May 19th, 2026

The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) welcomed the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s Archive Crawlers this week to El Archivo Project, PRAA’s digital, community-centered archive dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Puerto Ricans in Chicago and the Midwest.

Presented by PRAA’s Exhibitions & Collections Program Director, Jorge Félix, El Archivo is PRAA’s comprehensive digital collection preserving the rich history of Puerto Rican migration and cultural life in Chicago and the Midwest. Through photographs, documents, oral histories, and personal artifacts, we document the educational, social, and economic contributions of the Puerto Rican community.

Jorge shared insights into the archive’s community-driven approach to collecting and documenting histories. El Archivo thematic collections focused on Migration, Home & Family Life, Social & Cultural Life, Workforce & Military histories, as well as its new 2026 initiative highlighting Puerto Rican & Transnational LGBTQ+ Narratives.

Their archive serves as a living testament to the experiences, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped our community for generations. From family celebrations to community organizing, El Archivo captures the full spectrum of Puerto Rican life in the diaspora.

The team at El Archivo were incredibly welcoming, and it is clear how much thought the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance put into our visit. We highly recommend that anyone interested in their work visit the website link HERE to learn more about the project.

Thank you, Jorge, and everyone at the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance for hosting such an informative and enjoyable crawl.