What does it mean to serve a country that doesn’t always serve you back?

In this episode of The Missing Exhibition: Building Aquí, we trace the life of Frank Corona — a Vietnam War veteran and the first Latino firefighter hired by the Chicago Fire Department — whose story embodies both sacrifice and endurance. Corona agreed to put his life on the line overseas and at home, navigating racism from fellow soldiers and firefighters while remaining steadfast in his commitment to public service.

“We Came Here To Work” also widens the lens, examining the long history of “pendulum policies” that welcome labor from Latine countries in moments of economic need, only to criminalize and expel those same workers when political winds shift. Through the connections between U.S. foreign policy across the Americas and migration driven by the search for work, the episode situates Corona’s story within a much larger system.

At once a declaration of purpose, a shield against bigotry, and a demand for dignity, “we came here to work” emerges as a phrase layered with pride, pain, and unresolved tension — and a reminder of how deeply Latine labor has shaped Chicago and the nation itself.

For more than forty years, Chicago has called itself a Sanctuary City—but what does that promise really mean?

Through the stories of Adriana Portillo-Bartow, a Guatemalan mother fleeing military terror in the 1980s; and Elvira Arellano, whose stand inside a Humboldt Park church after 9/11 reignited a national movement; Chicago History Museum curator Rebekah Coffman reflects on three distinct waves of the city’s historic promise. This episode traces how a moral idea became a political battleground, and what it means now that the United States may have entered a new era where even traditional sanctuaries are no longer safe.

Episode Resources:
Chicago Cold War: Adriana Portillo-Bartow—Peter Alter, Chicago History Museum

https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/chm_oh/id/333/

Elvira Arellano—Elena Gonzales & Rebekah Coffman, Chicago History Museum

https://soundcloud.com/chicagomuseum/elvira-arellano-aqui-en-chicago

Jacobita Cortes on providing Sanctuary for Elvira—Elena Gonzales & Rebekah Coffman, Chicago History Museum

https://soundcloud.com/chicagomuseum/interview-with-jacobita-cortes-aqui-en-chicago

The Sanctuary Movement in Chicago—Megha Khemka

https://www.chicagohistory.org/sanctuary-in-chicago/

Adriana’s testimony in the trial of former Guatemalan military officers—International Justice Monitor

https://www.ijmonitor.org/2018/03/military-expert-senior-military-officials-are-responsible-for-the-crimes-against-emma-and-marco-antonio-molina-theissen/

Visit Aquí en Chicago! Now through November 8, 2026

https://www.chicagohistory.org/exhibition/aqui-en-chicago/

¡Visita a Aquí en Chicago! Ahora hasta el 8 noviembre 2026

https://www.chicagohistory.org/exhibition/aqui-en-chicago-es/

When students from a South Side high school confronted the Chicago History Museum over its lack of Latino/a/e representation, they set off a chain of events that led to a historic new exhibition—and a reckoning with the past.

This episode also traces the life and legacy of Rudy Lozano, the activist whose name the students carried, and legendary folk artist Jesus 'Chuy' Negrete, whose corridos have preserved history and honored the lives of countless Latine Chicagoans. But a lyric in one of Chuy's corridos hinted at a chasm-sized divergence between a communities experience and the "official narrative."

Episode Resources:

Sounds of Resistance: Corridos in Chicago — Algea Guzman, Chicago History Museum

"Who Killed Rudy Lozano?" — Gary Rivlin, Chicago Reader

Remembering Treasured Chicago Folk Singer Jesus 'Chuy' Negrete — Linda Lutton, WBEZ

Reserve your free tickets to the opening of Aquí en Chicago (10/25 ) here!

Haga sus reservaciones gratis para la inauguración de Aquí en Chicago (10/25)!