On June 9, 2019, thousands of spectators lined up along 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan to celebrate the heritage and culture of Puerto Rico. The National Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is in its 62nd year, is the largest in the country. This year’s theme “Un Pueblo, Muchas Voces” (One Nation, Many Voices) celebrated the diversity of Puerto Rico.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez took the opportunity to emphasize that New York stands with Puerto Rico which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Maria that devastated the Island almost two years ago. Governor Cuomo vouched that New York is not going to leave Puerto Rico behind and announced that for the second year over 300 CUNY and SUNY students are going to spend the summer on the Island to aid in the recovery effort. “While the federal government forgot an important fact, which is that Puerto Ricans are American citizens, New York State said on day one that we will stand with Puerto Rico every step of the way,” Governor Cuomo said.
Some parade participants came equipped with political messages calling for the cancellation of Puerto Rico’s debt or demanding independence from the United States. Despite some of the serious undertones, spectators enjoyed celebrating the vast diversity of their culture.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Puerto Ricans accounted for 1.7. percent of the total U.S. populations and 9.5 percent of the Latino population.
Photo Gallery:
