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. For this lecture, a World War II veteran–at 102 years of age–will be in attendance to discuss the medal she recently received for her time as a nurse during the war. After the lecture, organizers will teach the popular Filipino passtime of mahjong, a game that originated in China but has become a tradition among Filipino families. 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…