[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 45 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO RODOLFO ``CORKY'' GONZALES AND HIS LIFETIME FIGHT 
                   FOR JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN T. SALAZAR

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2005

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, the Latino community lost a great leader 
this week. I rise today to pay tribute to Corky Gonzales, a man of 
principle and passion. He was a man who spent a lifetime working for 
equal opportunity for all Americans. At the same time, he taught us to 
take pride in our heritage and to remember our roots as we worked to 
achieve equality in mainstream society.
  Corky was the youngest of 8 children. He was raised in the Denver 
barrio, where medical facilities were closed to Mexican migrant workers 
such as his parents, and opportunities were few and far between.
  As a child though, he grew up listening to his father's accounts of 
the Mexican revolution. Having learned from those lessons of fighting 
for your principles, Gonzales literally fought his way out of poverty. 
The tough, wily man made his way into the boxing ring, and he worked 
his way up to become a national champion boxer. He was the first Latino 
inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
  But Corky was also a lifelong poet, a man who understood the power of 
language. He taught us that words could inspire action and create real 
change. His epic poem, ``Yo Soy Joaquin'' was an inspiration to many. 
It captured the struggle of a community fighting for equality, fighting 
to break free of poverty, and fighting to create new opportunities 
without losing the heritage that helps shape our identity.

     I shed the tears of anguish
     as I see my children disappear
     behind the shroud of mediocrity,
     never to look back to remember me.
     I am Joaquin.
     I must fight
     and win this struggle
     for my sons, and they
     must know from me
     who I am.

  Corky's words called for Latinos to unite for social justice and end 
discrimination, to demand just treatment. It is because of his 
leadership in the last 30 years that today we all enjoy a more 
inclusive society.
  Corky will live on in more than memory--he lives on in our hearts, 
our identity, and the strength he gave us as a community.

                          ____________________