Valeria Garcia

Arts and Culture Reporter, The Real Chi

 
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My favorite artist Frida Kahlo once said, "It's not possible to present an accurate picture of our culture without all the voices of the people in the culture." I grew up in the Southside of Chicago where violence was always noted, but what wasn't was the culture of our city. This inspired me to tell the stories of those who create Chicago's culture, to give a true Chicagoan a voice.

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In-Depth Features
Mental Health Awareness Month 2022
Mental Health Awareness Month 2022
What To Eat When You Landed Yourself in Pilsen
What To Eat When You Landed Yourself in Pilsen

Since I moved to the Little Village neighborhood, I’ve discovered new food gems! Here is a list of my favorite restaurants in both Pilsen and Little Village. No particular order of course!

Nothing Better Than A Good Ole Ball Game
Nothing Better Than A Good Ole Ball Game

With Chicago’s winter weather behind us, there isn’t a better way to kick-off the new season than attending a good ole ball game. Fortunately, Chicago is home to not only one, but two of the most historic franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) each with its own stadium and different atmospheres with plenty of eateries and bars to check out before heading into the ballgame.


A Taste of How things Use to Taste
A Taste of How things Use to Taste

One of the most celebrated and established traditions in the Windy City is The Taste of Chicago; an event that mixes food and culture into a melting pot that has allowed Chicago to be one of the most important tourist selections in the country. Delicious food and summertime Chicago is a match made in heaven, and “The Taste” wants to get you through the pearly gates.


Opinion: A Dream Deferred: How Opioids Captured a Community
Opinion: A Dream Deferred: How Opioids Captured a Community

When I was a little girl I lived on the South Side of Chicago. My family and I would wake up early every Sunday morning and trudge our Sunday’s best to Austin Church of Christ, my papa’s small little church on the West Side. On our way there, we always pass this hotel planted on the corner of W. Jackson Blvd. and S. Sacramento Blvd.


The Real Chi Real Talk - Episode 3
The Real Chi Real Talk - Episode 3

Women's History Month is a celebration of the vital role women have played in our collective past and present.

March Madness
March Madness

March Madness is one of the most exciting events in sports; it's a time when college athletes play to represent their respected schools and their history.

Hair Today, Black Tomorrow
Hair Today, Black Tomorrow

The Jett Hawkins Act has been passed to help stop discimination for hair styles in Illinois schools. But the real question is: Can we be doing more for young adults in the Chicagoland area?


International Women's Day
International Women's Day

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8th, it is a global holiday that commemorates the cultural, political, and societal achievements of women.

OPED-Housewife meets Homwrecker: The Shifting Narrative of Women in Television
OPED-Housewife meets Homwrecker: The Shifting Narrative of Women in Television

I remember vividly my mother speaking to me about the films and television she watched in her day. She spoke of watching Good Times on weekday afternoons after school, growing up in Louisville’s Newburg area as a child. Then in her teenhood she turned to 227.

RELATED IN-DEPTH FEATURES

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West Side Organizers Show Promise of Juneteenth Becoming an Official Chicago Holiday
West Side Organizers Show Promise of Juneteenth Becoming an Official Chicago Holiday

"Juneteenth is a day to remind us of how far we've come in 400 years, and our continued fight for liberation for the next 400," says LaCreshia Birts, 30, petitioning for Juneteenth to become an official city holiday. Birt is the Initiator of The Black Remembrance Project, an advocacy group in Chicago advocating for the proper recognition of Juneteenth and to establish an annual Juneteenth celebration in Chicago’s downtown.

Family Focus Lawndale Creates Holistic Space For Child Development
Family Focus Lawndale Creates Holistic Space For Child Development

Family Focus helps close the learning gap in low income homes before it even starts by encouraging consistent cognitive development of young children outside of daycare.

Chicago’s Disinvested in West Side Biking Infrastructure Rolls On
Chicago’s Disinvested in West Side Biking Infrastructure Rolls On

The city of Chicago boasted in an April 2019 press release that two-thirds of the city has access to rental bikes through its partnership with Divvy, however, based on the cycling giant’s community investment to date West Side residents are still waiting for their opportunity to ride like everyone else.

New cannabis legislation is a start to restoring Black America after the War on Drugs
New cannabis legislation is a start to restoring Black America after the War on Drugs

One week in jail for marijuana possession was all it took for aspiring correctional officer Andrea NaTay Drane to be shut out of a world of opportunities forever.

“Though I was in jail for one week, I was in mentally in jail for seven  years,” says Drane. 

 
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