Meet Grace deVega: Special Collections and University Archives intern and Filipino community archivist
Introduction
By Sevvin Cee, Special Collections and University Archives Senior Library Specialist
UIC student Grace deVega graduates with a Master of Arts in Museum and Exhibition Studies this May 2025. deVega became involved in the development of UIC Special Collections and University Archives’ Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago (FAHSC) records during the spring 2025 semester as an intern. She had previously collaborated with the Special Collections team to prepare for an exhibition titled “Foundations of a Community's Memory: Pundasyon para sa mga Alaala ng Komunidad” with the FAHSC at the grand re-opening of their museum at MANA Contemporary in Pilsen in November 2024. deVega is also a member of the FAHSC Board of Directors. The FAHSC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 dedicated to recording and preserving Filipino American history within the greater Chicago area. The exhibit at MANA examines the roots of FAHSC and celebrates the long-standing Filipino American presence in Chicago.
During her internship, deVega conducted research into the 30+ digitized photographs and other documents from the FAHSC collection, as well as an exploration of the importance of metadata in library and other database systems.
deVega began this work by conducting preliminary research into the history of the FAHSC and its founder, Estrella Alamar. Much of the library’s collection has a direct connection to Estrella, as she was one of the first public historians to focus on preserving Filipinx/a/o-American stories in Chicago.
Central to creating this metadata was identifying names, dates and places found within the photographs and documents. To make these determinations, Grace analyzed the materials for visual identifiers and spoke with FAHSC community members to hear about their connections to the archive and Estrella.
deVega also conducted database searches, and explored other digital archives related to Filipinx/a/o materials and Chicago history.
An underlying theme of this research was the value of connectivity. As a member of the FAHSC and a student at UIC, Grace had the unique opportunity to consult both collections, which was incredibly helpful in filling the archival gaps and making connections across the institutions.
In addition, deVega studied the UIC Library’s Metadata Best Practices handbook and familiarized herself with the terminology employed by both UIC and the other organizations from which UIC draws its metadata language, including the Library of Congress Name Authority File, FAST Subject Headings and the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus.
Understanding the terminology and data entry systems was key to ensuring that the digitized material would have relevance and searchability across UIC programs as well as other digital catalogues.
Within Museum and Exhibition Studies, Grace is interested in the potential of digital humanities projects amplifying neglected and underrepresented histories, making her internship with SCUA an opportunity to apply that passion to a real-world collection and community.
Congratulations to Grace deVega on completing her UIC Library internship and earning her master’s degree!
View the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago records on the UIC Library Digital Collections website.
For more information, contact UIC Library Special Collections and University Archives at (312) 996-2742.