>>> GOOD EVENING.

I'M ALEX HERNANDEZ.

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT, UNCOVERING THE NEWEST SET OF CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO WATER MANAGEMENT.

THE GROWING IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE WATER SCARCITY AND FLOODING.

NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE RELEASES A STUDY ABOUT COVID.

WE HEAR ABOUT WHAT THE RESEARCHER DOES AND DOES NOT TELL US.

WORKERS AT A TORTILLA FACTORY LAUNCH OF VICTORY IN THE FIGHT TO ORGANIZE.

THE HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE PUERTO RICAN CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.

>> I HAVE TO BRING PEOPLE TO YOUR RESTAURANT.

>>> A CHEF ON HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS HIM EDUCATE DINERS ON [ SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH ] WAS IN -- MAKE WHIZZING .

>>> CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE SUPPORT OF --.

>>> IT MIGHT COME AS A SURPRISE, GIVEN OUR PROXIMITY TO LAKE MICHIGAN, BUT CHICAGO'S NEIGHBORS ARE LITTLE WEST OF THE CITY COULD SOON BE FACING A WATER SHORTAGE.

IT COMES AMID HEADY FLOODING ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO IT POSES THE CHALLENGE OF MANAGING A GROWING IMBALANCE BETWEEN FLOODING AND WATER SCARCITY.

MEANWHILE, THE GREAT CITY INSTITUTE HAS REVEALED A PLAN TO RECYCLE CHICAGO'S WASTEWATER IN ORDER TO PREVENT A FUTURE WATER CRISIS SHORTAGE.

JOINING US WITH MORE, TERESA CORDOVA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITIZENS INSTITUTE AND [ INAUDIBLE ], DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR.

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU BOTH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YOUR TEAM CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO RECYCLE CHICAGO'S WASTEWATER.

WHAT IS BEHIND THE FRESHWATER SHORTAGE?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT LAKE MISSION OR THE GREAT LAKES .

THIS IS OUR SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER IN THIS REGION.

IF WE GO SOUTH WEST OF HERE, THE AQUIFER, IS BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE.

THIS IS AN HONOR PUNISHABLE AQUIFER.

SO, WITH JOLIET, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH HAS A HIGH INDUSTRIAL FOOTPRINT AND IS LOOKING FOR SOURCE OF WATER, THEY CAME TO CHICAGO.

THE CITY OF CHICAGO HEADSET, ALL RIGHT, WE WILL ENTER AN AGREEMENT.

WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WATER.

THE WATER WE ARE PROVIDING THEM IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR FRESHWATER SOURCE IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

BUT WE ARE ARGUING IS THAT THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

WHEN AND IF THAT AQUIFER DEPLETES AND COLLAPSES, THERE WILL BE MORE COMMUNITIES SEEKING A SOURCE OF WATER AND WE JUST DO NOT HAVE THE AMOUNT OF WATER TO PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE.

WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A PIPELINE SYSTEM THAT WILL ENABLE US TO PROVIDE FRESH DRINKING WATER AND FOR OTHER HOME USES AND THE RECYCLED WATER FROM THE RECLAMATION DISTRICT THAT WOULD BE USED.

>> CONCERNS ABOUT WASTEWATER ARE ALSO TIED TO FLOODING.

YOUR STUDY STATES THAT FLOODING AND SCARCITY CAN ALTERNATE IN THE SAME PLACE .

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION?

>> YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN IRONY THERE, RIGHT?

TO THINK THAT ONE GIVEN PLACE WILL HAVE FLOODING AND ANOTHER PLACE WILL HAVE DROUGHT AND, YET, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING.

IN THE BERWYN CICERO AREA AND DOWN THE ROAD, THEY ARE EXPERIENCING DROUGHT.

A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE CHANGING NATURE OF STORM SYSTEMS.

THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE FORMING AND CONCENTRATING.

BECAUSE THE AREA MIGHT BE IN DROUGHT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ABSORPTION OF THE WATER AND WHAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT , WHEN I SAY WE, WE ARE PROMOTING THIS, THEY'RE PURSUING MORE POSSIBILITIES AND ALTERNATIVES FOR HOW WE CAN APPROACH OUR FLOODING IN OUR WASTEWATER.

>> YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON THE FLOODING .

HOW BAD WAS IT AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM RESIDENTS?

>> IT WAS DEVASTATING.

YOU KNOW, CICERO IS A WORKING-CLASS COMMUNITY.

PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR YEARS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR FIRST HOMES.

THEIR PEOPLE LIVE IN BASEMENTS DESPITE THE RISK BECAUSE THAT IS ALL THEY CAN AFFORD.

IF PRICES ARE TOO HIGH OTHERWISE.

WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE FRUSTRATED THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS .

WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE.

PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING THAT THEY CAN'T MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

THERE ARE PEOPLE OF TOLD US THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP.

THEY NO LONGER HAVE PLACES TO LIVE.

THERE WAS ONE WOMAN THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO WHO IT TOOK 15 DAYS FOR HER LANDLORD TO REPLACE THE REFRIGERATOR AND HER STOVE.

IT IS A LOT OF DEVASTATION THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING AND ANGER TOO THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED, ESPECIALLY SPANISH SPEAKERS .

>> SPEAKING UP, THEY EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATION THIS WEEKEND.

AT TOWN HALL MEETING.

VERY UPSET RESIDENTS.

I WAS ABLE TO HEAR SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS.

WHAT KIND OF HELP OR ANSWERS ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS.

LIKE I SAID, MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

HAVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO RELOCATE OR TO FIND FOOD.

THERE IS A FOOD PANTRY HERE IN THE AREA THAT SERVICES 175 FAMILIES EACH WEEK.

WE HAVE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE GO TO THE FOOD PANTRY TO GET FOOD BUT THE FOOD PANTRY WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS AND HAS CLOSED FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY.

PEOPLE AREN'T BEING ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS.

THERE'S ALSO THE CICERO COMMUNITY FARM .

FLOODING IN CICERO IS NOT UNUSUAL.

THERE HAVE BEEN FLOODS BEFORE.

WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL FLOODS THAT MIGHT BE IN THE FUTURE.

I TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF GREEN SPACES TOO.

ENSURING ACCESS THAT WE HAVE >> SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I WANT TO GO BACK WITH YOU.

WE HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT KIND OF INNOVATION IS YOUR TEAM PROPOSING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF WATER SHORTAGE?

>> I MENTION THE DUAL PIPELINE SYSTEM.

I THINK THE OTHER THING, HERE SOME OF THE GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE A BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN RECLAMATION DISTRICT.

A GREAT BOARD, [ INAUDIBLE ] AND ALSO GARCIA.

ONE OF THE THINGS WILL START TO SEE MORE OF IS THE USE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DECENTRALIZES SOME OF THE WATER AND THINGS LIKE THIS.

THERE IS A WHOLE NUMBER OF THINGS AROUND GREEN EMPHASIS.

>> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY AND FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> BEGINNING IN 2021, WORKERS HAVE GONE PUBLIC WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT WORKING CONDITIONS AND LABOR VIOLATIONS INCLUDING CHARGES OF INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT, AND RETALIATIONS.

THEY SAY IT IS A RAP ON THE CASE BETWEEN EL MILAGRO OWNERSHIP AND THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD.

A SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED AND THE COMPANY CANNOT INTERFERE WITH WORKERS ATTEMPTS TO WORK.

>> WHAT THE EL MILAGRO WORKERS WANT IS THE RECLAMATION ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY THAT THEY CAN ORGANIZE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE, WITHOUT BEING INTIMIDATED, WITHOUT THREATS , WITHOUT HAVING TO TALK ABOUT -- WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EL MILAGRO WAS DOING.

THE COMPANY HAS TO READ A STATEMENT SAYING, YOU CAN ORGANIZE AND WE WILL NOT INTERRUPT YOU.

IT IS A BASIC RIGHT BUT EL MILAGRO HAD TO DO IT.

THIS IS WHAT WE, AS WORKERS, HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR.

THERE WERE DOUBTS ABOUT THIS.

YOU KNOW, IF I DO THIS, I'M GOING TO BE FIRED.

IF I DO THAT, I'M GOING TO BE REPRIMANDED.

I MEAN, FINALLY, DESPITE THE RESISTANCE OF EL MILAGRO AND THE ORGANIZING AROUND $2.2 MILLION IN WAGE INCREASES, SOME VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW WERE CORRECTED.

THERE ARE STILL CHARGES WITH THE OFFICE OF LABOR STATUSES IN CHICAGO WITH HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

THERE IS A LAWSUIT FOR WORKER HARASSMENT.

THERE ARE MANY CONDITIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SOLVED.

THE WORKERS ARE FEELING MORE ENCOURAGED TO FIGHT AGAINST THOSE ADVERSE WORKING CONDITIONS.

>> SINCE THE WORKERS BEGAN ORGANIZING THEY HAVE WON WAGE INCREASES AND SOME LEGAL WORK REQUIREMENTS.

>>> A NEW STUDIES REVEALING INTRIGUING PATTERNS IN LONG COVID PATIENTS.

RESEARCHERS HAVE EVALUATED 600 LONG COVID PATIENTS AT THE NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE NEUROLOGY CLINIC.

THEY FOUND DIFFERENCES IN THE NEUROLOGICAL EXAMS OF HOSPITALIZED AND NON-HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS IN THE PERIODS BEFORE VACCINES WERE AVAILABLE.

AS A COVID PANDEMIC ENTERS ITS FOURTH YEAR, LATINOS ARE STILL DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THE ENVIRONS.

MANY CASES ARE AMONGST LATINOS DESPITE MAKING UP A SMALL PORTION OF THE POPULATION.

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

I WANT TO START WITH EXPLAINING A BIT OF WHAT LONG COVID IS .

>> SURE.

LONG COVID, MOST DEFINITIONS ARE AFTER ACUTE INFECTIONS WITH THE VIRUS.

IF YOUR SYMPTOMS PERSIST BEYOND 30 DAYS THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS WILL SAY THREE MONTHS, IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS BEYOND THAT POINT, THIS IS GENERALLY WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE SAY LONG COVID.

>> WHAT PROMPTED THIS?

>> THE STUDY THAT WE DID, IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, IT IS ONE WHERE WE LOOK BACK ON 1200 PATIENTS WITH OUR CENTER'S INVOLVEMENT AND PATIENTS WITH LONG COVID.

WE LOOK BACK ON THESE INDIVIDUALS TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT TYPES OF PATTERNS THEY HAVE IN THE TEST RESULTS AND WHAT WERE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIVIDUALS?

IN THIS STUDY WE LOOKED AT INDIVIDUALS.

>> HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THESE PATIENTS?

>> YES, SO, WHEN WE OPENED OUR CENTER IN MAY OF 2020, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT -- [ INAUDIBLE ].

WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WERE THE DEMOGRAPHICS.

OVER THE TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAD.

HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS IT IN TERMS OF ALLOWING ACCESS TO DIFFERENT POPULATIONS AND WHEN WE DID TEST THESE INDIVIDUALS, AND WE HAD NEUROLOGICAL QUESTIONNAIRES, -- >> OKAY, IS THERE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TYPE OF COVID AND THE SUB VARIANT OF COVID THAT MIGHT BE MORE LIKELY TO GIVE PATIENTS -- >> OUR SITE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE IMPACTS OF THE VARIANCE ON THE INDIVIDUALS.

A LOT OF OUR INDIVIDUALS CAME FROM DIFFERENT WAVES OF THE PANDEMICS.

EARLIER, LATER, AND WE DID NOT NECESSARILY DRAW A PARALLEL BETWEEN THOSE IN OUR STUDY.

>> DID IT SUGGEST ANYTHING ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE MORE SUCCESSFUL -- SUSCEPTIBLE?

>> ANYONE WHO WORKED IN THE ICU , PATIENTS OF LATINO BACKGROUND OR AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE WORSE OUTCOMES OF COVID.

IT WAS PALPABLE DURING THE TIME IN WHICH HOSPITALS WERE INUNDATED.

WE HAD EXTREME MANIFESTATIONS OF THE DISEASE.

SO, MORE AND MORE MODERATELY ONE HOSPITALS ARE LEFT FILLED UP WE DO HAVE A KEY I ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO THESE OTHER POPULATIONS THAT WE KNEW WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED.

>> ANY NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE TREATMENT FOR LONG COVID AFTER THIS?

>> WHAT CAN BE SAID IS THAT THERE IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO MANAGING LONG COVID.

THE STUDY WOULD BE DONE THAT TRIES TO TREAT LONG COVID, KEEP IN MIND, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS AND SYMPTOMS.

PATIENTS COULD HAVE BRAIN FOG, A PERSISTENT COUGH, THEY MAY NEED TO BE MANAGED DIFFERENTLY IN THE END.

>> DOES THE STUDY SUGGEST MORE VACCINATION?

>> VACCINATION IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SO FAR.

WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD STRATEGY OTHERWISE TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM LONG COVID.

VACCINATION IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE CARE FOR PATIENTS?

>> SO, A LOT OF WHAT STUDIES ARE SHOWING IS THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE SPECIALTIES ON AN INDIVIDUAL AND IT SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT.

IF SOMEONE HAS MORE NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS , THAT PERSON SHOULD BE SEEN BY A NEUROLOGIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN THIS.

SIMILAR TO CARDIOLOGY AND LUNG HEALTH AS WELL.

MULTIPLE PROVIDERS SEEM TO HAVE -- FOR TREATING PATIENTS.

>> HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS STUDY CAN BE CONDUCTED DIFFERENTLY TO INCLUDE A MORE DIVERSE SET OF PARTICIPANTS?

>> STUDIES IN GENERAL NEED TO INCLUDE PATIENTS FROM ALL BACK GROUNDS ACROSS THE BOARD SO WE CAN LOOK AT THE POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND BEYOND.

WHETHER IT IS ADVERTISING THAT THE STUDY IS DONE, IMPROVING RESEARCH IN GENERAL, IT IS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL PROCESS .

WHEN WE DO THIS RESEARCH WE WANT TO HELP EVERYONE.

>> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT 1200?

>> 1200 INDIVIDUALS.

>> DO WE KNOW HOW MANY LATINOS WERE PART OF IT?

>> IT WAS A MINORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IN OUR LONG COVID EXPERIMENT TO SITE -- DESPITE BARRIERS AND TRYING TO REMOVE BARRIERS.

IT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACTUALLY HAD LONG COVID.

>> WHAT ARE THOSE BARRIERS?

>> A BIG PART OF IT IS EDUCATION THAT WE EXIST .

KNOWING ABOUT LONG COVID AND THAT IS A THING AND IT CAN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AS WELL, NOT JUST THOSE WHO, YOU KNOW, [ INAUDIBLE ].

KNOWING ABOUT LONG COVID , WHO TO ACCESS, AND OTHER FACTORS .

>> RIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF GETTING LONG COVID AGAIN.

>> THERE IS.

IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT YOU CAN GET LONG COVID AFTER YOUR THIRD OR FOURTH INFECTION WITH COVID.

PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS AFTER YOUR FIRST INFECTION >> OUR THANKS TO DR. MARK FOR JOINING US TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT RESEARCH.

>> MY PLEASURE.

>>> THROUGHOUT MUCH OF CHICAGO'S HISTORY SOME IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD SOCIALLY AND POLITICALLY .

DURING THE 1960s, AND LINCOLN PARK, A PUERTO RICAN GANG CALLED THE YOUNG LORDS GOT TOGETHER AFTER BEING PUSHED OUT DUE TO URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS.

OVER THE YEAR, THE YOUNG LORDS HAVE STARTED A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION WITH NATIONAL REPRESENTATION.

A PROJECT IN HUMBOLDT PARK EXPLORES THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF THE WOMAN IN THAT MOVEMENT.

>> IT IS AN INSTALLATION DEDICATED TO THE WOMEN OF THE CHICAGO YOUNG LORDS FROM THE MOMENT THAT THE YOUNG LORD WAS FORMED IN THE 1965.

IN THE LINCOLN PARK COMMUNITY UP UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME, INCLUDING THE NEW ERA YOUNG LORDS WHICH WERE A MANIFESTATION OF THE MOVEMENT THAT FORMED IN 2020.

I DISCOVERED THAT WOMEN WERE INVOLVED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN THE YOUNG LORDS INCLUDING WHEN THEY ORGANIZED IN 1965 AS THE YOUNG LORDETTES AND BEYOND THAT AS INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION .

WOMEN RESPONDED IN THE SAME WAY.

I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WAS A LOT HARDER FOR WOMEN TO IDENTIFY FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE VALUES THEMSELVES, RIGHT?

WOMEN OFTEN CAME IN AS PARTNERS OR JUST DID THE WORK AND WERE ACTIVE IN THE RANK AND FILE.

THEY DIDN'T SEE THEMSELVES AS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP .

THEY WEREN'T AS EAGER, RIGHT?

OR IS READY TO CALL THEMSELVES YOUNG LORDS IN THE WAY THAT THE MEN WERE.

IT DID TAKE SOME EXCAVATION TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF WOMEN BUT I ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN KEY MOMENTS WITHIN THE MOVEMENT.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF CHICAGO TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT PART OF OUR HISTORY THAT ON A NATIONAL SCALE HAS BEEN MARGINALIZED.

>> IS ON DISPLAY AT THE HONEYCOMB PROJECT THROUGH JULY 29th.

YOU CAN FIND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE.

BACK WITH MORE RIGHT AFTER THIS.

>>> CONSTANTLY SHIFTING TRENDS, THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY CAN BE A TOUGH BUSINESS AND CHEFS AND OWNERS HAVE TO FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO INVITE DINERS.

DOUBLE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IS ONE WAY HE IS PRODDING MORE BUSINESS ABOUT EDUCATING CURIOUS DINERS ABOUT HIS HOME COUNTRY.

HE HAS PARTNERED UP WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS TO OFFER ADVICE OF THE RESTAURANT OWNERS ON HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHOWCASE THEIR CUISINE.

>> EVERY TIME I'M HERE IT FEELS LIKE I'M HOME.

>> Reporter: CHEF CARLOS IMMERSES DINERS IN MEMORIES OF HIS CHILDHOOD.

>> WORKING IN THE FIELD, HELPING THE FAMILY, AND I LEARNED SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT GROWING MY OWN VEGETABLES AND SACRIFICING AN ANIMAL, WHEN I WAS A KID, PREPARING A MEAL FOR MY MOM.

WHERE I'M COMING FROM WE USE A LOT OF WILD ANIMAL.

RABBIT, DEER, IGUANA, OBVIOUSLY WHEN I'M COOKING I'M COOKING FOOD THAT COMES FROM MY HEART AND IT COMES FROM MY SOUL.

>> THOUGH CHICAGO HAS BEEN HOME TO MEXICAN IMMIGRATION FOR DECADES THE CITIES RESTAURANTS HAVE NOT ALWAYS REFLECTED THE VAST DIVERSITY OF MEXICO'S REGIONAL CUISINE.

WHEN HE ARRIVED IN CHICAGO IN 1991, THE CITY HAD PLENTY OF TALKER HE IS BUT NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF MEXICAN FINE DINING.

>> WHEN I CAME HERE I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE MAC WAS IN -- MEXICAN CUISINE.

IT WAS NOT WELL REPRESENTED.

>> HIS FIRST RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO INTRODUCED DINERS TO A NEW WAY OF TASTING MEXICO.

BEFORE RECEIVING THE MICHELIN START GETTING PEOPLE IN THE DOOR WAS AN UPHILL BATTLE.

>> PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW WHAT MEXICAN CUISINE WAS BACK THEN.

AND FINE DINING MEXICAN CUISINE, IT REALLY TOOK ME A LOT TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO STAY AND EAT.

AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE REAL MEXICAN CUISINE.

>> WHEN HE OPENED IN 2019 IS A SEASON RESTAURANTS OR HE SAYS ONE LESSON HE BROUGHT WITH HIM FROM HIS DAYS WAS MAKING THE MOST OF HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE.

>> SOCIAL MEDIA DOES SO MUCH TO BRING BUSINESS.

IT TAKES TIME.

SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT TAKES ANOTHER JOB JUST TO DO IT.

JUST KEEP POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

EXAMPLE, ON FRIDAY I'M GOING TO START BRINGING BACK MY [ INAUDIBLE ] WHICH WAS VERY POPULAR HERE.

I HAD SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE, OH, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE RESERVATIONS.

LIKE, YES, WE WANT TO TRY IT.

IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO GET IT.

>> HE SAYS HE IS HAPPY TO OFFER HIS ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE TO PEOPLE NEW TO THE BUSINESS.

>> I LEARNED THE HARD WAY, YOU KNOW?

I MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES.

YOU HAVE TO LEARN SO MANY THINGS.

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO BRING PEOPLE TO YOUR RESTAURANT.

NOW WE CAN SEE WHAT WE DID RIGHT.

SO, IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

SO, THIS WAY THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SAME WAY.

WE ARE HERE TO SHARE EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESS.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES, THIS IS ERICA GUNDERSON.

>> THERE IS MORE ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE ON OUR WEBSITE.

>> THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR SHOW FOR TONIGHT.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE WTTW.COM.

IF YOU'RE WATCHING US ON FRIDAY NIGHT, YOU CAN ALSO CATCH LATINA VOICES AND BLACK VOICES ON SATURDAY BEGINNING AT 6:00 P.M. DON'T FORGET ALSO TO TUNE IN TO [ INAUDIBLE ] EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING.

FOR ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT AT CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES, THANK YOU.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

>>> CLOSED CAPTIONING IS MADE POSSIBLE BY ROBERT AID CLIFFORD AND CLIFFORD LAW, A PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM PLEASE