Our Vision
As a nonprofit organization led by Filipino migrant workers and community leaders, Tahanan Filipino Center envisions a world where Filipinos are safe, healthy, and can reunite with our loved ones. As a result of the lack of jobs, education, and healthcare opportunities in the Philippines, thousands of Filipinos make the difficult choice to leave in search for better livelihood every day. A significant portion of Filipinos have migrated to the Chicagoland area, with the largest concentration residing in Albany Park. As Tahanan, we strive to reach and serve any Filipino worker, newly arrived immigrant, and youth searching for community, assistance, and more! Through providing essential resources and services, we aim to empower our community to be leaders in change.
Founded in Community
Over the years, our kababayan in Chicago have come together to address many hardships impacting the Filipino community. Members of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) assisted trafficked hotel and restaurant workers who were victims of visa scams and contract violations in 2016 as well as J-1 workers who were stranded in the U.S. during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020.
More recently, as threats of detention and deportation have increased, community organizations came together to form the Tanggol Migrante Alliance in 2025 to address the immediate needs and concerns of the community, including connecting migrants and their families to legal assistance, fundraising, and campaigning for the release of detained Filipino migrants.
Community leaders involved in this history of organizing came together in 2025 to begin building Tahanan Filipino Center in direct response to a long-articulated need for a space in the community to support these efforts & campaigns and provide direct resources and services. In April 2026, Tahanan officially launched with over 100 community members in attendance.
