West Town Couple Who Helped Immigrant Families New To Chicago Honored With Street Sign

WEST TOWN — When Paulin and Juanita Soto immigrated to Chicago from Mexico in 1956 to build a new life and start a family, they faced several obstacles, including a language barrier and the need for secure housing. But with the help of neighbors they met along the way, the Sotos were able to find their footing as restaurant business owners in West Town and parishioners of a local church, where they spent the rest of their lives giving back to the community that embraced them. On Thursday, the late couple was honored with a street sign at 1166 W. Grand Ave., on the corner next to their former restaurant, Bar Casablanca, cementing the family’s name in the neighborhood they contributed to for so many years. Their children, grandchildren, friends and Walter Burnett Jr., former alderman of the 27th ward, which includes West Town, gathered for a street name unveiling ceremony to celebrate the couple s legacy. “Honoring my parents is a great thing,” said Phillip Soto, one of P