CHICAGO – The Chicago History Museum (CHM) is proud to share its upcoming exhibition, “Aquí en Chicago,” opening October 25, 2025. This milestone exhibition celebrates over 170 years of Latino/a/e culture and contributions in Chicago. Inspired by the voices of students from Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, who challenged the Museum to better represent their communities’ stories in the face of longstanding marginalization, the exhibition responds to their advocacy. It reflects the Museum’s commitment to honoring the histories, resilience and triumphs of Latino/a/e communities amid the cultural and racial tensions that have shaped the city’s past and present.

“This exhibition is about the longstanding presence of Latino/a/e communities in and around the Chicagoland area. It came about in response to the students, and the story of their work with the Museum is at the heart of this exhibition,” says exhibition curator Dr. Elena Gonzales, CHM Curator of Civic Engagement and Social Justice. “‘Aquí en Chicago’ is a direct answer to the students’ questions about their communities’ histories.”

Through art, photographs, interviews, clothing, personal items, everyday objects and historical treasures, the exhibition traces the lives of Latino/a/e communities that have maintained a persistent cultural presence and flourished in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Visitors will be able to see a variety of items in the exhibition including protest signs from 2019, a paletero’s cart from PaleterÍa Reina de Sabores, a quinceañera ensemble and more. Throughout the exhibition they will also find murals by co-designer Cecilia Beaven.

Resistance to the status quo can be overt, like protests for fair education and housing, while other acts are more subtle but just as powerful, like preserving family recipes, native languages and spiritual practices. Latino/a/e action has taken many forms. Calls for equitable education and housing access, designing art to build awareness of Latino/a/e social movements and the active preservation of cultural heritage practices for future generations are embedded in the longstanding presence of Latino/a/e communities from the 1800s and onward. Their descendants have actively carried on and protected Latino/a/e cultural heritages and traditions. Today they stand firm in the face of systems and policies of oppression and remain Here in Chicago—“Aquí en Chicago.”

“This exhibition is proof that we are still here, still telling our stories, still creating, still building,” says Dr. Ester N. Trujillo, Public Scholar and exhibition advisor. “I’ve dreamed of walking into a space that shows the stories of our communities so much love and the care that they deserve and this is that. This is a love letter to Latine Chicago.”

The Chicago History Museum invites the public to join them in exploring the rich history of Latino/a/e communities in Chicago and reflecting upon what it means for the city to be a place of belonging to the community.

The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish.

A preview week for “Aquí en Chicago” will be held the week of October 22, during which members of the press are invited to tour the exhibition and hear from the curator. For more information, please visit the Chicago History Museum’s website or contact the Museum’s press office.

Media kit available here: https://chicagohistory.box.com/s/92anrv0wzq1ewzniyrndubppofz6mmfo

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ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. A major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, and images to assist in sharing Chicago stories. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.