By: Hanna Guerrero  

September 17, 2026

Every year during Hispanic Heritage Month, The Resurrection Project (TRP) honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Latino changemakers who have shaped our country. In Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, these stories come to life through local businesses that anchor the community, preserve culture, and create economic opportunities.  

Latino-owned businesses impact our economy. According to a recent Forbes report, more than 140,000 Latino-owned businesses across Chicago and Illinois generate a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeding $100 billion.  

At TRP, we are proud to celebrate the immigrant families that transform sacrifice into stability and entrepreneurship into community power, and we’re even prouder to play a role in their journeys. La Malinche Coffee and Tea House is a neighborhood cafe born from migration and perseverance, supported by TRP’s commitment to building community and championing justice. 

Years ago, the Aguirre family searched for a place they could call home. Today, they operate a business that gives back to the same community that helped them get started.   

Immigrating to Chicago with Big Dreams

Leaving behind the vast, chaotic streets of Mexico City, Hector Aguirre and his wife Yvette came to Chicago in 2016 with nothing guaranteed except their willingness to work. 

 “We were living in Mexico City, and well… I didn’t want to live there anymore. We wanted a change; it was too chaotic and crowded.” Hector explains.  

In Mexico, they had already proven their resilience by running a small café selling coffee, crepes, and sandwiches. In addition to running their café, Hector also sold insurance. When the opportunity came to move to the United States, they left their café behind to pursue a better future. They arrived with nothing, driven only by “the pursuit of our dreams, of our goals.” 

Chicago welcomed them, but their dream of opening a cafe seemed far away because they weren’t financially ready. By 2018, the Aguirres were expecting their first child. Needing a bigger space, they learned about TRP and applied for an apartment at Casa Puebla.  Hector remembers calling about the apartments and learning that TRP offered more than a place for his family to live. TRP also offered them community and opportunities.     

Finding Community and Stability with TRP Housing

Hector and his family lived in Casa Puebla in 2018 and moved to Casa Morelos in 2020. As the Aguirres settled into their new homes, they realized TRP housing offered more than a place to live; it gave them stability.   

“Our housing costs weren’t high. It actually helped us,” Hector said.  

That stability gave him the freedom to work at a restaurant, sell their artisanal tea products to local stores, and start saving. While many immigrant families are forced to choose between rent and risk, Casa Puebla and Casa Morelos let them do both: raise their children and prepare for something bigger. 

After the pandemic hit, many of Hector’s clients closed their doors, but he went back out into the neighborhood, selling his tea products door to door. Just a block from where he lived, he walked into a small café called La Malinche. 

From TRP Tenants to Neighborhood Anchors

He offered his tea product, and La Malinche’s management loved it but said they wouldn’t buy it. They explained that the owner, Marlene Torres, was very ill with cancer, and they were going to close if they couldn’t find a buyer. Suddenly, the encounter became a life-changing moment for the Aguirres.

Hector and Yevette decided to buy La Malinche Cafe. They didn’t have the full amount, but because their housing costs at Casa Morelos were manageable and Hector’s job was steady, they could piece together the payments.  

Little by little, they paid off the previous owners. They kept the name La Malinche, preserved the original owner’s photos, and began adding their own history and culture into the space.    

Five years later, La Malinche is a beloved neighborhood café, and the immigrant family who once saw opening a business in the United States as a distant dream now stands as an example of what stable, dignified housing plus opportunity can make possible. 

Their coffee shop serves as a living bridge between cultures and a sanctuary for the community. Hector and Yvette support the community by standing in solidarity against the rise in ICE arrests and anti-immigrant rhetoric. TRP’s Immigrant Justice “Know Your Rights” posters are on display, and they participate in the Day Without Immigrants protests by closing their restaurant to emphasize the importance of locally owned immigrant businesses.    

“We came here with the vision, with the dream of being able to have our own business… they told us we were lucky… I tell them, well yes, but luck found me working,” said Hector.  

TRP played a crucial role in Hector and Yvette’s journey by providing stable, affordable housing and guidance as they made important property and financial decisions. With a secure home and predictable housing costs, they could focus on growing La Malinche and building their future in Chicago. The family eventually moved from Casa Morelos, purchased a home in Canaryville, and today owns the building where La Malinche operates. 

The Aguirres’ story shows what’s possible when families have a stable foundation to build on. For TRP, affordable housing is not simply about providing a place to live; it is a pathway to opportunity, ownership, and generational wealth. When we invest in housing, we invest in families, local businesses, and the communities they strengthen. 

Learn more about TRP’s housing and financial services at www.resurrectionproject.org. You can also learn more about La Malinche Coffee and Tea by planning a visit through their website.   

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Founded in 1990, The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds community and champions justice so immigrants and families have the power to shape their futures. Through our interconnected Housing and Immigrant Justice work, we provide essential services, organize and lift community voices, and strengthen the ecosystems needed to create lasting change. We build homes. We build justice. We build belonging. And together, we create a future where everyone has a place to stand, grow, and dream.