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Congressman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement praising this year's 50th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade.
I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be on the second Sunday in June than in New York and marching in the Puerto Rican Day Parade. It's more than just a celebration of Boricua pride. It's what makes this city and this country great.
Hundreds of thousands of people, Latinos and non-Latinos, come down to enjoy a weekend of cultural events that include art exhibits, entertainment spectaculars and sporting events all over the city. Of course, I particularly enjoy the ones in my backyard in El Barrio, at places like the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center, El Museo del Barrio or during Saturday's famous music and street festival on E. 116th Street.
The weekend, especially the parade, has changed a lot in the last fifty years. It's moved from April to June, from uptown to downtown, and from a New York celebration to a national extravaganza. Yet one thing remains the same: when Puerto Ricans stroll down one of New York's famous Fifth Avenue, we are all reminded that they, through their hard work and dedication, they have helped transform and build this country to what it is today.
Citizens of this land since 1917, young men and woman from both the island and the U.S. mainland have taken up arms to defend this land, from World War I all the way through today in Iraq. That includes the famed 65th Infantry, which like many segregated units overcame racism in and out of the military to have their bravery and valor recognized by a Presidential Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations, a Gold Bravery Medal of Greece, nine Distinguished Service Crosses, 250 Silver Stars and more than 500 Bronze Stars.
My good friend David Dinkins is often been quoted as saying that New York, like the rest of the world, is a gorgeous mosaic of different races and cultures. The people of Puerto Rico have been a key part of that mosaic in the city and in my district, fighting as brothers and sisters side by side with African Americans and other ethnicities in the civil rights movement and on behalf of social justice, affordable housing and better healthcare. Their star athletes have brought energy and distinction to sports on several levels and their top students have graduated leaders in fields as diverse as medicine & science to law & academia. They've been musical pioneers across various generations, combining Carribean rhythms to create salsa in the late 60s & 70s, adding their artistic and lyrical skills to the foundation of hip-hop in the late 70s and 80s, and helping to fuse reggae and hip-hop today's in latest craze of reggaeton.
The stars of the Puerto Rican community, past and present, are too many to name here, but there's no doubt they would surely light up any sky. All share in the distinction of not just being role models to their people and those who share a common Latin American culture, but everyone who dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.
Of course, like all communities, there are still more challenges to be met. Too many Puerto Rican children in America and on the island grow up in poverty, are the victims of crime and suffer from preventable diseases. Too many seniors are facing an insecure future that has them choosing between rising rents and expensive prescription drugs. Intense debates about everything from economic development to the island's political future still divide the community here and abroad.
However, all that seems to melt away, every year during the second Sunday of June. Organizers do a great job of reminding us of the richness of Puerto Rican culture, of the community's achievements & accomplishments and the potential for greatness that lies ahead.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to not just these citizens, but also the parade's founders and current leaders for giving us another day that we can all share in the diversity of this great land. Only in New York. Only in America.
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