Category: Organizations
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Unnamed, Not Forgotten: The First Filipinos on American Shores, 1587
On the 439th anniversary of the Morro Bay landing, a history and an imagined retelling of the three “Luzon Indios” who arrived before America existed On October 18, 1587, three crewmen of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Buena Esperanza —recorded as “Luzon Indios”—became the first documented Filipinos to set foot in the United States. …
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A September Reflection: The Art of Doing Nothing and Why It Matters
There emerges a strange phenomenon as summer melts into fall. September arrives with a very specific vibe — yung hangin na medyo malamig na sa umaga, yung sunlight na hindi na kasing harsh ng July, at yung subtle shift sa city rhythm. Sa Chicago, ramdam na ito sa Lakefront breeze, sa mga bata na bumabalik…
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FACGC Installs New Board and Officers During Volunteer Appreciation Day
CHICAGO — August 30, 2026 — The Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACGC) marked a new chapter in its leadership with the formal induction of its Board of Directors and officers during Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Rizal Center on Sunday. The installation took place amid a celebration honoring the volunteers whose time, skills,…
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Maraming Salamat po! – Generations of Service: FACGC Honors the Volunteers Carrying the Rizal Center Forward
CHICAGO — The faces gathered for a group photograph at the Rizal Center tell a story larger than a single Volunteer Appreciation Day. Standing and sitting shoulder to shoulder, volunteers of different ages and backgrounds represent the latest chapter in more than seven decades of community service, sacrifice, and stewardship at the Filipino American Council…
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From Baybayin to Filipino: The Enduring Journey of a Nation’s Language
How centuries of adaptation shaped the Philippines’ linguistic identity without erasing its cultural roots. The Philippines has always had a heritage language vouching for this country’s capacity to interact with the world – even long before the crowned heads of Europe came to colonize countries in Southeast Asia. The Philippines’ earliest language is called “Baybayin,”…
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A Community Mural Invites Filipino Americans to See Their Shared Story
As Filipino Americans throughout the Chicago area celebrated Philippine Independence Month, the Rizal Center marked the occasion with the unveiling of a community mural that offers a lasting tribute to the people whose lives have shaped the Filipino American experience. This is who we have been. This is who we are. This is who we…