Los Angeles City Councilmembers proclaimed Friday, June 20, to be "Cheech Marin Day," honoring the comedian and actor at a City Hall ceremony.

Marin, of Cheech & Chong fame, is not only known for his big screen appearances but also as a national leader in advancing Chicano art.

"Thank you very much, it's a great honor to receive this award, especially because I'm a native son of Los Angeles, as are my parents," Marin said. "I grew up right down from City Hall, for my early life."

Marin founded The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum three years ago. The Cheech is the first North American facility dedicated exclusively to Mexican American and Chicano art.

Drew Oberjuerge, Executive Director Riverside Art Museum, spoke at the ceremony and praised him for "leveraging his celebrity to uplift the Chicano, Latino community and the artists' incredible work."

"Cheech Marin Day to me is a day to celebrate courageousness, boldness, tenacity, hard work, commitment, dedication, remembering where you came from, equity, philanthropy and the Latino, Chicano community," she said.

Marin, whose real name is Richard Anthony Marin, rose to fame in the 1970s as half of the legendary duo Cheech & Chong. He later earned acclaim for his work in films such as "Born in East LA," "Tin Cup," the "Spy Kids" trilogy, and animated classics like "The Lion King" and "Cars." 

"We are going through troubling times right now," Marin said. "I made 'Born in East LA' 40 years ago, based upon a true story of a young man who was grabbed by immigration forces and deported although he was an American citizen."

He said he was reading that in the newspaper and listening to Bruce Springsteen at the same time and began singing "born in East LA," and he said that tune became a movie.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez commented that the comedic, satirical film feels more like a modern-day documentary. "It speaks to the salience of Cheech's work decades later and his ability to show us through comedy and art the truth of this society." He called Marin a "Chicano legend."

Marin continued to profess his love for Los Angeles, his native community, calling it "truly the greatest city on earth."

"You don't get any respect by throwing rocks and bricks and Molotov cocktails, you gain respect by showing who you really are and by upholding the community, and that's what I've tried to do all my life," Marin said.