The parade that celebrates the presence of the largest Hispanic community from New York City, is just around the corner: This Sunday, August 13, the edition will be held 41st Annual Dominican National Day Parade.
As is already a tradition of decades, the Manhattan Dominican Parade that exalts with music, floats and dances, the traditions of the island, will move along the Sixth Avenue, from 37th Street to 52nd Street.
This commemoration that this year has as its slogan “Our History, Our People”was preceded by a sequence of charitable activities that, in the last five years, has collected more than one million dollars to provide scholarships for young people in university and postgraduate institutions.
“For us, the Dominican Day Parade is much more than a festive theme. Throughout the year, we hold various events including workshops, scholarships, the annual gala and events in the five boroughs”, highlight spokespersons for the organization of the parade.
In this sense, Cristina Contreras, president of the Board of Directors of the Parade told local media that “the contributions and dedication of all sponsors are essential to preserve and celebrate our rich Dominican heritage. We look forward to a spectacular stop.”
Dominican President in NYC
For the first time, a sitting president of the Dominican Republic will lead this New York City parade as Grand Marshal.
President Luis Abinader will travel this Friday, August 11, to the Big Apple where he will previously participate in various activities. The president will take advantage his meeting with the diaspora to deliver the keys to houses to Dominicans residents in the United States, reported Dominican media.
It is expected that this parade, in addition to a moment to celebrate culture and traditions, will be a meeting point for the different partisan currents that make life on the Caribbean island, precisely in a pre-election year. General elections will be held next month of May 2024.
In fact, some organizations are already announcing their presence in the parade to call the attention of the Quisqueyan president on various aspects.
For example, members of the organization Green Tide iIncluding Dominican feminist advocates and the Center for Women’s Equality, which provides resources to Latin American feminist organizations fighting for reproductive freedom, they will march and create a “sea of green” throughout the parade to demand a penal code reform of the country’s abortion laws.
This event that highlights ‘dominicanidad’ began in 1982 as a celebration with concerts and cultural events in Washington Heights in Alto Manhattana neighborhood already officially called on Google as the Little Dominican Republic.
The revelry of drums, merengue, bachata and joy, dedicated to the cultural richness of the different regions of the island of Quisqueyana, always coincides with the second Sunday of August, the day that marks the beginning of The War of the Restoration, which began on August 16, 1863 and ended on March 3, 1865, when for the second time the Dominican Republic achieved its independence from Spain.
Rising presence:
– The Dominican population has grown steadily over the past decadewith 701,188 Dominicans now living in New York City, representing the 8.3% of the population, surpassing Puerto Ricans, according to projections from the 2020 Census.
- In the Bronx, they occupy the 22% of the population, more than any other Hispanic group but specifically in City Council District 15, Dominicans make up approximately 40% of the population.
- 63% is the Dominican immigrant population in locations in Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and Inwood.
