Since 1932, International House has served the University of Chicago and greater Chicago community as a residential cultural center for international exchange and understanding. Celebrate another year of international friendship and public programming during the 2018 Founder’s Day Celebration held in conjunction with the inaugural UChicago Latinx Heritage Month Celebration with entertainment by ¡Pachanga! This event will include music, dancing, vendors, food, and birthday cake!

International House was conceived by the late YMCA official Harry Edmonds following a chance encounter with a lonely Chinese graduate student in 1909. The philanthropy of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the Cleveland H. Dodge family led to the construction of the first International House in New York City in 1924. International House of Chicago is today one of 19 members of the International Houses Worldwide network. For 86 years, the International House of Chicago experience of international cultural exchange in a diverse community has transformed the lives of more than 42,000 people. In addition to supporting our residents, International House also serves the greater Chicago community as a cultural and intellectual center for a wide array of programs. Over 200 public programs are held each year at International House. These include music and cultural performances, outreach programs with Chicago-area international organizations, collaborations with foreign consulates, language exchanges and discussions, and forums and debates led by distinguished guest speakers through the Global Voices Performing Arts and Lecture Program. The role and mission of International House are more compelling now than ever. An increasingly interdependent world has made global understanding an essential attribute for all our communities. International House, in its role as “Host to the World,” makes an important contribution to the intellectual and cultural fabric of the Chicago region. Join us to celebrate Founder’s Day!

¡Pachanga!, Chicago’s premier Latin Dance Party, will curate a live band, a DJ, vendors, and interactive experiences for a spectacular Latinx Heritage Month celebration. Collaborating with various Chicago institutions including Navy Pier and the Chicago World Music festival, ¡Pachanga! explores independent music from the Midwest and discovers new talent from across the country. For a taste of ¡Pachanga!, see footage from their Wicker Park event here, and read about them here. 

Free and open to the public

Presented by the Global Voices Performing Arts and Lecture Series, the Latinx Students Association, and the Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee.