The first English words that Ricardo Munoz learned were, “No speak English.”
He was 5 years old and had just come to Chicago from Mexico with his mother, a younger sister and a brother to join his father, who had been here for two years working in a factory. It was 1970 and the family lived at Taylor and Loomis Streets, later moving to the Little Village neighborhood, the heart of the 22nd Ward, where Munoz has been alderman since 1993. (To see a photo of Munoz and a map go to www.cityofchicago.org and click on the “Your Ward and Alderman” link.)
Now widely admired in the community, Munoz as a teenager had his share of troubles. He was arrested three times and pleaded guilty to two weapons violations and one charge of cocaine possession. “It was a bit of rebellion,” he says. “You know, just hanging out, you’re a teenager, you make mistakes.”
He finished high school and as a sophomore at Northern Illinois University, on his way to a degree in political science, got his first taste of politics. “In response to a proposed tuition hike, a group of us went to Springfield to lobby against it. Later, I became president of the Latino student organization on campus. We hosted a conference, “Latinos in Chicago Politics,” and that is where I met [then 22nd Ward Ald. Rick Garcia] who said, ‘Look me up when you graduate.’ “
He did, and while working in various capacities for the city, Munoz did volunteer work for Garcia. In 1990 he became the alderman’s chief of staff, and three years later Mayor Daley appointed him to replace Garcia, who had been elected to the Illinois Senate.
Munoz has won every election since (he ran unopposed in 2003) while becoming an independent City Council voice. He sees the job of alderman as threefold: “I am a legislator; I pass laws. I am an advocate on many issues; I want fair immigrant reform so we can keep our families together. And I am a housekeeper; I pick up the garbage, trim your trees, make sure your water runs.”
His priority has been schools. “My old grammar school is two blocks from my office and six blocks from my home,” he says, sitting in the 312 Chicago restaurant on LaSalle Street across from City Hall. “It was overcrowded in 1979 when I graduated-I can remember sitting in hallways for math class-and it was overcrowded in 1993 when I became alderman. I made it my mission to build schools.”
Thirteen years later, the ward has five new grammar schools and the Little Village High School. “That is, brick for brick, more than any other neighborhood, not just in the city but in the state,” he says.
Some bad early experiences with libraries also motivated change. Now the ward has, as seen in Osgood’s photo, a new Toman Branch on South Pulaski Avenue, thanks to a thoughtful renovation that modernized the 1927 building and more than doubled its original size.
The 41-year-old alderman has been married since 1988. His wife, Betty, is a human resource specialist. They have two kids, 15-year-old Ricardo Jr., who attends Whitney Young High School, and 11-year-old Angelica, who goes to Skinner Elementary.
He plans to run again next year. “Yes, definitely. The election is 268 days away,” he says.
Beyond that?
“[U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez] always has said this is his last term,” says Munoz. “If he doesn’t run in ’08, I will be taking a serious look at a congressional bid.”
What about mayor?
“In my lifetime the city will have a Latino mayor,” he says.
You?
He answers in Spanish: “Whatever God wants.”
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rkogan@tribune.com
