South Chicago

Formerly known as Ainsworth, (Chicago Community Area 46) South Chicago is one of Chicago 's 16 lakefront neighborhoods. 1 It is located 10 miles south of downtown at the mouth of the Calumet River .

Started by European farmers and fishermen, South Chicago first evolved as a rural settlement surviving on agriculture. 1 It was annexed to Chicago in 1889. 1 At that time, half of the area's residents had been born outside the United States. 1

According to 2000 census data, South Chicago had an African American population of 68%, up from 48% in 1980. 2 The Hispanic/Latino population was 26.4% in 2000, down from 40% in 1980. 2 The $26,149 median income is very near the poverty line. 2

In 2006, South Chicago was designated as a "food desert" by the Gallagher Research & Consulting Group. 3 A food desert is considered an area of relative exclusion where people experience economic and physical barriers with very limited options to access healthy food. 3 Supermarkets have moved out, requiring people to travel long distances for groceries. 3 As a result, people often resort to fast food outlets for meals. This makes South Chicago residents more susceptible to CVD and diabetes. The Chicago Department of Public Health found that hospitalizations as a result of CVD were higher in South Chicago compared to the city as a whole. 2

  1. South Chicago . Encyclopedia of Chicago . Retrieved on March, 2009 LINK
  2. Chicago Department of Public Health. Chicago Community Health Profile. Retrieved on April, 2006 LINK.
  3. Examining the impact of food deserts on public health in Chicago . Chicago , IL : Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group; 2006.

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