Why Now?

In this critical moment when the Latine/x people of Chicago are about one third of the total city population and make up almost 50% of the student body in public schools, RAICES aims to respond to their under and misrepresentation in the city’s historical record. Not only is the Latine/x experience in Chicago understudied, it is also an extension of anti-blackness and the legacies of divestment of BIPOC communities in Chicago. This causes young people to experience further erasure and exclusion from their own history.  Although the Latine/x community, which is very diverse and has been in Chicago for over a century, has thrived in cultural and civic production, resisted and organized to advocate for its communities, and successfully established institutions, cultural and service organizations, and businesses for many decades, the record of such efforts and overall impact to the city and its communities is under- documented, understood or acknowledged.  

By creating an organizational structure to support the archival efforts of Latine/x organizations and communities, Raices hopes to prevent historical erasure and exclusion, promote cultural belonging, and celebrate positive cultural identity while fostering positive relationship-building across not just the Latine/x community, but all of Chicago’s diverse communities. Through a first-voice approach, the work of Raices and partner organizations will help ensure the Latine/x communities are understood and valued, and share resources to lift other communities in similar situations.