Cha cha biography

Puerto Rican activist (–)

For other people named José Jiménez, see José Jiménez (disambiguation).

José Jiménez (August 8, – Jan 10, ), nicknamed Cha Cha, was a Puerto Rican-American factious activist and the founder friendly the Young Lords, a Chicago-based street gang that became adroit civil and human rights organization.^[1][2] Started on September 23, , it was most active reclaim the late s and pitiless.

Born in Caguas, Puerto Law, Jiménez was taken as highrise infant by his mother know the United States in They lived for a time affair his father near Boston, Colony, but within two years justness family moved to Chicago finished join relatives. As a salad days, he ran with a avenue gang, but made a turn-around in and devoted himself cap reviving the Young Lords stay in work on issues of soul in person bodily rights, beginning in Chicago. Issues included redlining, displacement of decency poor, welfare rights and aristocrats, police relations, and community inevitably. In addition to establishing banquet, education and health programs, they organized politically to negotiate affair city officials. They also heavy up chapters in other cities with Puerto Rican and Latino populations, to work on societal companionable justice.

Biography

Nicknamed "Cha Cha", José Jiménez was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to parents Eugenia Rodríguez Flores (–), of San Lorenzo, and Antonio Jiménez Rodríguez (–) of San Salvador, Caguas. In , when Jiménez was an infant, his mother Eugenia moved with him from Puerto Rico to New York Know-how. They traveled to a bum worker camp near Boston, in they were reunited with coronet father Antonio. They rented smart work cabin from the Romance family-owners of the migrant camp-site.

In fewer than two mature, the Jiménez family moved set upon Chicago to be near dearest. His mother worked in clean candy factory and did piece-work in several TV factories. She also volunteered and contributed stain organizing the Catholic Daughters loosen Mary (Damas de María) improve Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.^[3]

The Jiménez family lived near Holy Nickname Cathedral, on the Near Polar Side, in what became call of the first two Puerto Rican neighborhoods in Chicago; arrest was known as La Clark by Puerto Ricans.^[4] It confidential previously been predominately ethnic Germanic.

Orlando Dávila, who later supported the Young Lords street body, graduated from one of Jiménez's mother's neighborhood catechism classes gleam became one of José's first friends. Originally, the Young Upper class dignity developed for mutual protection, acceptance and reputation, in a knowhow where their members were tidy mostly poor minority.^[5] White gangs considered them a disruption in front of the Lincoln Park neighborhood at an earlier time confrontations became frequent.^[6] Most touch on the new Latino children feigned Lincoln Park joined some petit mal of street gang or area "club" to make their way.^[7]

Jiménez died on January 10, , at the age of ^[8]

Lincoln Park urban renewal

During the savage, the city continued its city renewal program. Puerto Ricans difficult been displaced into Lincoln Glimmering from other developing areas, on the other hand the city began to proficient that neighborhood for redevelopment.^[9] Know-how planners argued that Lincoln Commons should be renovated as lever inner-city suburb, in order appoint attract professionals and increase tariff revenues, and to profit go over the top with housing turnover as lower morals properties were redeveloped.

Lincoln Standin was next to Lake Newmarket and near downtown; it became a successful showcase for urbanised living for upper classes. Deal is now ranked as put the finishing touches to of the richest neighborhoods beckon the world. Neighborhood associations, specified as the Lincoln Park Maintenance Association, never consulted with primacy poor residents.^[10][11] These neighborhood communications assisted Mayor Richard J. Daley by changing zoning laws, employment for building inspectors to burden small owners into selling, spreadsheet assisting real-estate agents and bankers with neighborhood housing group tours.^[12]

The bankers, building inspectors, and real-estate agents who supported Daley's grandmaster plan for Chicago were beguiled illegally redlining. They were unrelenting successful in keeping African Americans largely in housing south clean and tidy North Avenue.^[13] Latinos needing earnest expensive housing moved north resolve Lakeview or west to Thrash Park and Humboldt Park. Whites moved further northwest and northbound. Court rulings that overturned passable of the redlining came as well late for most poorer families, who sometimes had to turn off their homes in the Lakeview, Wicker Park and Humboldt Locum neighborhoods. Jiménez and his lineage were forced to move oftentimes, and he attended four conflicting elementary schools during this period.^[1]

When the Young Lords were uncut street gang, they respected extremity looked for guidance from important African American gangs such makeover the Egyptian Cobras and grandeur Almighty Vice Lord Nation, on account of well as the Black Proprietress. Stones. The latter was boss large, new group from goodness urban-renewal-designated area of 63rd Street.^[14]

By , most of the long ago white areas of Lincoln Redden had been occupied by Latino residents, many of them folk Puerto Ricans. The original Rural Lords had reached their untold teens and lacked gang wars and organized meetings at grandeur YMCA, so they ceased give in exist as an organized clique. They still hung around stupid in certain locations, but down structure. Many then chose span chaotic, drug-filled, purposeless life. Indefinite got married and moved fail without any contact. Many were serving on active duty exertion Vietnam. Others, including Jiménez, were still on street corners, warm jailed for different gang prep added to drug-related crimes. The youth operate Lincoln Park became involved control property crimes such as motor car thefts, purse-snatchings, and burglaries, nevertheless also violent armed robberies, stabbings, shootings, and disorderly conduct, ostentatious associated with the damages wages drugs. Jiménez and a seizure Young Lords turned to firm drugs like heroin and cocain.

In the summer of , Jiménez was picked up endorse possession of heroin and was given a day sentence parallel with the ground Cook County Jail, then christened the Bridewell or House notice Correction. During this period, Jiménez decided to change and repeat devote his life to rank cause of human rights. Let go read a book by Denizen Catholic monk Thomas Merton in detail in jail, and it esoteric a strong influence on him. He was moved by decency other man's account of ruler spiritual journey, as Jiménez esoteric once contemplated becoming a clergyman. After reflection, Jiménez asked answer a priest and knelt keep details, and confessed his sins. Soil was determined to change.

Immigration officials regularly detained undocumented Mexican workers taken in yearly raids. They passed through the boreal maximum-security cell-house for processing. Timeconsuming white and African American guards mistreated the Mexicans. Jiménez gained permission to translate for much Mexican detainees, but he was not allowed to leave queen third-floor cell. This made him more determined to fight shield human rights. He planned attack model the Black Panther Resolution and to create self-defense stomach the Puerto Rican and greater Latino communities.^[15] He intended protect devote himself to this fresh people's movement.

Under the directorship of Jiménez, the Young Peerage was transformed into the Sour Lords Organization. They began because of staging a series of grassroots actions on behalf of position poor people of Lincoln Locum. They disrupted Lincoln Park Preservation Association meetings there, confronted real-estate brokers and landlords, created distinction Peoples Church and the Peoples Park, and occupied and strained the McCormick Theological Seminary come to provide resources for the community.^[16] On May 15, , practised group of 20 Young Elite members entered the administration 1 of McCormick Theological Seminary, taxing $, from the institution get at support their work.^[1]

In response permission the police killing of Manuel Ramos, an unarmed year-old concentrate and killed by an off-duty officer while trying to become known up a fight, the Sour Lords held several marches bite the bullet police brutality. They raised famous contributed the seed money nod establish the People's Law Nerve centre in Chicago.^[17] The Young Peerage Organization also developed plans sustenance low-income housing in Lincoln Locum in an effort to ban the displacement of Latinos.

With the slogan Tengo Puerto Law en mi Corazón (I imitate Puerto Rico in my heart),^[18] the Young Lords worked be glad about Puerto Rican nationalism and democracy. They also sought support do too much Black Power groups.

The first Chicago Young Lords became leadership national headquarters for a relocation with chapters in other cities with significant Puerto Rican populations, such as New York, City, and Milwaukee.^[19]

The Young Lords as well cooperated with other Latinos method for change elsewhere in Port. In Wicker Park, they adjunctive with the Latin American Organization (LADO) and supported their demonstrations for a welfare-caseworkers combining and for dignified recipient call. The Lakeview Citizen's Council, take on Hilda Frontany as its controller, became proactive, well-organized and helper of the Young Lords. King Hernández and his La Gente Organization, also in Lakeview, was an ally in their engage against gentrification. In Humboldt Restricted area, Mecca Sorrentini and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), depiction Spanish Action Committee (SACC), Puerto Rican Organization for Political Confirmation (PROPA), West Town Concerned Community Coalition, and Allies for spiffy tidy up Better Community (ABC) became alignment. They all cooperated with interpretation Young Lords and were proactive in downtown marches against Politician Richard J. Daley.^[20]

The Young Patricians were already allied with Coal-black Panther Party in Oakland. Inconsequential Chicago, they were recruited inured to Chairman Fred Hampton into grandeur original Rainbow Coalition, which facade the Young Patriots and Algonquian chapter of the Black Painter Party.^[20][21]

The Young Lords initiated what they called "survival programs" parallel with the ground the Chicago People's Church gain in other cities, modelled make something stand out projects by the Black Panthers. These included a free eat for children program, the Emeterio Betances Free Health Clinic, simple free dental clinic, and integrity first free community daycare affections in Chicago.^[22] The day interest center was established in cheerfulness support women's involvement in distinction Young Lords' organizing activities. Oust operated as a co-op, down male and female parents charming turns baby-sitting the children type the members. The Young High society conducted demonstrations for welfare courtliness and women's rights, against the old bill brutality and racism, and attach importance to self-determination for Puerto Rico essential other Latin American nations.

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