Neighborhood News: Celebrating the end of Hispanic Heritage Month at Humboldt Park’s Puerto Rican Cultural Center
In between two larger-than-life Puerto Rican flags along Division Street is one of Chicago’s most vibrant Puerto Rican communities, per Midstory: Paseo Boricua, or “the Puerto Rican promenade” is described as a “pedacito de patria,” or small piece of the homeland.
Further, in Spanish-speaking countries, el paseo also refers to “the cultural tradition of an evening social walk where people gather in town squares to see and be seen.”
Humboldt Park’s Paseo Boricua corridor is also home to Chicago’s Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC), 2531 W. Division Street.
Housed in an old church, PRCC oversees some outstanding programs and projects, including a resource center for homeless LGBTQ youth, an alternative high school, bilingual daycare, and Chicago’s oldest Puerto Rican mural, La Crucifixion de Don Pedro.
They’re also the brains behind La Casita de Don Pedro, a park designed to resemble the Puerto Rican flag from above.
As much a community resource center as a cultural institution, PRCC’s multiple programs also include:
- A young women’s literacy program
- A community library and information center
- An HIV and STD education and prevention program
- An obesity prevention program
PRCC also sponsors three major annual events:
- The Midwest’s largest Latino musical festival.. Fiesta Boricua (“De Bandera a Bandera”)
- A community parade (Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade)
- A haunted community strip ( HAUNTED PASEO BOO-RICUA!)
These programs are an integral part of Chicago’s Humboldt Park, Logan Square, and Hermosa Park communities.
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center serves as a hub for promoting the cultural identity and community needs of Puerto Ricans and other Latinx individuals.
In the Beginning…
According to WTTW, there were two riots that started the community on its current path to social justice and celebrating culture: the first in 1966 and the second in 1977.
The community was responding to police brutality and historic neighborhood disinvestment.
José López, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, witnessed the June 12, 1966 riot.
He saw people walking back into the community from the downtown Puerto Rican Day parade when he noticed an altercation across the street at a bar.
When police arrived, López said, he saw one of the young men run into an alley where the police chased and shot him.
“The people picked him up and literally carried him to St. Mary’s Hospital,” López told WTTW. “In the process, it was like, like lightning struck, or like a wildfire.”
Eleven years later, on June 4, 1977, while superficial changes had been made allowing Puerto Ricans to hold positions in office and in the Chicago Police Department, the root causes of disinvestment and police brutality remained the same. While the riot in 1977 was shorter, the political consequences paved the way for the creation of organizations and institutions like the Young Lords, the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School and PRCC.
The PRCC was founded in 1972 and named after Juan Antonio Corretjer, the celebrated Puerto Rican national poet laureate and one of the most significant political theorists of the 20th century.
Contributions to the Community
PRCC has been instrumental in the creation of Paseo Boricua, the economic, political, and cultural hub of the Puerto Rican community in the Midwest.
PRCC also encapsulates the historical efforts to resist gentrification through efforts such as the establishment of Puerto Rico Town, by promoting the principles of self-actualization, self-determination, and self-reliance for the Puerto Rican/Latino community through the study, recovery, and celebration of Puerto Rican culture.
Recognized through Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15.
This date marks the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, and Chile celebrates on September 18.
It started as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and was expanded to a 30-day observance by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
Note: Puerto Rico is recognized in the United States as an unincorporated, organized U.S. territory and a commonwealth. Its citizens are recognized as US citizens.
October Event: Spooky PASEO!
On Halloween, (Saturday, October 31,) PRCC is turning Division Street turns into HAUNTED PASEO BOO-RICUA! 👻
From California to Western Avenues, they’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of this beloved, spooky tradition on Division Street from 3pm-6pm.
As they say on their Facebook page, they’re “Older, wiser, and more wicked than ever, they’re bringing treats, music, games, and much more to Barrio Borikén!”
For more information about PRCC, click here. 🎃💀🍬
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
