Carlos Tortolero, President and Founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, came to Chicago from Mexico as a small child. For many years he worked as a history teacher, counselor and administrator in the Chicago Public School System. In 1982, he and several friends started NMMA with just $900. Initially, the museum had no permanent home, consisting of a series of cultural events and art exhibitions in temporary spaces. Tortolero, who had been a history teacher, counselor and administrator in the Chicago Public School System had wanted to find a way “to teach non-Mexicans what we really are like so they understand and honor us. To connect with them, we’ve made our museum a welcoming place. Mi casa, su casa—My house is your house.” Since 1987, the museum has found a permanent home in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. It is the only Latino museum accredited by the American Association of Museums.
