“New York City has opened its arms to all immigrants coming here to pursue their dreams and aspirations,” said Guillermo Linares, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.
“They [parade participants] are not just from the different neighborhoods of New York that are so diverse. But we also have immigrants that are coming from different parts of the country, and even from different countries, to be part of this parade,” he said.
Indeed, of the over 20 countries that were represented, the Vietnamese community took to the event with particular fervor. Over 1,500 Vietnamese turned up on the Avenue of the Americas, hailing from all over the USA, and even as far as Germany.
“It [the parade] is a true reflection of a new generation of immigrants expressing their cultural identity in their adopted country, the USA,” said Abaynesh Asrat, President of Nation to Nation Networking, a non-governmental organization with a mission to foster a broader understanding among people of all nations.
Another highly represented group were the Bolivians, featuring multiple marching dance troupes armed with whistles and bells, their highly animated movements delighting the audience. Other sizable contingents included Thais, Colombians, Taiwanese, Mexicans, and Albanians, who attended en force for the first time this year. A small Tibetan group also attended.
Hosted by the International Immigrants Foundation (IIF), the parade spanned the Avenue of the Americas between 37th Street and 57th Street mid-day on June 27. IIF President Edward Juarez-Pagliocco was on hand to announce most of the parade entries with his distinctive voice. The parade has grown considerably over the years, and with the advent of new laws, New Yorkers with questionable immigration status felt more empowered to participate.
“In New York City we have this policy, [government officials] cannot question the immigration status of any New Yorker, because we feel it is important for us to recognize the importance of every immigrant, economically, culturally, and socially speaking,” declared Linares.
Full Interview with the Commissioner of the New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Guillermo Linares
ET: What is the significance of the parade to New York City?
GL: We have all of the culture you can think of—all of the languages, all of the religions, but also the talent that has really been brought by waves of immigrants in this country. That has been manifested today in this parade, when we see so many countries participating, big and small.
They [parade participants] are not just from the different neighborhoods of New York that are so diverse. But we also have immigrants that are coming from different parts of the country, and even from different countries, to be part of this parade.
New York City has opened arms for all immigrants coming here to pursue their dreams and aspirations. That is, to raise families, to bring vibrancy to every neighborhood, to pushing the economy. But also, to celebrate what immigrants bring to this city and this country. Today in this parade that we have, since the beginning, so many years ago, it has gotten bigger and bigger.
ET: Many years ago people were afraid to participate in the parade out of concerns for their immigration status. How have times changed?
GL: In New York City we have this policy; [government officials] cannot question the immigration status of any New Yorker because we feel it is important for us to recognize the importance of every immigrant; economically, culturally, and socially speaking.
One thing that we are very proud of the city … is that we embrace immigrants and their contributions, and we also don’t want immigrants to feel fearful of government. We want them to feel that they can approach government to assist and help with information, so no one fears participating in events we hold in the city of New York.
ET: What is your message to New Yorkers?
GL: Embrace immigrants from all countries because they have made New York City the greatest in the world. And the future relies on that embrace and our ability to grow stronger and stronger. The most wonderful thing we have is our diversity.
