[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 16 (Monday, January 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H262-H264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CAROLINE CHANG POST OFFICE

  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3728) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 25 Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in Boston, 
Massachusetts, as the ``Caroline Chang Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3728

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CAROLINE CHANG POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 25

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     Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in Boston, Massachusetts, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``Caroline Chang Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Caroline Chang Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Donalds) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would name a 
Boston, Massachusetts, post office for Caroline Chang.
  Caroline was born and raised in Boston's Chinatown and started her 
career serving as an interpreter for community members seeking medical 
care.
  In 1970, Caroline Chang was appointed by the mayor of Boston as the 
manager of Chinatown's Little City Hall, where she continued her work 
advocating for the community.
  She went on to achieve a law degree from Suffolk Law School and to 
work for the United States Department of Health and Human Services for 
more than 30 years.
  Caroline Chang also helped establish the South Cove Community Health 
Center, the Chinese Historical Society of New England, and the Asian 
American Civic Association.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation honoring this 
dedicated civil servant, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 3728 to designate the facility of 
the U.S. Postal Service located at 25 Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in 
Boston, Massachusetts, as the Caroline Chang Post Office.
  This legislation, introduced by my distinguished colleague, 
Representative Pressley, recognizes the contributions of Caroline 
Chang, who was born and raised in Boston's Chinatown.
  I didn't know her, but I have learned from my colleague that she was 
a trailblazer, a passionate advocate for her community, and a very 
devoted public servant.
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Comer and Representative 
Raskin for advancing this legislation. I also thank my Massachusetts 
colleagues and our delegation for the unanimous support of this effort.
  I rise today to recognize Caroline Chang, a community builder and 
trailblazer who was a tireless advocate for the Massachusetts Seventh.
  Caroline remains one of the greatest public servants that Boston and 
our Commonwealth has ever seen. She dedicated her life to serving the 
local Chinatown community and effecting lasting and positive change.
  At a young age, Caroline lost her father and began serving as a 
translator for her mother, while also looking after her two younger 
brothers and sister.
  Her willingness to care for her family extended to all of Boston's 
Chinatown where community members would often rely on Caroline's 
assistance when seeking medical care.
  At the time, culturally congruent care was not an option for most 
Asian Americans in Boston. Whenever a neighbor needed to visit the 
doctor, Caroline would be at their side as a translator, as an 
advocate, and as a friend.
  Her early sense of purpose and community manifested into a love of 
organizing and movement building that remained with her as she went on 
to fight in all levels of government against discrimination faced by 
Asian Americans.
  From managing Chinatown's Little City Hall to her history-making 
tenure in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for 
Civil Rights, she always made sure her home community had a seat at the 
table.
  The Massachusetts Seventh, which I am proud to represent, is a 
vibrant and diverse district, and I am especially proud to represent 
this district as a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American 
Caucus. It is home to nearly 100,000 Asian American and Pacific 
Islanders.
  In a testament to her ability to bring people together, Caroline 
routinely gathered Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian, 
Cambodian, and other nationalities from the Boston area for dinners and 
events under the theme of Asian American unity.
  She bridged gaps within and across marginalized groups, working in 
solidarity to form several community-based organizations that continue 
to serve Chinatown and greater Boston today--the Asian 
Community Development Corporation, the Asian American Civic 
Association, and the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, to name 
only a few.

  Inspired in part by her early work as a translator, Caroline also 
helped found the South Cove Community Health Center, the first 
community health center to provide culturally congruent care to Asian 
Americans in the city of Boston. Today, it is the largest Asian primary 
care provider in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  My bill, H.R. 3728, would designate the post office at 25 Dorchester 
Avenue, which is walking distance from South Cove, as the Caroline 
Chang Post Office.
  In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, there are currently 617 postal 
facilitates. Of those renamed, only one has been named for a woman and 
only five for people of color. To date, not one has been named for an 
AAPI individual.
  Dating back to my time on the Boston City Council, I have underscored 
the need for us to have institutional representation in our public 
spaces because who we honor matters.
  At a time when the contributions of Black, Brown, AAPI, and other 
marginalized communities are facing increased threats and erasure, 
recognizing their contributions by securing their representation is a 
small but a meaningful step forward.
  Caroline often said: There is always more work to do, and I 
wholeheartedly agree. Today, with this legislation, we recognize the 
work that she has done and honor her legacy, a legacy that will endure 
for generations to come.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I take this moment to also 
thank a dedicated member of my A team, Bayley Connors, on my 
legislative staff, who worked tirelessly to bring this to fruition 
today.

                              {time}  1645

  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared 
to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close, as well.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Ms. 
Chang by naming the post office in Boston, Massachusetts after her, and 
we will all be proud to see it happen, pursuant to the remarks of Ms. 
Pressley.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Donalds) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3728.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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