[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14507]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO LINDA YU

  Mr. DURBIN. Earlier this year, Linda Yu, one of Chicago's most 
respected and well-liked broadcasters, announced that she will anchor 
her final newscast next Wednesday, November 23, 2016.
  For more than 37 years, Linda Yu has reported the news in Chicago and 
set a high bar for those who follow. Linda is one of the special ones. 
She has an outstanding ability to connect with her viewers, which has 
ingratiated her to Chicagoans. A viewer once told her that ``when 
things go wrong, you make me feel safe.'' That's what Linda Yu means to 
Chicago. She is a comfort to a city during difficult times and a 
trusted voice. Linda is the consummate professional, class act, and 
trailblazer. As the first Asian American to anchor a news broadcast in 
Chicago, Linda has become a role model for children aspiring to the 
newsroom, regardless of race or gender. That is quite a legacy.
  Linda's story is a uniquely American story. Born in Xian, China, 
Linda moved to Hong Kong with her family when she was only 2 years old. 
Three years later, they immigrated to the United States, living in 
Pennsylvania and Indiana, before settling in California. In 1968, Linda 
Yu graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor 
of arts in journalism. Shortly after, she began her career at the ABC-
owned affiliates KTLA-TV and KABC-TV in Los Angeles, before moving to 
what became her home away from home, Chicago, IL. In 1979, Linda joined 
Chicago's WMAQ-TV. Five years later, she joined ABC 7's 4 p.m. 
newscast. And for the next 32 years, it was the No. 1 newscast. How is 
that for a winning streak?
  Among her accolades, Linda Yu earned five Chicago Emmy Awards. Her 
first came in 1981, for a special newscast on the assassination attempt 
on President Reagan. One year later, Linda received her second Emmy for 
her report and coverage of a construction accident in Chicago's 
downtown loop. In 2005, Linda was honored by the Chicago chapter of the 
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with the prestigious 
Silver Circle, honoring her for 25 years of outstanding contributions 
to Chicago broadcasting. Linda also received the National Gold Medal 
from the National Conference of Community and Justice for her 
documentary ``The Scars of Belfast.''
  Linda Yu has had an amazing career and is an extraordinarily 
accomplished professional. In her spare time, she volunteers at the 
Chinese American Service League, the March of Dimes, Asian Human 
Services and Juvenile Protective Association. She also cofounded the 
Chicago Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. But her 
proudest accomplishment is her family. The mother of a daughter, 
Francesca, and a son, Bryan, Linda now plans on spending more time with 
them and writing her next book. Her first book, a memoir, ``Living and 
Working in America, 15 lessons,'' published in Chinese, is a guide to 
help young Chinese woman in the global workplace. Her next book will 
focus on stories of prominent Asian woman entrepreneurs and political 
and cultural leaders in America.
  When Linda broke the news to her colleagues that she was ``moving 
on'' from ABC 7, she made sure not to use the word ``retire'' because 
she couldn't imagine retirement. So let me be clear, this is not the 
final chapter for Linda Yu. She will continue to write and be a role 
model for her community and countless young women around the world.
  I want to congratulate Linda Yu on her distinguished career and thank 
her for giving so much to the people of Chicago. She will truly be 
missed. I wish Linda and her family all the best.

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