Miguelina & Rafael Chireno

The Chirenos raised their family in the original Nehemiah Brownsville neighborhood. Upon purchasing their home, they were somewhat nervous about stories they’d heard regarding high rates of crime in Brownsville, but they quickly found themselves surrounded by fellow hard-working New Yorkers looking for their slice of the American Dream. As their family got settled, the couple opened up their home to neighborhood kids who would follow the smell of Miguelina’s Dominican cooking. The low-cost of Nehemiah allowed them to send their own children, Ana Mercedes and Christopher, to college with minimal loans.

Interview by Phillip Norman