A man who fled Castro’s Cuba for a new life in America has been honored in Springfield, Massachusetts for his neighborhood activism.
A community center in Springfield’s Sixteen Acres Neighborhood has been re-named for Clodo Concepcion. During an at times emotional dedication ceremony Thursday, Concepcion spoke proudly of the role immigrants have played in the United States.
Concepcion, who is 81, fled Cuba in 1958 with a single suitcase. He taught himself English, served six years in the military and then became a business owner. He was the first Ward City Councilor elected to represent his neighborhood.