| Summary: | This paper analyses the case of a Mexican migrants neighborhood in the city of Chicago (Pilsen) which is home to many artists. The aim is to show that there is a tension between, on the one hand, the cultural practices of local artists and, on the other hand, the cultural policies and urban renewal that aim to ensure a metropolitan territorial attractiveness. Through an ethnography of social and artistic actors mostly conducted in 2019, this piece proposes first to study the community practices of immigrant artists, especially in muralist art. Then the analysis focuses on the accelerated gentrification process in this district. It became very fashionable due to its post-industrial renovation, attracting new inhabitants and tourism of so-called ethnic neighbourhood. This dynamic gentrification simultaneously organizes the displacement of the most vulnerable Mexican populations and the commodification of migrant cultural heritage. Finally, this research shows that the social organization of urban space is not only a source of injustice but also of opportunities depending on the status, income and class interests of racialized groups in the city.
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