Building Aquí
Behind the Scenes of the “Aquí en Chicago” Exhibition
When students at a predominantly Latino/a/e alternative high school in Chicago (Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy) realized that Chicago’s major history museum had no information about the Latino/a/e third of the city in its permanent exhibition, they took a stand—and made history. Building Aquí is a 4-part podcast that follows the students’ protest, the exhibition it inspired, and the long, rich legacy of Latine resistance, migration, and culture in the city. Told through music, oral history, and the sounds of Chicago, the series features the work of legendary Chicano folklorist Chuy Negrete and the voices of curators, activists, and community members working to expand the archive.
From the Puerto Rican Young Lords’ transformation from street gang to political force fighting “urban renewal” and displacement in Lincoln Park, to Mexican American students pushing for bilingual education, and beyond—this podcast explores the profound ways Latino/a/e Chicagoans have shaped the city and why this important history is still missing from many institutions that should be preserving it.
Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple PodcastsProduced by Rivet360’s Jesse Betend in partnership with the Chicago History Museum.
Episode 1: The Missing Exhibition
When students from an alternative high school confront the Chicago History Museum over its lack of Latino/a/e representation, they set off a chain of events that leads to a historic new exhibition—and a reckoning with the past.
This episode also traces the life and legacy of Rudy Lozano, the activist whose name the students carry, and legendary folk artist Jesus “Chuy” Negrete, whose corridos have preserved history and honored the lives of countless Latine Chicagoans. What does it say about the power of this medium when it is weaponized by the U.S. Border Patrol’s production of Migra Corridos to deter migrants?
