2025 WORKSHOPS, PANELS & SPECIAL EVENTS
DAY 1: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
RIBBON CUTTING OF OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING & EDUCATION
GARDEN SPACE + CONFERENCE OPENING RECEPTION
4:00-7:00PM
Trolley service provided at 3:30pm and 4:10pm from Hyatt Place Wicker Park to NMPRAC; return trip will be provided at 6:30pm and 7:10pm from NMPRAC to Hyatt Place Wicker Park.
DAY 2: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
ROOTS OF OUR PRACTICE
REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST
8:30-9:30AM
Trolley service provided at 7:45am and 8:15am from Hyatt Place Wicker Park to NMPRAC
Breakfast by Nellie's Restaurant
WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
9:30-10:30AM
Speaker:
Billy Ocasio, President & CEO | National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
EL ARTE DE SOBREVIVIR – DEFENDING CULTURE UNDER ATTACK
10:00-11:15AM
Session Description:
This urgent and timely session addresses the escalating threats faced by Puerto Rican and other ethnic and cultural institutions, particularly in light of recent intimidation tactics such as the Homeland Security presence at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. As we enter a critical election season and see cultural celebrations increasingly targeted, this session will ground itself in survival, resistance, and the radical act of cultural preservation.
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We must recognize that no institution can face these challenges alone. The road to sustainability and safety demands that we work collaboratively and in deep solidarity—sharing strategies, building collective power, and supporting one another across organizations, sectors, and communities. By standing together, we not only protect our institutions but also strengthen the entire cultural ecosystem.
Facilitator:
Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez, Director | Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College - CUNY
Panelists:
Senator Omar Aquino | Illinois State Senate
Juan González, Senior Fellow | Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, Founder | Creative Justice Initiative Inc.
Billy Ocasio, President & CEO | National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
MEMORY IN MOTION – ARCHIVING THROUGH THE ARTS
11:20AM-12:20PM
Session Description:
This session uplifts Puerto Rican artists as vital community historians and guardians of cultural memory. Through visual art, theater, oral history, and other creative forms, artists bear witness to their lived experiences and boldly challenge dominant narratives. By embracing artistic expression as a powerful form of archival practice, we’ll explore how creative works become vessels of knowledge, resistance, and identity—especially within communities that have long been excluded from traditional archives, museums, and history books.
Facilitator:
Antonio Bruno, Managing Director | UrbanTheater Company
Panelists:
Celso González | Creative Director, Mosaic & Mural Artist
Duane Rieder, Founder of the Roberto Clemente Museum, Photographer, Pleibol Exhibit
Adrián “Viajero” Román, Exhibiting Artist “Archivos Vivos"
Destyni Swoope, Exhibiting Artist “Abuela’s House"
12:30-1:30PM
LUNCH & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Lunch by Mayra Colón, 787 Catering
Entertainment by Piraguas y Piropos
SMALL BUDGETS, BIG IMPACT – DOING MORE WITH LESS
1:30-2:30PM
Session Description:
Too often, limited funding is perceived as a barrier to meaningful cultural programming, but this session turns that assumption on its head. Across the Puerto Rican diaspora, artists, cultural workers, and grassroots organizations have long been masters of creativity, resourcefulness, and innovation.
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"Small Budgets, Big Impact" explores how community-driven projects can flourish even in the face of financial constraints. By leveraging volunteer networks, activating donated or underutilized space, uplifting local talent, and embracing the power of bartering and in-kind support, organizations can create dynamic, high-quality programming that resonates deeply with their communities.
Facilitator:
Alyssa Corrigan-Cuadrado, Director of Research & Development | National Museum of Puerto Rican
Arts & Culture
Panelists:
Antonio Bruno, Managing Director | UrbanTheater Company
Ivelisse Diaz, Director & Founder | La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón
Mary Santana, Founder & Executive Director | The Miracle Center
PRESERVING MEMORY – ARCHIVES & ORAL HISTORIES
2:45-3:45PM
Session Description:
This session delves into the power of oral history and community-based archives as essential tools for preserving the rich, complex stories of Puerto Rican life across the diaspora. In a world where dominant narratives often erase or marginalize our voices, oral histories offer a powerful path to reclaim and uplift them. Participants will explore ethical and community-led approaches to oral history, discover strategies for engaging elders and intergenerational storytellers, and learn from successful archival models rooted in Chicago, Puerto Rico, and beyond. This session is designed for anyone committed to building people-centered archives that honor the full spectrum of Puerto Rican identity, memory, and lived experience.
Facilitator:
Ela Banerjee | Voice of Witness
Panelists:
Hilda T. Ayala González | Archives & Special Collections Specialist
Miriam Centeno Marrero | Preservation Librarian
Veronica Ocasio, Director of Education & Programming | National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
EVENING RECEPTION & VIEWING OF ¡PLEIBOL! + ABUELA'S HOUSE WITH DESI
4:00-6:30PM
Catering provided by J&L Catering
Entertainment by Flaco Navaja
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Trolley service provided at 5:30pm and 6:15pm from NMPRAC to Hyatt Place Wicker Park
DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
PLANTAR BANDERAS – CLAIMING SPACE, BUILDING POWER
BREAKFAST
8:00-9:00AM
​Trolley service provided at 7:30am and 8:00am from Hyatt Place Wicker Park to NMPRAC
Breakfast provided by Nellie's Restaurant
POLICY, POWER & PLACE – ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE FIGHT FOR CULTURAL DISTRICTS
9:00-10:15AM
Session Description:
Puerto Rican elected officials across the diaspora play a vital role in shaping policies that preserve cultural identity, protect communities from displacement, and ensure Puerto Rican voices are heard at all levels of government. This session highlights their leadership and explores how cultural designations—like Puerto Rican cultural districts—serve as a frontline defense against gentrification and erasure. We’ll also address how elected leaders can collaborate across cities and states to support the needs of Puerto Rican and Latino communities.
Facilitator:
Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Chief of Staff | City of Chicago
Panelists:
Jessie Fuentes, Alderperson | 26th Ward, City of Chicago
Lilian Jiménez, State Representative | Illinois 4th District
José E. López, Executive Director | Puerto Rican Cultural Center
THE POWER OF INFLUENCE – SOCIAL MEDIA AS A CULTURAL TOOL
10:30-11:30AM
Session Description:
Social media has become a vital space for Puerto Rican cultural expression, activism, and education. Join leading content creators who use platforms to uplift, organize, and connect across the Boricua diaspora.
Contributors:
Monti Carlo | Chef, TV host, and writer elevating Puerto Rican flavors in the media
Omi Hopper | Chef and content creator sharing Puerto Rican cuisine with the world
Dean Huertas | Cultural activist and storyteller amplifying Boricua identity
Facilitator:
Anthony Modesto Miliàn | Historian, Award Winning Content Creator
NATIONAL BORICUA DAY
11:30-12:15PM
Session Description:
As part of the closing activation, NMPRAC will unveil a national proposal—developed with RMGCC and community leaders—to establish an annual Boricua Day. On this day, Puerto Rican cultural centers and communities across the U.S. will organize coordinated events celebrating Puerto Rican history, culture, and resilience. NMPRAC will serve as the headquarters, collecting and promoting all submitted activities.
Boricua Day Founding Contributors:
Dr. Carlos Ruiz Cortés
Billy Ocasio, President & CEO | National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
Jesús Suárez, CEO | RMGCC
SMALL BITES & SANGRIA | COMMUNITY TROLLEY TOUR WITH BILLY OCASIO
12:15-1:00PM
Advanced sign-up required for community tours
Lunch provided by Cocina Fusión; Sangria served by OLA Sangria
Trolley service will be provided for participants who wish to return to Hyatt Place Wicker Park
following lunch.
12TH ANNUAL RAÍCES GALA
5:30-11:00PM
Galleria Marchetti | 825 W Erie St, Chicago, IL
Trolley service provided at 5:00pm and 5:30pm from Hyatt Place Wicker Park to the Raíces Gala at Galleria Marchetti
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Trolley service provided from Galleria Marchetti to Hyatt Place Wicker Park at 9:30pm, 10:00pm, 10:30pm, and 10:45pm