Kansas City Westside Fades Amid Cont'd Metro Latino Population Boom

Fun fact . . . They've been writing these type of articles about KC's Latino population since the late 1980s and this latest installment doesn't tell us a lot that we don't already know.

For instance . . .

NEWSFLASH: REAL ESTATE PRICES RISE NEAR DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY!!!

In fact, part of the mission of this blog was to document "the Westside transition" (ew) into the Crossroads that's mostly complete. 

Still . . . Here's a nice interview with TKC's old boss along with a few more relevant deets:

"In 2000, 70% of West Side residents were Latino. Today, that number is 44%, according to the Mid-America Regional Council. Residents describe not just the loss of culture, but changes to the physical look of their streets. Where Latino-owned bungalows, passed down from grandparent to parent to a third generation, once lined the steep inclines of Jefferson St. and Summit St., those hills are dotted with vacant lots where older homes have been demolished for palatial new ones that give the area a hip, modern vibe.

"Gentrification is driving up housing prices and property taxes. Working people are having a harder time affording homes.
 
"But metro wide, the Latino population is seeing a different trajectory: it’s increasing. Rapidly.

"In fact, people of Latino heritage grew more than any other single race or ethnicity according to the latest Census. Jackson County, Missouri, saw its Hispanic population grow by more than 20,000 people between 2010 and 2020, while the white population declined over the same period of time. Johnson County, Kansas, added almost 16,000 Hispanic people during those years, outpacing growth among the white population by 2,000 people."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

In Kansas City's rapidly growing Latino communities, 'all of us have different stories'

Over several months of listening sessions and interviews in the oldest neighborhoods on the West Side of Kansas City, Missouri, to newer communities in Johnson County, Kansas, KCUR heard stories of how Latinos are bringing distinct cultures while sharing common concerns.