Hispanic parade embraces more nations

By Anthony Howard and Lars Lewis
BengalNews Reporters 

Dinorah Santos danced her way into the hearts of the committee for the 11th Annual Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade using her hands instead of her feet.

Santo’s winning poster is one of the many changes to come for this year’s parade on Sept. 7.

From left, John Carter, Dinorah Santos and Charles Torres

 Each year a poster contest is held and the public is encouraged to submit artwork which relates to the parade’s theme that given year.  Santos saw this as an opportunity not only to build her resume for grad school but, to show her support for an event that brings people together. 

“It’s an opportunity for not only just Puerto Ricans but all Hispanics of Buffalo New York, to celebrate their own culture and represent how proud they are to be Hispanics,” Charles F. Torres board president said.

In recent years, the parade began to recognize other Hispanic countries such as Spain, Panama and El Salvador. This year’s flag raising event to kick off the parade will include more countries than last year. 

Over 22 nations will be represented at this year’s parade. During a coordinating meeting, many national dances were introduced by the committee and will be incorporated in the upcoming parade.

             Dances include the Merengue, a ballroom style dance from the Dominican Republic, the Bomba, a non-contact pair dance from Puerto Rico, the Dance of Chapetones from El Salvador that has twelve men dressed in tuxedos with a woman dressed in white that represents a queen joining them and several more.

The parade may also include African style dancing and drummers as part of the entertainment.

Before the parade was created, the west-side youth consisting mostly of Hispanics had no local events to celebrate their heritage. Torres believes that media coverage of crime, violence and education shamed Hispanics from embracing their heritage and where they come from.

“The parade started as a result of reports indicating that minority youth in Upstate New York, specifically Hispanic and African Americans, lived amongst the highest poverty and   lowest educational achievements in the country,” Torres said.

“We felt that in an effort to reverse self esteem of the Hispanic kids in the neighborhood they needed something to show their pride.”

The parade was just the beginning of change. Since the success of the parade, some members of the parade board branched off and became involved with other community events such as the celebration of “3 Kings Day” during the holiday season and the Miss Borinquen Latina Leadership Development Program.

The Miss Borinquen Latina Leadership Development Program encourages young women to become leaders in their communities by teaching them the skills necessary to succeed in the professional setting. The program also features a pageant in July where the winning queen and princess make a reigning appearance in the parade.

Two years ago Santos’s younger sister won the Miss Borinquen pageant and her mother had a float in the parade.

The parade board aims to bring unity throughout friends, family and communities not only to the West Side, but to all of Buffalo, New York.