Unheard Voices of Care Lecture Series: Stories From the Past

Join us for a lecture and panel discussion explore the lives and stories of Filipino nurses in the US.

Unheard Voices of Care Lecture Series: Stories From the Past

May 16, 2026

1:00-3:00pm

Doors at 12:30pm

Free and open to the public

About the Lecture:

Speakers will tell stories from their experiences as nurses, with the springboard being the tale of three sisters from a single Filipino family becoming nurses in America. Lecture host Angel Abcede will share excerpts from his book, “House of Nurses: An American Journey,” and put the memories in context of the evolving healthcare system in the U.S. as well as dynamic cultural and historic events unfolding in parallel. Retired nurse Merle Salazar will retell her own immigration story and what her life has been like in regard to local history, while CIRCA-Pintig founder Ginger Leopoldo will offer readings of artistic pieces involving Filipino nurses. Other special guests will tell their stories through panel discussions.

Angel Abcede graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism. He spent most of his professional career as a reporter for a business magazine targeting owners and operators of convenience stores. As a reporter, he examined trends in packaged goods, foodservice and fuel. He has won several business press awards for his journalistic achievements. In 2025, he published a novel about his mother and aunties who were all Filipino nurses.

Ginger Leopoldo is an accomplished educator, actor, director, and community organizer. As a proud founding member of the Pintig Cultural Group and the founding Artistic Director of the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA), she has dedicated her career to enriching the arts community. Ginger’s extensive work includes performing, directing, producing, and facilitating theatre productions and workshops for audiences of all ages.

She has been instrumental in developing a youth heritage curriculum that utilizes an integrated theatre arts workshop methodology and actively facilitates Activism & Art workshops for college students. Ginger earned her B.A. and M.A. in Theater from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Merle Salazar attended her first FANHS conference in Seattle in 2012 with Estrella Alamar, marking the beginning of her journey with the organization. Since then, she has consistently participated in the biennial conferences, deepening her involvement with the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS).

In 2014, Merle became a volunteer and subsequently a member of FANHS. She is currently one of the board members, actively contributing to the organization and the community. Her dedication to preserving and promoting Filipino heritage is evident through her engagement and leadership within FANHS.

Professionally, she was a surgical nurse working in recovery rooms for many years. The last 10 years before her retirement, she worked as a nurse auditor at the Adventist Hospitals of the Midwest. When she first arrived in the United States, she worked at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta. When she moved to Chicago, she worked at St. Joseph Hospital, Michael Reese and eventually at hospitals in Hinsdale and La Grange, Illinois.

This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.