-filled four years of former president Donald Trump. Moreover, people in La Villita are so busy working full-time and surviving a pandemic. Not everyone has the bandwidth to think about how systemic factors may be weighing the community down and contributing to the countless youth in this city feeling purposeless and without direction. There is a silver lining to this whole mess. The city truly showed up for La Villita. All summer, thousands of neighbors, activists, families, organizers, youth, teachers, clergy, and out-of-towners made it to the site where the boy was killed. Other communities held their own marches and vigils. Local grassroots organizations doubled down on their efforts against abusive policing, called out the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the mayor, and are building coalitions and actively advocating 58 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
LITTLE VILLAGE ARCHES, PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ
for more public resources for La Villita. At the policy level, CPD's foot-chase protocols are getting revised and the idea of community control of the police is increasingly viable. It's too early to tell what the lessons and long-term effects Adam's death will have on our collective psyche, but something will come out of this. In the meantime, it's important not to be overcome by the loudest narrative and not to lose sight of the beauty, the glimmers of hope, and the small and big victories that happen on a daily basis in La Villita. This year’s Best of the South Side issue is coming out on September 16th, so ¡Viva México! ( Jacqueline Serrato) Jacqueline Serrato of is the editor-in-chief of the Weekly and co-manages the largest neighborhood page on Facebook.
BEST FRIED FISH
Pescaditos Estilo D.F. aka Mr. Fish
You can find fried fish in many parts of the South Side and La Villita is no exception. For the past seven years, the Rivero family have put up a stand on the intersection of Cermak Rd. and Fairfield Ave. on weekend afternoons. Owners Doña Emelia and Don Ricardo, immigrants in their 60s, were inspired by the beer-battered fried fish that are popular in the streets of Mexico City. While their stand is known to locals as Pescaditos Estilo D.F., their adult children promote the business to a wider clientele under the name Mr. Fish. Through word of mouth and videos on social media, customers are drawn to that corner for a quick snack or a full meal. Reluctant to share what type of fish they work with, they have assured me that it's not tilapia, but that it's better. And a taste test confirms it: The white fish has a simi-
