Puerto Rican Day Parade US Mainland Culture

The Puerto Rican Day Parade is held on the second Sunday of June annually. It is a massive parade held on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The parade moves along the 44th Street to the 86th Street. More than 80,000 participants march with delegations from the towns of Puerto Rico and various states across the US.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade is a mark of respect to the Puerto Rican lineage that has now become an integral part of the US mainland culture. Besides the 4 million Puerto Ricans on the island, there is a substantial population that traces its heritage to Puerto Rico that makes this parade one of the largest in New York. Apart from the participants, the nearly 3 million spectators that come to watch it every year make the Puerto Rican Day Parade a widely anticipated gala.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade began April 12th, 1958. It was held in El Barrio in Manhattan. . Its first President was Victor López and José Caballero coordinated the parade. The Grand Marshall was Oscar González Suarez. It replaced the Hispanic Day Parade on the annual calendar and from 1995 has officially been declared the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade was initiated to help the younger generation appreciate the richness of their heritage and also, to remind the nation of the immense contribution of the Puerto Rican ethos and culture to the national life of the US. During the Parade, there are several other cultural events that are held in addition to the actual march of the parade. Also, several smaller parades are also conducted in other parts of the US in order to coincide with the march on 5th Avenue.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade has traditionally attracted a host of celebrities, both of Puerto Rican lineage and otherwise. In fact, just as with the actual participation in the march, the special attendees also make it a multi-cultural event. Several New York politicians, such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former mayor Rudy Giuliani, as also many personalities desiring to catch the attention of a large vote-bank, have been regulars at the Parade.

In recent years, the Puerto Rican Day Parade has honored several celebrities by naming them International Grand Marshal of the parade; this has been awarded to Puerto Rican singer Marc Anthony. In addition to a National Grand Marshal, a variety of honorees are named for the parade, with titles such as King, National Ambassador of La Salsa, and National Godmother. Celebrities like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Daddy Yankee have all attended this massive Parade.

Despite the fanfare that the Puerto Rican Day Parade generates, over the years there have been several instances at the parade that have been uncalled for. Reports of vandalism and harassment have often followed in the wake of the parade. However, the authorities have of late; taken note and better measures have been put in place to ensure that the true spirit of the Parade is not smeared. Nationalpuertoricandayparade