The dedication event was jointly sponsored by the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board and the Aurora Police Department.
The fact that an official organization as the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board even exists today is a testament to the work of people like Jordan and those who carry on his tradition by stressing hard work and pride in the face of contemporary bigotry.
"Because of the pioneering achievements of people like Bobby Jordan in the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of Hispanics have an easier time achieving the American dream today. He is a true hero," said Joan Aguado, Jordan's niece, and an attorney in Milwaukee. "I worked in the Aurora-Chicago area in the Hispanic community after my first year of law school. I saw the racism that Hispanics have to overcome. Jordan overcame that racism, he challenged it head-on. I love hearing stories about Bobby Jordan because I think he is a role model for all Hispanics as today we face a threatening backlash."
Today the powers that be in Aurora, the chief of police, the mayor, sing Jordan's praises.
Unique Cop and Human Being
Jordan loved people, and during that period - late 1960s Chicago - when cops were not always loved back, Jordan never lost his faith and love for humanity, and his shared laughter with the people he vowed to protect with his life going undercover, hiding under cars, or playing the role of a doped-up druggie.
Reportedly even some of the people he busted during his many headline-grabbing cases would brag about being busted by the legendary Bobby Jordan.
Recalled Jordan's daughter Marsha, an award-winning Chicago TV reporter-writer-producer: "I remember John Peoples [Jordan's partner] when I used to go visit my father at the federal building"and after we would protest, that's what you did in the 1960s,"and march over with the Conspiracy Eight [the infamous trial of the Chicago Eight/Seven] people to the federal building, and then I'd go up and see my dad. And he'd say, 'How did it go down there? You guys getting anywhere?'"
I also remember back then, John, you visited our home, and my father was so crazed by this particular record that I had by the Velvet Underground. He said, 'John, you gotta hear this, listen to this!' The song was 'I'm Waiting for My Man, $26 dollars in my hand' which was the price of a bag of heroin at the time. And John got so outraged: 'What are they, are you hearing this? What is their problem?"We're supposed to be underground. This is supposed to be a secret.' And my father just roared with laughter, and just fell over the floor. And the more irate you became, the more entertained he was. And that, as John said, was the great gift of his, his humor, the pleasure, the joy and the mischief that he elevated to masterful levels. As a cop and then as an agent, he was always about seizing the dare of the day with peril and purpose""
You taught me to live like a man so it would empower my womanhood. So many of those quiet secrets we shared before the morning sun would hasten the hours of the ordinary. And the ordinary was not the Jordan way. Goethe said, 'He only earns his freedom and his life who takes them everyday by storm.'"
Listening to Jordan's loved ones speak today, as millions march to acclaim their lives and their freedom to live as Americans, I cannot help but feel that the proud Mexican-American Jordan, were he alive, would look on smiling and ask: "How's that going? You guys getting anywhere?'"
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The fact that an official organization as the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board even exists today is a testament to the work of people like Jordan and those who carry on his tradition by stressing hard work and pride in the face of contemporary bigotry.
"Because of the pioneering achievements of people like Bobby Jordan in the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of Hispanics have an easier time achieving the American dream today. He is a true hero," said Joan Aguado, Jordan's niece, and an attorney in Milwaukee. "I worked in the Aurora-Chicago area in the Hispanic community after my first year of law school. I saw the racism that Hispanics have to overcome. Jordan overcame that racism, he challenged it head-on. I love hearing stories about Bobby Jordan because I think he is a role model for all Hispanics as today we face a threatening backlash."
Today the powers that be in Aurora, the chief of police, the mayor, sing Jordan's praises.
Jordan loved people, and during that period - late 1960s Chicago - when cops were not always loved back, Jordan never lost his faith and love for humanity, and his shared laughter with the people he vowed to protect with his life going undercover, hiding under cars, or playing the role of a doped-up druggie.
Reportedly even some of the people he busted during his many headline-grabbing cases would brag about being busted by the legendary Bobby Jordan.
Recalled Jordan's daughter Marsha, an award-winning Chicago TV reporter-writer-producer: "I remember John Peoples [Jordan's partner] when I used to go visit my father at the federal building"and after we would protest, that's what you did in the 1960s,"and march over with the Conspiracy Eight [the infamous trial of the Chicago Eight/Seven] people to the federal building, and then I'd go up and see my dad. And he'd say, 'How did it go down there? You guys getting anywhere?'"
I also remember back then, John, you visited our home, and my father was so crazed by this particular record that I had by the Velvet Underground. He said, 'John, you gotta hear this, listen to this!' The song was 'I'm Waiting for My Man, $26 dollars in my hand' which was the price of a bag of heroin at the time. And John got so outraged: 'What are they, are you hearing this? What is their problem?"We're supposed to be underground. This is supposed to be a secret.' And my father just roared with laughter, and just fell over the floor. And the more irate you became, the more entertained he was. And that, as John said, was the great gift of his, his humor, the pleasure, the joy and the mischief that he elevated to masterful levels. As a cop and then as an agent, he was always about seizing the dare of the day with peril and purpose""
You taught me to live like a man so it would empower my womanhood. So many of those quiet secrets we shared before the morning sun would hasten the hours of the ordinary. And the ordinary was not the Jordan way. Goethe said, 'He only earns his freedom and his life who takes them everyday by storm.'"
Listening to Jordan's loved ones speak today, as millions march to acclaim their lives and their freedom to live as Americans, I cannot help but feel that the proud Mexican-American Jordan, were he alive, would look on smiling and ask: "How's that going? You guys getting anywhere?'"
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