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Historian documents El Barrio, Indianapolis’ first majority-Latino neighborhood
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Summary
A new documentary and historical research highlight El Barrio, the Near East Side neighborhood that grew as Indianapolis’ first majority-Latino community and was later disrupted by I‑65 construction; the film Beyond El Barrio is available on YouTube.
Nicole Martinez LeGrand’s research and a new documentary, Beyond El Barrio, recount the history of El Barrio, the Near East Side neighborhood that became Indianapolis’ first majority-Latino community, City of Indianapolis neighborhood advocate Sydney Starks said on the City’s Tuesday '10 program. Martinez LeGrand, an author and documentarian with the Indiana Historical Society, spent years tracing the Mexican American families who built the neighborhood and whose institutions included a community center, supermarket and social club.
El Barrio grew through the early and middle 20th century, according to Starks, but the neighborhood’s geography and cohesion were later damaged in the 1960s and 1970s by construction of Interstate 65 South. “This October, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are highlighting a neighborhood that represented our city's first majority Latino community,” Starks said on the program.
The documentary Beyond El Barrio is available in full on YouTube, Starks said. The episode featured Martinez LeGrand’s work as the source for the city’s monthly neighborhood spotlight and recommended the film as a way for residents to learn more about El Barrio’s history.
Starks framed the segment as part of the city’s observance of Hispanic Heritage Month and directed listeners to local cultural programming tied to the commemoration.
