José 'Cha Cha' Jiménez

José 'Cha Cha' Jiménez (born 1948) is the founder of the Young Lords Organization (1968) — transforming a Chicago street gang into one of the most significant Puerto Rican political organizations in U.S. history.

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and raised in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Jiménez grew up in a neighborhood facing displacement through urban renewal (gentrification). He was initially leader of the Young Lords street gang before his political awakening, influenced by the Black Panthers and the broader civil rights movement.

Jiménez transformed the Young Lords from a gang into a political organization that:
- Fought against the displacement of Puerto Ricans from Lincoln Park
- Established free breakfast programs for children
- Created community health programs
- Advocated for Puerto Rican independence
- Built coalitions with the Black Panthers and other revolutionary organizations
- Developed the Rainbow Coalition concept (with Fred Hampton) — uniting Black, Puerto Rican, and poor white communities

The Young Lords expanded to New York, Philadelphia, and other cities. The FBI's COINTELPRO program targeted the organization, contributing to internal divisions and eventual decline.

Jiménez's legacy is the proof that Puerto Rican political consciousness exists in the diaspora — that the colonial condition does not end at the shoreline of the island.