Young Lords

The Young Lords were a Chicago street gang that emerged in the 1960s in the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park. The Chicago Young Lords were the sons and daughters of the first Puerto Rican immigrants and are credited with beginning a grassroots Latino movement in the United States. In 1966 the Young Lords became involved in the Division Street Riots, resulting from strained relations between the Chicago Police Department and the Puerto Rican community. In 1967, after serving a brief jail term, Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez, one of the seven founding members of the Young Lords, sought to transform the street gang into an organization committed to human rights and the liberation of Puerto Rico.