The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) in Chicago has received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest recognition awarded to museums in the United States. The distinction places the institution among a select group of museums that meet the nation’s highest standards for governance, collections stewardship, education, financial sustainability and public service.

The museum is now one of only four Latino, Chicano or Latin American art museums in the country to earn AAM accreditation, joining the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Calif., and Museo de las Américas in Denver.

The accreditation marks a significant milestone for NMPRAC, the only national museum outside Puerto Rico dedicated exclusively to preserving and interpreting Puerto Rican arts and culture. Founded in 2000, the museum is housed in the historic Humboldt Park Stables and Receptory in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, home to one of the nation’s largest Puerto Rican communities.

Michael D. Nieves, President and CEO of HITN and a member of the museum’s Board of Directors, said the recognition reflects decades of work by the institution’s leadership, staff and supporters.

“This accreditation is a powerful affirmation of the museum’s commitment to preserving Puerto Rico’s rich cultural heritage for future generations,” Nieves said. “It reflects decades of dedication, vision and hard work by the museum’s staff and leadership.”

Billy Ocasio, President and CEO of NMPRAC, described the achievement as the culmination of more than two decades of work.

“We have worked for this moment since our inception 26 years ago,” Ocasio said. “What began as a community’s determination to tell its own story has grown into a national institution where our art, our culture and our history are preserved, celebrated and passed on.”

Fewer than 1,100 museums nationwide have earned accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums, a process widely regarded as the museum field’s highest benchmark for institutional excellence.

HITN, the nation’s leading Spanish-language public media network, has long partnered with NMPRAC in advancing educational and cultural initiatives that preserve Hispanic heritage, amplify Latino voices and expand access to public service programming. The museum’s accreditation represents a milestone not only for the institution but also for the broader recognition of Puerto Rican history and culture within the American museum landscape.