Venezuelan native and Chicago-based activist Luciana Diaz makes it her mission to help recent arrivals feel welcome.
by Abena Bediako
Luciana Diaz from Panas En Chicago speaks during an interview at an arepas making session at Olivet United Methodist Church in West Garfield Park on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (Trent Sprague/for City Bureau)
From the moment she enters a room, Luciana Diaz never slows down. If she’s not visiting shelters to make new connections, then she’s attending public meetings, writing to alderpeople, or brainstorming new ideas on how to make Chicago more cohesive for all of its residents.
Diaz is the president of Panas en Chicago, a nonprofit aimed at serving Venezuelan migrants living in the Chicago area. The group spends a lot of time visiting local shelters housing Venezuelans and speaking with residents about public safety, shelter complaints, mutual aid resources, and how to start their lives in Chicago.
Though Diaz only arrived in Chicago from Venezuela nine years ago, she moves like she’s been here her whole life. Her ambitious personality and welcoming presence have helped her create strong ties to the community. Diaz’s church, Olivet United Methodist Church, 147 S. Keeler Ave., appreciates her passion so much, they’ve given her creative freedom in the church basement. She is currently in the process of transforming the space into a community center for kids to have a place to express themselves.
Through her work, Diaz hears from Venezuelan migrants firsthand about their biggest financial difficulties. On one recent afternoon, she and a couple volunteers were making 300 arepas to pass out to Venezuelans outside of shelters around Chicago. It’s the kind of work she does best — establishing immediate, tangible connections with the people she hopes to help.
How did you come up with the idea to start Panas?
When I came to this city in 2015, I was by myself. I was thinking I don’t want my people to feel alone or rejected. I thought we needed to do something so my people could feel welcome. I had a vision that we could make our own community, where we support each other. That’s what we do at Panas.
Your nonprofit has helped a lot of Venezuelans figure out how to start a life in Chicago. How often are you helping them start a business?
A lot of Venezuelans are opening all kinds of businesses. We have a huge community of Venezuelan restaurants which opened in the last couple of years. A lot of owners will advise prospective restaurant owners on how to start their business and I connect them. Our nonprofit helps them learn how to register a company or what kind of license they need.
How often do you meet people who’ve started their own business on the street?
I meet people who are not only opening a business, but who are selling candy, cigarettes, Coca-Cola, arepas or traditional food outside. I meet people practically every week who are selling something around the city.
Do they ever encounter difficulty in selling on the street?
Normally for selling outside on the street, you need a license. We are working to help people have the proper license to sell food and other things outside because that is part of the culture in Venezuela — we are famous for popular markets. There are a lot of entrepreneurs who want to sell a lot of things and have a business like the Americanos.
How does the experience differ when families are selling food and water with their children? What do they struggle with most?
It’s really dangerous, especially with human trafficking and the trafficking of kids. Every time I have the chance to speak with them, I say you should be careful with your kids because it’s a dangerous city. In the winter, a lot of families sold water on the street with their kids and it was terrifying. It will be the same in the summer. Kids need to be in summer programs and camps and park district activities provided by the city.
Do any of them ever tell you they are worried about their safety?
Yeah, of course. A lot of them tell me that people stop to offer them jobs. They say things like, “Come to my house and I can give you food and work.” These strangers stop to talk to them, especially when they have kids. For the women, they say other things. They’ll ask them questions like, “How much do you charge?” because they think they’re sex workers.
How do you think City Council and the mayor should be involved in helping recent arrivals find work or create safe and steady jobs for themselves?
We need a lot of communication. We need English classes, because speaking English will be the key to finding a better job. We need more workshops to help those who qualify for Temporary Protected Status and work permits. We need job fairs so they can ask questions to help build their resumes and learn how to interact in interviews.
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