CHICAGO ILLINOIS FILIPINO

A powerful piece of street art recently appeared in Chicago, capturing the tension and urgency of today’s immigration climate. Painted boldly on a wall, the mural shows Superman—a symbol of justice and the American ideal—punching an ICE officer labeled “POLICE ICE.” The caption above reads, “Meanwhile in Chicago…,” setting the scene as both a specific local event and a national moment. Signed by the artist “The Mouse” and “Viril,” this mural isn’t just graffiti—it’s protest, commentary, and cultural critique rolled into one. The timing of the mural is no accident. In 2025, ICE raids and immigration enforcement have surged again, particularly in cities with large immigrant populations like Chicago. Filipino immigrants—both documented and undocumented—are among those directly affected. And while immigration policy debates often dominate headlines, what’s missing from those discussions is historical context. Why are so many Filipinos, Latinos, and other immigrant groups in the...

Maligayang Bati, pinsan! Flashback to our first meeting in the Philippines. This was at a mall in Marikina right? Cheers cousin, with sago't gulaman! Join ka dito. Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com .  Click on a tag below to browse.

Not 'Bye Chicago'; See you soon. June 3, 1979. Sunday. Chicago, IL. My parents lived here for four years; Joy and I called Barr Tower home for three years. At first, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Apt. 805. After my lola, Joy and I joined my parents, we moved into Apt. 1202, a two-bedroom apartment. June 3 was our last day at Barr Tower & Chicago. We were moving west to Cali. We took our time, making it a 5-day trip/vacation from Illinois to California. On my lap, I carried a fishbowl with our 6 goldfish the whole way. 📷 Tito Narding Photo credit again to Tito Narding. My dad commented in our family chat: When we were crossing the Mississippi, I felt sad. Looking at the rear view mirror I whispered thank you Chicago. We will be back. I would move back by myself in April 1989.  Promise kept. I recently found my April 1989 photos (last ones in Vallejo, and first ones in Chicago). I'll scan and upload as time allows. Warren N. Barr Sr Tower in 2018 Below i...

Posing in front of our 1976 Cutlass Supreme June 3, 1979. Sunday. Chicago, IL. Thanks to timeanddate.com , I can confirm it was a Sunday when we drove off from Chicago.  Photo credit goes to Tito Narding. He was there when Joy, my Lola and I arrived in Chicago three years earlier; he was the only one there to see us off. I distinctly also remember Joy and I had one more week at school at St. Sebastian School (so we missed the last five days of school). Maybe I told one friend, Brian, that we were moving. I should have said bye to Mrs. Martha Schreiber, my 5th grade teacher. At least, Mrs. Goldader (my first ever teacher in the USA) is my friend on Facebook. I uploaded this to Facebook in 2012. I'll have to re-scan for better resolution when I come upon the original. Across the street from Warren Barr Tower, where we lived, my mom just had to cross the street to go to work back then. Good times! In front of Illinois Masonic Hospital where my mom worked. 1976 Oldsmobile Cutla...

Flashback Summer of 1985 Daly City, CA. I drove Frances & Liza (and their Tita Myrna) to Daly City after they had stayed at my parents' house. That's where Liza and I met. Frances and I had been classmates in sixth grade in St. Sebastian School in Chicago. Frances was 18; Liza was 19. Frances Pacis, their niece, Liza Franco.

Flashback: One December day Flying United Airlines after a quick trip to my "sweet home Chicago" with Joy and Vince. I was 25 years old. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) The Blues Brothers - Sweet Home Chicago - 1080p Full HD

Happy Birthday cousin! If your professional vows were August 15, 1997, this photo was either 8/15 or August 16 (Tess' birthday). I remember it was very hot, as you can see from my sweat. LOL. May God bless you always. 

Chicago Christmas Flashback December 25, 1978. Chicago, IL. Our last Christmas in Chicago as a family it would turn out. (I moved back in April 1989 by myself). Joy is in the 5th grade at St. Sebastian School in this photo. Our living room window faced Sheffield Ave .  I always loved how my mom had plants in our apartment. Too bad we don't have photos from Apt 805, our previous apartment in Barr Tower. Our window faced the back towards Sheffield Ave. APT 1202: Joy Scanned on my Lenovo laptop on Windows 11 at maximum resolution 1200 dpi. When I used to scan on my Macbook on the same printer, max resolution was 2400 dpi. I've got to fix my Macbook. Photo cropped in Photoscape and quickly edited in Lightroom Classic. Special Request Please support our Pinoybuilt website/community by leaving a comment below (Google account required). Thank you! Maraming salamat po!  

Chesca & I highly recommend Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.! July 7, 2022. Chicago, IL. Hanging out in my old neighborhood with my baby girl, although my family I lived in the Lakeview Community Area. Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. is in the Lincoln Park Community Area, just south of Lakeview. 2121 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614 Lincoln Park Community Area Lincoln Park's boundaries are precisely defined in the city's list of official community areas. It is bordered on the north by Diversey Parkway, on the west by the Chicago River, on the south by North Avenue, and on the east by Lake Michigan. Special Request Please support our Pinoybuilt website/community by leaving a comment below (Google account required). Thank you! Maraming salamat po!  

Watching a Cubs game in mid-July July 12, 2022. Chicago, IL. Wrigley Field. July 12, 2022. Chicago, IL.

Dinner at Sushi Station in Elgin July 6, 2022. Chicago, IL. Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Flashback to Summer 2022 July 6, 2022. Elgin, IL. Dinner with the Rivera family. Cheers Chicagoland Fil-Ams! Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

The Rivera Family, my sister & me Flashback to December in Chicago, IL. This was the last time my sister and I got to visit Chicago with both Jun and Allan there, my brothers from another mother.  December 1991. Chicago, IL Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

 Things To Do In Chicago, Illinois?

Eighty-two-year-old Estrella Alamar made it her mission to preserve and share the history of Filipino Americans in Chicago.  

Crazy Rich Asians Official Soundtrack | Money (That’s What I Want) - Cheryl K | WaterTower Money, Money, Money I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay Ain't it sad? And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me That's too bad In my dreams I have a plan So wrote ABBA in their 1976 song "Money, Money, Money." The song was used in the film " CRAZY RICH ASIANS " in 2018. I Have A Plan This website is my plan. Actually, this was my plan before Facebook came into existence in February 2004. Having seen the business potential and experienced the boom of AmIHotOrNot.com and Friendster, I wanted to build a website with my own Pinoy flavor. I met with cousin Melvin and his cousin Ress in January 2003 to bring up a site that would connect Filipino-American college students in California. The mission was to be the top Fil-Am site in California. With the hits and advertising revenue from just California, that should be rather l...

Chesca & I arrived at Kadence's High School Graduation Party July 9, 2022. Algonquin, IL. Alaina and Arvin were helping set up in the front lawn when we arrived early afternoon. Congratulations Kadence Rivera & Jacobs Class of 2022! Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Sushi Station July 6, 2022. Elgin, IL. Chesca's Chicago Vacation, Day 1. Her first dinner is sushi. 2486 N Randall Rd, Elgin, IL 60123, USA Cheers Chicagoland Fil-Ams! Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Entering Sushi Station July 6, 2022. Elgin, IL. Bernadette, Tita LIta, Claudine, Chesca & Kadence. Cheers Chicagoland Fil-Ams! Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Got back to the hotel after midnight July 7, 2022. Hoffman Estates, IL. Cheers Chicagoland Fil-Ams! Join us & help build our Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website   IL.pinoybuilt.com . Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse. illinois,chicago,chicagoland,fil-am,filipino-american,