Stop 9

Located on 10A Central Ave, El restaurant y pupuseria El Pecas reflects the presence of one of Chelsea’s largest immigrant populations: Salvadorians. A short walk-through Chelsea shows a staple within the community: food. At El Pecas, you can find staple Salvadorian dishes alongside other Central American dishes and some American favorites. 

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Chelsea’s large Salvadoran population first began growing around 1990 as a result of many seeking refuge from violence back in their home country. Similar scenarios were occurring alongside El Salvador, in countries such as Guatemala and Honduras. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch drove even more Central Americans towards Chelsea in hopes of recovering from the damage the storm had on their lives. While they sought security and refuge in this new place, many Central American residents of Chelsea still experience times of extreme hardship.

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This hardship was further exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 Pandemic. As many arrived to the United States in rushed and dire circumstances, a large population of the Central American immigrants did not have the time or resources to receive US citizenship status. This had negative impacts on allocation of disaster relief resources as the census indicated a much smaller amount of Chelsea residents than were actually living in the area. This continues to have impacts on Chelsea, but the Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran residents continue to stay in the area working for a better life.