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And is white gentrification threatening that community?
There is a Puerto Rican community in Humboldt Park, and Humboldt Park is home to a number of Puerto Rican cultural institutions, but is it accurate to call Humboldt Park “a Puerto Rican community.”
As of the 2000 Census the 11,777 Puerto Ricans in Humboldt Park constituted just 17.9 percent of its population. Puerto Ricans in Humboldt Park were outnumbered by Mexicans (16,248, 24.7 percent), and far outnumbered by African-Americans (31,960, 48.5 percent).
The Puerto Rican population of Humboldt Park declined by more than 23% from 1990 to 2000, and some would blame the forces of white gentrification for that decline. The nonHispanic white population of Humboldt Park, however, also declined during that period, by nearly 20%.
From 1990 to 2000, the Mexican population of Humboldt Park increased by more than 40%. For every 3 Puerto Ricans that left Humboldt Park, 4 Mexicans moved in and 2 whites also moved out. Mexicans were the only major ethnic or racial group that showed an increase in population in Humboldt Park from 1990 to 2000, a period when some gentrification was indisputably occurring. Should we conclude that Mexicans were “gentrifying” Puerto Ricans and whites out of Humboldt Park?
The Humboldt Park community is highly transient: more than two-thirds of its households in 2000 had moved there within the past 10 years. That transiency has been a feature of Humboldt Park for decades, undermining the argument that many long-term residents are being threatened by gentrification, although some doubtless are.
Humboldt Park, it ought to be noted, is not the largest Puerto Rican community in Chicago. It’s not even close to that. The Puerto Rican population of Logan Square was 18,601 in 2000, far outnumbering the Puerto Ricans of Humboldt Park. West Town (14,567) and Belmont Cragin (12,960) also had more Puerto Ricans than Humboldt Park
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Those statistics are somewhat misleading. Humboldt Park as Census district differs from Humboldt Park as a neighborhood. The census tract does not consider Clemente High School, Paseo Boricua nor most of “East Humboldt Park” as part of Humboldt Park, they measure that area as West Town. Consequently, the stats under report the number of Puerto Ricans in Humboldt Park. The Humboldt Park Community Area, which many statistics about the area refer to, is west of that area; its borders are the Belt Railway on the west, just east of Cicero Avenue; the Union Pacific tracks to the south, along Kinzie Street; Bloomingdale Avenue on the north; and Humboldt Boulevard, Humboldt Park, and Sacramento Boulevard on the east. The railyards southeast of Grand and Sacramento are also part of the Community Area.
Greg,
All valid points. I did focus on Community Area 23, Humboldt Park, which excludes East Humboldt Park, an area that we all consider part of Humboldt Park. I did note the number of Puerto Ricans in West Town – not all of whom are in a more broadly-defined Humboldt Park.
How would you answer the main question, based on the more common understanding of Humboldt Park’s borders?
“The nonHispanic white population of Humboldt Park, however, also declined during that period, by nearly 20%.”
So it seems that one of the major problems is white flight. Clearly non-hispanic whites are being forced out of their neighborhood. According to the arguments presented by the opponents of gentrification, this implies that non-hispanic whites have to band together to protect their right to live in an area where they have lived in the past and keep the Mexican invaders out and start a No Se Vende policy toward the Mexicans.
This shows how invalid these arguments are. All Americans should be able to live in all neighborhoods, regadless of race, ethnicity, national origin, etc.
The thing to do is probably take the eastern area of Humboldt Park and look at the census tracks there between 1990 and 2000. I don’t know the area well enough to state which groups predominated in which sections of the overall area.
I’m going to guess that the white folks who left Humboldt Park between 1990 and 2000 were largely in the NW section bordering other neighborhoods as those neighborhoods have also experienced a large reduction in white folks. I could be wrong
It would be nice if we had some accurate data on what the changes have been since 2000, 8 years is a long time, since the numbers of the various groups have obviously changed greatly.
My guess fewer Puerto Ricans in the eastern end, more whites, and likely fewer Mexicans. In the western end I would think a small increase in whites, large increase in Mexicans, and decreases among blacks and Puerto Ricans.
The games afoot. Time to find some data or mildly convincing anecdotal “evidence”.
The East Humboldt Park census tracts saw a substantial outflow of Puerto Ricans, and an increase in nonHispanic whites. Where did the departing Puerto Ricans go? Who knows. Some may have gone to Humboldt Park proper, reducing the net outflow of Puerto Ricans from that area.
Logan Square lost the largest number of Puerto Ricans from 1990 to 2000.
The community areas that showed sizable gains in Puerto Rican population, numbers roughly comparable to the outflow from Humboldt Park / Logan Square, included Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Irving Park and Portage Park, among others.
One way to look at this is that a substantial number of Puerto Ricans may have bettered their circumstances during the 1990s by moving to more stable communities. We’d obviously need to know an awful lot more to draw any firm conclusions.
Interesting, but limited data, from the 2000 census on the Puerto Rican population in each Chicago community area.
Unfortunately, similar “compiled” information from the 1990 census is lacking.
Joe,
I am not one to comment on specific demographics block by block. We are working with data that is eight years old in an area that has changed dramatically in the past 8 years. As a Realtor in the area, I have personally sold several new construction condos to individuals of a variety of backgrounds. The key words are “New Construction” as the existing housing stock is being replaced by the cinder block walls and brick facades of a new generation.
To answer the original question, there are 59 foot Puerto Rican flags anchoring both ends of Paseo Boricua (Division Street) and a High School named after famed Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. These two prominent features of the area, among many others, designate it as a Puerto Rican neighborhood, regardless of the population.
Greg,
I’d agree that it’s fair and accurate to call Humboldt Park a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the limited sense you identify, and acceptable to call Bridgeport an Irish neighborhood or Taylor Street an Italian neighborhood in the same sense.
The flags and the name of the high school symbolize struggles and accomplishments and a history that merit recognition and remembrance. The moniker only becomes a problem when it’s used for exclusionary purposes.
Bridegport isn’t an Irish neighborhood. Taylor Street isn’t an Italian neighborhood.
By that logic Von Humboldt would clearly designate the area as a Prussian neighborhood much as Dvorak Park would designate Pilsen as a Czech area but Cullerton Avenue would disagree and mark the Pilsen area as Irish. All are legitimate harbingers of the past, none are currently relevant. Historically areas change in ethnicity and for the most part become “mainstream” American. A truly “ethnic” area only exists while immigration is fueling it as most immigrants become less “eneighborhoods retain the ethnic flare of the past in theory and marketability, Germantown in Columbus; Andersonville in Chicago, and at other times the ethnic roots become almost invisible, Over the Rhine in Cincinatti. The problem with the flags of Humboldt or the Street Lights and Aztec Calendars of Pilsen are that they are institutional graffitti which mark boundaries and reinforce “turf” instead of celebrating accomplishment which comes from building a school, like Clemente which truly represented a milestone in the WestTown community. I have never liked markers, the pylons on Halsted for example, which create a feeling of exclusion and start the idea of “turf” and “boundary” in simpleton’s heads.
To correct two lost words in the sentence that doesn’t read clear…..
A truly “ethnic” area only exists while immigration is fueling it as most immigrants become less “ethnic”. Some neighborhoods retain the ethnic flare of the past in theory and marketability, Germantown in Columbus; Andersonville in Chicago, and at other times the ethnic roots become almost invisible, Over the Rhine in Cincinatti.
Lately there have been more and more whities around here (Humboldt Park) and more and more condos are starting to go up. This needs to stop. It disgustes me when I see middle class white people walking around here. (just a side note, i am a lower class white girl whose grew up and lived in Humboldt Park for my entire life, I am married to a Mexican man, my step parents are both of Mexican decent and consider this part of Chicago part of me). Seeing condos being build around here is heartbreaking. Upper class white people coming in here thinking they own this place. Don’t they see how many people they are hurting? Don’t they see that by them moving here that they are raising rent, housing costs, food costs and making it harder and harder for people like me, my friends, family and people I have been around my entire life harder to live every day. Get the upper class out and keep them out. This is not a place to be over taken and turned into Wicker Park or any of those other yuppie/hipster areas. Let Humboldt Park be!
Keep talking folks. All you are doing is making my “whitie” greed come out. For that matter I’m sure many Puerto Rican property owners would be happy with some price appreciation too.
Uptown is too damn nice for me now. I haven’t heard any gunfire in years. Of course I am in the nicer area.
Yep, I need to start looking. I’ve been in Uptown since the smarter Bush was President and that is a long time. Seems longer with his son in office.
My pasty presence in Humboldt Park will likely accelerate the change at least two fold. Don’t worry though. I’ll leave the PR flags on Division. Of course I might add some over sized Shamrocks nearby and perhaps a 40 foot Guinness Can.
It is quite ironic how the louder the anti-gentrification noise the more likely development becomes. When you start seeing “yuppies out” signs it’s time to move in and buy it up.
PilsenSlav, IrishPirate,
I think you’re on to something.
I sense a business opportunity for IrishPirate. Here’s how it works.
It’s almost impossible for developers to draw media attention to rising property values in an area, but community groups are media darlings who can draw tons of media attention with the right shtick
It’s easy to find community groups that have run out of ideas for improving their community and can be suckered into fomenting an anti-anything campaign.
Developer hires Pirate. Pirate parades around neighborhood to bait agitators. Meetings, marches and protests ensue. Media flock to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars of free publicity. Community groups’ otherwise aimless existence is validated by media attention. Yuppies flock to area. Mission accomplished. Everyone’s happy. Pirate moves on to next area.
Oh, and Pirate forms investor groups in each area to double-dip the action.
Call it Rent-A-Gent.
GAS consulting.
Gentrification Assistance Associates.
I could open a Faux Irish Bar on Division. Throw in a wine bar next door that also sells fine wine by the bottle. Then a pet bakery. That being a bakery that specializes in cooked treats for your wittle doggie and kitty cat. Not cooking your pets. This is not Argyle Street.
Microbrewery. Multiple dry cleaners. At least three Italian, French, and Continental “fusion” restaurants. A Buddhist Temple. Some high end shoe and purse stores with exclusive contracts for expensive and hard to find European imports. Two scooter shops. A chocolate emporium. Some bars that not only cater to the Midwestern import crowd ,but are actually named after their mascots. Wolverine Tap. Badger Club. Hawkeyes Haunt. Hoosier Hole.
Of course the “blarney stone” of my plan is to fund the anti gentrifiers through my community group and charitable donations. To make this work you have to play both ends of the deal.
I imagine midnight marches and civil disobedience. WTTW interviews. Short “meaningful” pieces on “Chicagoist” written about fighting the man. Planted pieces in the major media about the battle for the soul of Humboldt Park.
A Division Street Community Festival touting “unity in community”.
OH yeah. Say goodbye to the most recent version of Humboldt Park. Keep talking anti gentrifiers. You just make my plan easier.
Damn,
I should have said “Gentrification Assistance Systems”: GAS. I blame alcohol and the moral degradation of American society since George W Bush took office.
Most of this anti development crap is a veiled ploy by elected officials to keep an alderman’s constituents compact. It plays out the same in all the supposedly and in reality “gentrifying” neighborhoods. Whether Uptown, Rogers Park, Humboldt Park, or Pilsen. In each and every single one of these wards alderman use zoning to steer development away as their very electability rests on keeping their poor and or ethnic constituents compact and amongst their voting bloc. When these neighborhoods turn, and they will, Helen, Danny, Billy, and Joe are toast. Good riddance.
“Upper class white people coming in here thinking they own this place.”
If they bought the house or condo legaly they do own the place, just as much as all the other people who live there.
Having bought an old house in the neighborhood a few months back, I have had just as many good conversations with long-time locals as I have with Whitey and Yuppie. Unless you are one of the vocal few hanging the ‘No Aqui’ signs in your window, most people like the fact that you can stroll around without worrying about getting shot (though I still hear a fair amount of gunshots at three AM). And I’d like to keep it mostly the way it is now, too. Six blocks east is far too clogged with undistinguishable kids out for beers. Nothing wrong with them, but too many in packs ruins everything.
Let the downtrodden stay, let the criminals get packed up. I think most folks would be content that way.
But what does Joe Zekas say about this Freepy? He has single-handedly shot down any chances your neighborhood and that of Pilsen have of turning around. He’ll say it’s because he grew up in streets like yours, but the truth is that he is the more conservative bloke who likes areas like Lincoln Park. Oh well, to each his own.
“Let the downtrodden stay, let the criminals get packed up. I think most folks would be content that way.”
They would be, but unfortunately our property tax system (assessment-based instead of based on the purchase price) is a major force preventing this harmonious situation.
This was a strong & VERY tightly-knit Italian neighborhood, that is, until December 1, 1958. On that day, an arson fire ravaged Our Lady of the Angels School at Iowa and Avers killing 92 kids & 3 BVM nuns. Humboldt Park died that day. I have relatives that have lived in Chicago for years and they all say that Humboldt has never truly recovered from the worst case of school violence in U.S and U.S Catholic Church history. Also, to PilsenSalv, that’s Over the Rhine in Cincinnati, not Cincinatti.
to the webmaster, see the corected email address!
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