Hispanic Heritage Parade held in Jackson Heights

Dressing in typical outfits mixing rites and colors, dozens of folk groups representing all the Latin-American countries celebrated the 31st Hispanic Heritage Parade along 37th Avenue from 69th to 90th Streets.
The multi-cultural event, held on Sunday, September 30 in Jackson Heights, featured a wide variety of foods - everything from traditional Indian curry to Colombian arepa. Traditional dance groups swayed and strutted to the contagious rhythms of the “samba,” “salsa,” “saya,” and the dance of the scrawl, which originated in Barranquilla, Colombia, was also presented.
“All the countries are parading in one way or another. We have many chariots and more than 50 participating groups. Queens is the heart of the diversity of the United States and we want to demonstrate our labor force and our folklore, especially during these current difficult moments due to immigration issues,” said Eduardo Giraldo, the director of the parade.
The slogan of the parade was “Close, We Count.”
Luis Alejandro Medina, Channel 47 reporter, was the godfather of the celebration, and Rodolfo Rodr’guez, founder of the organization - Open Hearts, Open Doors, - was the parade marshall.
The parade was attended by many elected officials, including State Senator John D. Sabini; City Councilmember Helen Sears; Assemblymember Jos/ Peralta and City Councilmember Hiram Monserrate. Also attending were officials from the embassies of the participating countries, community business people, including the president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens, Vilma Vallejos, and the president and publisher of El Correo de Queens, Victoria Schneps-Yunis. She remarked, “It is a great honor for me to take part in this parade of the Hispanic world which joins so many cultures and shows the expansion and diversity of Queens.”