The plaque at the Rizal Community Center on West Irving Park Road is a testament to a great man. It marks the spot where Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, arrived in Chicago on May 11, 1888. In that year, traveling by train across the United States, Rizal was on his way to New York City and then to Europe.
The plaque tells us Rizal spent less than a day in Chicago, yet his visit left a lasting impact on the city’s Filipino community. Today, the Rizal Community Center stands as a vibrant hub for Filipino culture and heritage. The center hosts many events and activities to celebrate Filipino identity, including a Juneteenth celebration and a Filipino Independence Day Festival.
The inscription on the plaque reads “National hero of the Philippines arrived in Chicago, Illinois on May 11, 1888 at 8:14 a.m. He visited places of interest and left the city at 8:25 p.m.” Imagine Rizal stepping off the train in a bustling Chicago, eager to explore a new city, and then departing, leaving behind a trail of connections that would eventually lead to the establishment of a unique community center decades later.