Assembly Member Steven Raga hosted Filipino and Hispanic heritage celebrations in October, celebrating two of the most-represented cultures in Assembly District 30.
Raga, the first Filipino ever elected to office in the state of New York, hosted his third-annual Filipino American History Month Celebration and Resource Fair at Elmhurst’s St. James Episcopal Church on Saturday, Oct. 18, joining Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and a number of community organizations to honor the contributions of generations of Filipinos in New York State.
He celebrated his third-annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Woodside’s El Mariachi Mexican restaurant a week earlier on Saturday, Oct. 11, celebrating the “rich cultures” of the neighborhood’s Hispanic communities.
Of the Filipino American History Month Celebration, Raga said the event is a celebration of the growing Filipino presence in New York City.
“Filipino Americans have always been part of the story of New York and of this nation. Today, we are not only honoring that history but expanding our role in shaping the city, the state, and the country we call home,” Raga said in a statement.
The program opened with a community breakfast and a panel discussion on “Heritage, Health and Healing,” which was followed by wellness and Muay Thai martial arts workshops designed to strengthen mental health awareness and collective care in immigrant households.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony honoring community members and organizations for their contributions to a variety of sectors across public life.
The event also connected local residents with resources such as worker’s rights information and voter registration opportunities and featured interactive entertainment such as karaoke and line dancing.
Richards said in a statement that the event serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of the Filipino community in New York City.
“Our dynamic Filipino American community represents all that is good about Queens, and it is a community that I couldn’t be prouder to represent,” Richards said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Raga’s third-annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration celebrated the individuals who have dedicated their lives to uplifting and empowering the Hispanic community across the district.
The event featured traditional music and dance performances from groups such as Sisa Pakari Centro Cultural and Bolivian folkloric dance group the Fraternidad Cultural Incallajta New York, Inc.
Raga said at the event that Assembly District 30, which includes parts of Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Maspeth, would not be the same without its Hispanic residents.
“Assembly District 30 would not be what it is today without the vibrancy and culture of our Hispanic community,” Raga said.” To our community leaders in attendance today, thank you for your contributions to District 30; and to our Hispanic community, thank you for being such a vibrant and resilient force in our neighborhoods.”
The event honored five members of the Hispanic community who have made a significant impact on the city through their work, including Maria Fernandez, the Deputy Secretary of Education for New York State, and Alfonso Lopez, the Queens Borough Commissioner for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The event also honored Navy veteran Andres Manuel Yllanes, Bolivian American community leader Angela Callisaya and Ecuador News, founded over 30 years ago by Dr. Marcelo Arboleda Segovia to keep the Ecuadorian community in New York City connected to their homeland.
Fernandez said she was “deeply honored” to be recognized for her contributions to the Hispanic community.
“As New York State’s Deputy Secretary of Education, I am grateful for his steadfast support and leadership in uplifting Latino voices and for highlighting the importance of education as a pathway to opportunity for our communities,” Fernandez said in a statement.
