The largest annual Puerto Rican gathering in Connecticut is Sunday. The Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Parade and Festival del Coqui draws more than 10,000 people each year, according to Parade Chairman Amilcar Hernandez.
He said the event is about unity among Puerto Ricans and Latinos.
“We are in a situation where the federal government continues to attack the Hispanic Community,” Hernandez said. “As Puerto Ricans, we want to lead the way to make sure that the Hispanic community knows we are here for them, we are all Latinos.”
Puerto Ricans born on the island are automatically US citizens. They are not subject to deportation the way immigrants can be, including Latinos from other countries. Still, Latino communities in Connecticut have faced increased activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the Trump administration ramps up its enforcement crackdown.
“We're fighting not just for us, but also for the entire Hispanic community in the face of all the attacks that we are receiving from the federal government through immigration,” Hernandez said
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The Trump administration has says federal agents need to round up people in the country without permission, to keep Americans safe. Federal immigration officials say many of the people they take into custody are criminals, though data shows the majority of people detained by immigration agents last month had no criminal record.
“This administration does not want to see groups of Latinos gathered together,” Hernandez said. “Because our voice is very strong, and we are very powerful, and this is a demonstration of culture and where we come from, our language, our music, our food.”
Hernandez said he wants to make sure people know there is a large population of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut, and that they are an important part of the state’s society and its economy.
Among the performers at the festival are legendary salsa band El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico.
“What the audience is gonna get is true salsa dura,” Hernandez said. “This is the good salsa.”
“Salsa dura is the strong salsa, which is the one from the '60's, '70's, and '80's, as opposed to the romantic salsa, which is the one that kind of started in the late 80's and early '90's,” Hernandez said.
The parade begins an hour earlier than usual this year at 11 am, to allow more time for cleanup later in the day. It runs along Park Street and Main Street in Hartford, ending in Bushnell Park.
The festival also begins an hour earlier at 1 pm, following the parade. It runs through 9 pm in the park.
Learn more
Here’s where CT’s Puerto Rican parades and festivals will be this summer
From political tool to cultural haven: the history of Puerto Rican Parades in Connecticut
