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Rizal Center is in the Heart

Elaine-Lehman

By: Elaine Lehman

 

The Filipinos have made their mark on Chicago since 1906, when they arrived as students. Many attained their education and returned to the Philippines, but many chose to stay in Chicago where they created new lives. They married, raised families, and entered the workforce.

In 1953, a group of U.S. born and immigrant Filipino families came together and saw that the most valuable gifts for the diasporic community is space, service, and a supportive environment that fosters a connection to the islands they left behind while building community in their new home. The Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago embodied that vision in 1974, when it acquired the Rizal Center in the Lake View neighborhood of Chicago. For many, the Rizal Center has become a vital anchor. It is where we meet friends and family and where we share life events, in times of joy and sorrow.

Since 2017, the FACC has nurtured a drive for transformative change. With an eye toward the future, the FACC reorganized and began planning culturally responsive strategies to support the distinctive character of one of the oldest cultural organizations in the nation – and to help perpetuate America’s promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and inquiry in the Filipino tradition of “bayanihan,” building welcoming and inclusive community.

The year 2020 took us all by surprise. Many organizations have faced serious challenges and several have permanently shuttered. The activities at Rizal Center were suspended due to the covid pandemic. But through it all, work has been done remotely to serve community members. Planning is underway to reopen the Rizal Center. But it needs our help.

The FACC has developed programs to foster appreciation and understanding about Philippine and Philippine-American cultures and history and the intersections with diverse peoples and cultures. For seniors, veterans and those who have found themselves homeless, the FACC helps coordinate services for them as well offer onsite ordered hot meals to ease food insecurity. Neighbors and community organizations are able to meet for thoughtful civic discourse. The FACC participates in a collaborative beautification project to promote native plants for stormwater management and to promote the return of native pollinators. The FACC has initiated dialogue on the rightful place of the immigrant community in American society and builds awareness on legislation that impact its communities.

This year promises to be rich with activity. Plans are underway for roundtables to reimagine the community, to observe the Magellan Quincentenary in the Philippines through various lenses, and to reopen the Rizal Center in accordance with the city’s reopening plan.

As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we hope you will join us in supporting the FACC and activities at the Rizal Center. We cannot afford to lose this community anchor due to covid. Rizal is in the heart.

To learn more, visit the FACC’s website, www.rizalcenterchicago. org.

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