This article is about the famous large-scale American parade for Puerto Rican Day. It takes place once a year in Manhattan as part of the support of Puerto Rican culture. More information about its founding, activities and problems can be found on manhattanski.
Creation and activities of the event
This event is a famous parade that takes place along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The parade is held every year on the second Sunday of June in honor of the 3.2 million residents of Puerto Rico and all Puerto Rican immigrants living in the US. It has become one of the largest parades in the country, with about four million spectators annually. It usually takes place between 44th and 86th streets.
The event was first held on April 13, 1958, becoming a replacement for the Spanish one. Its creation was associated with the support of Puerto Rican culture. In 1995, the parade was registered as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and went beyond the venue. This large-scale celebration was attended by famous stars, politicians, cultural figures, etc. The celebration was attended by such people as Enrique Martin Morales, Jennifer Lynn Affleck, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Charles Ellis Schumer, Andrew Mark Cuomo, Rudolph William Louis Giuliani, Michael Rubens Bloomberg, Osvaldo Rios Alonso, etc.
The event in popular culture
It should be noted that this event has been repeatedly mentioned in various American films and TV series. It was shown in the sitcom Seinfeld, which starred Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer. However, in the episode The Puerto Rican Day, the parade scene caused a flurry of controversy due to an offensive scene where Kramer accidentally burns and tramples on the Puerto Rican flag. The event also appeared in the American police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order in the episode Sunday in the Park with Jorge. The parade was also depicted in a negative light. These actions, similarly to the previous one, caused a number of protests. It should also be noted that the event was mentioned in the show Impractical Jokers and the book Empire of Dreams.
Conflicts
Within the framework of the parade, there have been several conflict situations that are worth mentioning. In 2010, a controversy arose due to the fact that actor Osvaldo Rios Alonso was chosen as the International Godfather of the parade, despite the fact that he had a controversial past. The man was involved in domestic violence, for which he was in prison. These actions caused public discontent. Some participants and sponsors refused to participate and help. Therefore, the actor was replaced by singer Marco Antonio Muñiz. A controversial situation also arose in 2011. This year, actor John Leguizamo was elected cultural ambassador, as he was of Puerto Rican origin. However, there was confusion about this. John’s father publicly said that his family was not of Puerto Rican origin. The actor, responding to this, stated that his grandfather was Puerto Rican. Despite the scandals and disagreements, the celebrity was left in this position. A similar situation arose in 2017. Then, the organizers of the parade decided to honor Puerto Rican activist Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was considered by some to be a terrorist and by others a freedom fighter. These actions caused a number of problems and controversies. That year, many prominent participants refused to cooperate with the parade. It is worth noting that the event also recorded crimes committed by various gangs. In 2000, harassment and sexual violence were recorded against women who attended the Puerto Rican Day Parade.