{"id":838827,"date":"2026-06-02T09:41:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/838827\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T09:41:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:41:54","slug":"the-bronx-puerto-rican-day-parade-celebrates-modern-day-contributions-with-an-eye-on-the-past-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/838827\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrates modern day contributions with an eye on the past \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWepa\u201d was the word of the day as floats, dancers and motorcades made their way up the Grand Concourse in a sea of red, white and blue on Saturday, proudly celebrating The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.<\/p>\n

While honoring the contributions of modern-day Puerto Ricans, from food to politics, many also reflected on the legacy of Puerto Ricans throughout history.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aFrom the Young Lords to the work to create Hostos Community College, to so many of the Boricua community that said, \u2018We\u2019re going to stand up for justice, for fairness,\u2019 that\u2019s the story of the Puerto Rican community in the Bronx,\u201d Borough President Vanessa Gibson told the Bronx Times. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we are all about Puerto Rican culture, the heritage, the diversity \u2013 que viva Puerto Rico!\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The NYPD police band kicked off the festivities at 166th Street, culminating at Mount Eden Avenue with a stage of notable honorees.\n<\/p>\n

Rafael Toro, national director of public relations for Goya Foods, served as the grand marshal, flashing his signature pearly whites and as he waved to the crowd. Founded in NYC, the Latin foods company turned 90 this year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In recognition of another milestone, the parade adopted a new name for their 40th anniversary; The Bronx Puerto Rican Cultural Parade.\n<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aWe say cultural because our parade\u2019s all about the traditions and the culture of Puerto Rico,\u201d said the parade\u2019s president, Maribel Mercado. \u201cThe Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade, it sounds more like a day, and we\u2019re more than just a day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Established by the late Luis Angel Rosario Martinez, the first Bronx Puerto Rican Day parade graced the streets of the Boogie Down in 1987. The community leader died in 2000 and in 2003, the corner of Fordham Road and Walton Avenue was co-named after him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson enjoyed the day by joining the motorcade of fancy cars. Photo by ET Rodriguez
\n\"\"On Saturday, May 30, a man dressed as a coqui, the unofficial national animal of Puerto Rico, joined in on the festivities. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Over the years, Boricuas and the Bronx have become synonymous. Documentation of Puerto Ricans migrating to NYC<\/a> can be seen as early as 1900 when the U.S. Census reported 300 living in the Big Apple. The 1917 Jones-Shafroth Act granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship, prompting a mass migration for decades to follow. <\/p>\n

By 1940, nearly 88% of the Puerto Ricans in the U.S. resided in NYC <\/a>with an estimated total of 61,500. That number peaked in 1990 at nearly 900,000. Then, either due to a more widespread diaspora or reverse migration, the number began to decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of October 2025, the number of Puerto Ricans in NYC sits at just above 600,000<\/a>, with nearly 240,000 residing in the Bronx, a borough where Spanish is heard on every street corner and Salsa music plays at the local bodegas. <\/p>\n

From Supreme court judge Sonia Sotomayor to pop sensation Jennifer Lopez, many prominent Puerto Ricans in today\u2019s cultural landscape call the Bronx their home, including the Salsa legend Willie Colon, who died in February and was posthumously honored at the parade\u2019s gala on May 27.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Madrina of the parade, Omallys \u201cOmi\u201d Hopper, was recognized for bringing Puerto Rican food to the world stage when she became a finalist on Gordon Ramsay\u2019s cooking show, Next Level Chef, in 2023. Photo by ET Rodriguez
\n\"\"Parade honoree, Miguel Angel \u201cMike\u201d Amadeo, owner of Casa Amadeo in Longwood, one of the oldest Spanish music stores in the country, emerged from his motorcade proud and joyous. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Miguel Angel \u201cMike\u201d Amadeo was also one of the parade\u2019s honorees, a man who champions the music of Colon, as well as many other legendary Spanish music artists. In 1969, Amadeo bought the music store Casa Hernandez at 786 Prospect Ave. and renamed it to Casa Amadeo. More than half-a-century later, those from near and far travel to \u2013 not only find songs of a bygone era sold on outdated mediums like cassette tapes and CDs \u2013 but to visit the 92-year-old who can still be found working behind the counter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSi me lo van a dar . . .\u201d Amadeo said into the microphone, to which the crowd retorted, \u201cMe lo dan en pila.\u201d (\u201cIf you\u2019re going to give it to me, give it to me in abundance.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n

And give it to him in abundance they did. Not only was Amadeo recognized for his preservation of one of the oldest Spanish music stores in the country, but he also made it onto the Bronx Hall of Fame and had the corner of Prospect and Longwood avenues co-named after him in 2014.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Omallys \u201cOmi\u201d Hopper, from Rhode Island, served as the madrina of the parade. She received recognition for bringing Puerto Rican dishes to the world stage when she became a finalist on Gordon Ramsay\u2019s Next Level Chef in 2023, proving the contributions of Puerto Ricans are far and wide, some more severe than others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything my f\u2014\u2014 people been through. Everything they\u2019ve done. World War I, World War II. Everything that they\u2019ve done to help other countries. What they\u2019ve done here in New York, like the Young Lords,\u201d said Amado Negron who was part of the Jeep Club that drove in the parade on Saturday. \u201cLook at what they was doing to the females in Puerto Rico.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Puerto Rican Regiment of Infantry, founded in the late 19th century, was made up of volunteer soldiers from the Caribbean island who fought and died on the front lines of WWI and WWII, according to the Museum of the United States Army<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The U.S. exploitation of Puerto Ricans continued with a human trial of birth control pills in the 1950s, spearheaded by John Rock and Gregory Pincus. Due to legal and religious opposition in America, Rock and Pincus conducted their trials in Puerto Rico where there were no laws against birth control. Many women suffered from severe side effects, including three that died, yet no investigation was conducted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Hip hop legend, Kurtis Blow was one of the performers of the day. Photo by ET Rodriguez
\n\"\"Several dance groups from Soundview Academy joined forces for the parade, including Explosion, Elite Dance Nation and Baile! Cafe. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Known for proudly brandishing their flag, whether it be from a fire escape or a car\u2019s rear view mirror, Puerto Ricans are resilient, perhaps due to a 1948 gag law, also known as La Ley de la Mordaza. Signed by a U.S.-appointed Puerto Rican governor, the law prohibited Puerto Ricans from displaying or even owning the flag, thwarting their independence movement. In 1957, the law was repealed and the island adopted their own constitution, although remaining a commonwealth of America.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A history of oppression often inspires tenacity, and a motivation towards social justice.\n<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aI don\u2019t forget the Puerto Rican people because they were the only ones who supported [the Guardian Angels] in the beginning,\u201d said Curtis Sliwa, local politician who founded the NYC-based vigilante group in 1979. \u201cSo my life, everything I\u2019ve done, really came about from the support of the Puerto Rican community in the Bronx.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A young dancer of the Bombazo Dance Company smiles for the camera. Founded in 2006 by Puerto Rican Milteri Tucker-Concepcion, the company recently acquired a brick-and-mortar in Hunts Point. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Reach ET Rodriguez at\u00a0etrodriguez317@gmail.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n