Arts & Entertainment
New Exhibit at International Museum of Surgical Science Highlights Role of Filipino Nurses in Healthcare
“Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America” runs until Aug. 2 at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The exhibit highlights stories of Filipino nurses from the 1940s until present day. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
A new temporary exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science aims to give visibility to an often overlooked segment of the healthcare profession: Filipino nurses.
The exhibit, “Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America,” runs until Aug. 2.
Merle Salazar is a retired nurse and board member of the Filipino American National Historical Society Greater Chicago Chapter, which co-curated the exhibit. Salazar said she wants more nurses to share their stories and be more outspoken about their experiences, both positive or negative, working in the healthcare industry.
“It’s about time that we should really tell our stories, our experiences as immigrant Filipinos, as nurses,” Salazar said. “What we’ve been through, what we’re still going through and what we need to do. … We need to really be more loud, be more outspoken and step up for who we are.”
The Philippines is the top country of birth for foreign-born nurses in the U.S., with Filipino nurses accounting for 25% of immigrant nurses, according to an American Immigration Council analysis of 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data. That amounts to about 171,200 Filipino immigrant nurses in the U.S., according to the analysis.
About 4% of all nurses in the U.S. are of Filipino descent, despite people of Filipino descent making up only 1% of the U.S. population.
The exhibit explores the Filipino nurse stereotype; the role of U.S. colonialism in the Philippines that contributes to the migration and labor market patterns related to Filipino nurses in the U.S.; the misogyny and gender roles Filipina nurses face; and personal journeys of immigration and life in the U.S.
The exhibit expands on another exhibit, “The Halo Halo Project,” previously displayed at the Harold Washington Library. One of the curators of that exhibit, Angel Abcede, wrote the book “House of Nurses: An American Journey,” which tells the story of his mother and aunts, Filipino nurses who immigrated to the U.S.
“Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America” runs until Aug. 2 at the International Museum of Surgical Science. Organizers have programmed several lectures, panels and dramatic readings. The additional programming is free, open to the public and includes admission to the museum. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
Abcede was involved in the creation of the expanded exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science.
“The takeaway that I would tell people is that what you’re seeing is not a coincidence; it’s not just a happenstance,” Abcede said. “It’s definitely a confluence, a coordination of things that were really more about global powers trying to extract resources that they find from other countries at a cheaper rate.”
The exhibit highlights stories going back to the 1940s until present day.
Those stories include that of Marcy Bandico and Melissa Deluzio, who received recognition for their service as nurses during World War II. The exhibit also highlights the 1966 murder of nursing students who worked at South Chicago Community Hospital, in which two of the eight nursing students killed and the lone survivor were Filipino. It also sheds light on the role of Filipino nurses working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The exhibit showcases hospital uniforms, medical equipment, photographs, awards, immigration and nursing license documentation, and other personal mementos.
“For decades, Filipino nurses have been an indispensable part of the region’s healthcare system in major medical centers, nursing homes, clinics and rural healthcare facilities,” Melvin Almonguera of the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago said during an exhibit opening reception Friday. “They have cared for patients with compassion, professionalism and unwavering dedication.”
The Filipino theater organization CIRCA Pintig will also host several lectures, panels and dramatic readings to go along with the exhibit. The programming is free, open to the public and includes admission to the museum.
View the full schedule here.
“There are so many of those stories of women leaving their homeland and starting life in a new place,” CIRCA Pintig executive director Ginger Leopoldo said. “Right now, we have an opportunity to really hear stories from our nurses, their experiences of immigrating, their experiences in the workplace, and also, highlighting and celebrating their contributions."
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
