Filipinos have formally been part of America society since 1898. The Filipino American community first arrived in Chicago around 1906 and has ever since contributed to the fabric of the city and its surrounding area. We stand on their shoulders as we endeavor to build diaspora community.
As we redifne the terms of our Filipino identity and our place in and between cultures and within American pluralism, we are committed to nurturing bonds and bridging differences. We explore how our understanding of our past roots us deeply in the decisions we make in the present - about our future and what it is to be Filipino American.
We address challenging issues that impact our Filipino communities locally, nationally, and in the Islands of our affections, and fervently work to provide opportunities for learning, celebrating Filipino culture, engaging with the people and the Philippines, and the gathering of and service to community.
We take great joy in sharing our cultures with our community of all backgrounds.
Offer your ideas about future Rizal Community Center programs.
Tell us about a program you would like offered or create your own program for our community. Our Executive Director would be happy to meet with you to talk about your idea and explore how you can be a part of the growing programs at Rizal Community Center.
To give your idea a great start, add a group of enthusiastic friends to join you. Ready?
In today’s progressively global world, families' race, culture, national origin, living circumstances, and composition are different from the traditional. We explore our intersections with other vibrant diverse cultures through the Generation Pinoy XYZ lens.
Rizal Center is hosting a series of presentations on Philippine and Philippine American art and culture as well as current events and socially relevant topics . Held quarterly, presentations, discussions, and demonstrations will feature members of the broader community and special guests.
Learn Tagalog with an experienced native Tagalog (bilingual) instructor, with focus on conversation and grammar. Small group and one-on-one instructions for new and intermediate learners.. To maximize instruction, participation and learning, class size is limited to approximately six students per class. For adults.
Reading Pinoy Book Club meets at 4 pm on specific Tuesdays at the Rizal Community Center. This club will discuss pieces by Filipino and Filipino American writers. The club will read a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction with occasional forays into poetry and plays, written in or translated into English. For information on our 2021 Reading list and schedule, contact us at hello@rizalcenterchicago.org.
Our collective Filipino legacy and culture are community-centered, with celebrations involving food, song, national costume, dancing, speeches, and more. We are stewards of our heritage and history and charged with passing them on to our next generations. The holidays of the Philippines remind us why we celebrate the experiences our people have endured and the obstacles we have overcome with the Filipino spirit of bayanihan.
March 5, 1940 - January 18, 2019
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