[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 14 (Thursday, January 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
                          HONORING RICH KOHNG

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Rich Kohng, 
assistant vice president for civic engagement at Illinois Third's own 
North Park University, for his lifelong commitment to civic justice and 
civil rights.
  Rich's parents, Roy and Susan, came to the United States as refugees 
of the Korean war and arrived in Chicago after immigration quotas were 
removed after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
  Inspired by his family's commitment to their faith and service, Rich 
obtained his master's in divinity and began his career at North Park 
University by coordinating their urban ministry program. Nearly 15 
years later, through his leadership at the Center for Civic Engagement, 
Rich exemplifies the transformative power of education to promote civic 
engagement and foster stronger, more connected communities.
  Through initiatives like the Catalyst program, Rich has created 
opportunities for students to engage deeply in Chicago and with Chicago 
residents, learning directly from local leaders of color and working 
collaboratively to address pressing social issues.
  Rich's work reminds us that when our universities invest in civic 
engagement, they not only shape the next generation of leaders, but 
they are strengthening the fabric of our very own communities.
  On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Rich 
Kohng for his commitment to promoting civic engagement, his leadership 
at North Park University, and his dedication to live out his faith 
through public service.


                     Honoring Laura Avila-Peterson

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated educator 
and my constituent from Bensenville, Illinois, Laura Avila-Peterson.
  Laura's commitment to fostering civic engagement ensures that her 
students are prepared to be active, informed participants in our 
democracy.
  Laura is an experienced high school educator specializing in 
bilingual social studies and supporting English language learners at 
Fenton High School. Over the past 5 years, she has taught grades 9 
through 12, fostering inclusive environments that celebrate the diverse 
backgrounds of the students that she serves. Her dedication to 
supporting English language learners is evident in her tailored 
approach to teaching.
  I recently had the privilege of meeting Laura and speaking with her 
bilingual civics class at Fenton High School. Together, we talked about 
how we build a multiracial democracy and the importance of uplifting 
students as they engage in civic life, particularly by creating 
multilingual spaces, regardless of their immigration status, for them 
to be able to talk about what they see in the news, how they experience 
it, and how they belong in this country.
  On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Laura 
Avila-Peterson for her dedication to education and her invaluable 
contributions to shaping the next generation of leaders.


     Honoring Jose ``Cha Cha'' Jimenez and Rainbow Coalition Legacy

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the 
legacy of Jose ``Cha Cha'' Jimenez, a beloved community organizer and 
activist, founder of the Young Lords, and one of the architects behind 
Chicago's original Rainbow Coalition. To this day, the Rainbow 
Coalition is remembered as a powerful model of multiracial unity and 
solidarity that continues to inspire all of us.
  Cha Cha was born in Puerto Rico and eventually moved with his family 
to Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in the midst of the city's 
planned urban renewal. Today, we would call it gentrification. Cha Cha 
and his peers faced housing and educational discrimination and 
harassment at the hands of the police and were motivated to create the 
Young Lords street organization to protect themselves and their Puerto 
Rican neighbors.
  Under Cha Cha's leadership, the Young Lords evolved into a political 
organization that hosted free breakfast programs for children, free 
community medical clinics, and other projects of survival. Through his 
work, he connected with other activists organizing in their own low-
income communities across the city.
  On April 4, 1969, Cha Cha co-led an effort to form the Rainbow 
Coalition, an anti-racist, multiracial, working-class movement uniting 
the largely Puerto Rican Young Lords in Lincoln Park, the Black Panther 
Party on Chicago's South and West Sides, and the Young Patriots 
representing poor Appalachian Whites in the Uptown neighborhood. These 
organizations connected after beginning to understand the shared 
conditions they were facing had more commonality than division, 
particularly in their largely poor neighborhoods.
  Cha Cha, Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers, and William 
``Preacherman'' Fesperman of the Young Patriots helped their 
organizations overcome their differences and understand the potential 
in collaborating to organize their working-class communities.
  Together, the Rainbow Coalition united these three organizations to 
cooperate on projects of survival and demonstrate solidarity at each 
other's protests and pickets across the city.
  In memory of Cha Cha's passing and in honor of his contributions to 
uniting our community, I commend him and the leaders of the original 
Rainbow Coalition. May their legacy be a powerful reminder that we are, 
in fact, stronger together.

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