RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Jesus Abraham "Tato" Laviera has been called to his eternal life by the wisdom of God; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Roberto Maldonado; and
WHEREAS, Tato Laviera was a legendary Nuyorican poetic giant whose highly illustrious career spanned more than four decades; and
WHEREAS, The Puerto Rican Cultural Center, under the leadership of Executive Director Jose E. Lopez, will pay homage to his legacy at a special event to be held on November 20, 2013; and
WHEREAS, Bora in 1951 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and raised on the Lower East Side of New York, Tato Laviera published books, plays and poems about the multicultural experience; and
WHEREAS, Tato Laviera often wrote in English, Spanish and Spanglish while capturing the rhythms of both Puerto Rico and the Lower East Side; and
WHEREAS, A genius of immense talent and infectious charisma, Tato Laviera showcased his creativity on college campuses and contributed to workshops and literary events; and
WHEREAS, In Chicago, the youth of Paseo Boricua had the honor of working closely with Tato Laviera on several plays documenting the history of Puerto Ricans in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Tato Laviera was a figure of immense popularity who inspired others to work on causes, especially involving youth and education; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this thirteenth day of November 2013, do hereby recognize the many unique and lasting contributions of Tato Laviera and do hereby express our condolences to his family; and
Alderman - 26 1 Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Jose E Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.