The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill honoring Boston activist Caroline Chang. The bill, if it becomes law, would name the U.S. Postal Service office at 25 Dorchester Avenue in Boston after Chang.
Chang was born in 1940 in Boston’s Chinatown. In 1970, she was named the manager of Chinatown’s Little City Hall. According to Boston.com, she earned a law degree from Suffolk Law School that same year. She would go on to serve as regional manager for the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Chang fought for the Boston Chinatown community, and other marginalized communities, throughout her life. She passed away in 2018.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who represents the seventh district in Massachusetts, introduced H.R. 2378 in May 2023. The House passed the bill on February 1, 2024.
“Who we honor matters, and today we’re one step closer to memorializing the incredible work that Caroline Chang has done as one of the greatest public servants that Boston, the Massachusetts 7th, and our Commonwealth have ever seen,” Rep. Pressley said in a press release. “I was proud to introduce and pass this bill in the House to pay tribute to Caroline’s legacy with the first post office in Massachusetts to be named after an AAPI individual. With nationwide attacks against the AAPI community, it is vital to commemorate leaders like Caroline whose contributions will have an impact on generations to come. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this bill without delay.”
Chang’s family thanked Rep. Pressley for her work.
“We thank Representative Pressley and her staff for her recognition of Caroline’s legacy and support of Asian American Heritage, and the Boston’s Chinese Community for recommending Caroline for this dedication. We are very happy that Caroline is remembered for her hard work and dedication to her community as well as civil rights for all of us,” the family said in a statement.
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