New Haven Independent

Ecuadorian Pride Fills City Streets

by Thomas MacMillan | August 10, 2009 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

In an eruption of music, color, and dance, Ecuadorians paraded through downtown, celebrating the 200th anniversary of their country’s call for independence from Spain and the vibrant community growing here.

Hundreds of Ecuadorians from all over Connecticut and as far away as Massachusetts and New York walked and danced through the streets on Saturday.

The event was intended as a celebration of the history and culture of Ecuador and a recognition of the emerging Ecuadorian community in Connecticut.

The parade was organized by the Ecuadorian Consulate, which opened last year in New Haven as a result of the efforts of local groups. The parade is the first of what organizers plan to make an annual event.

The event began shortly after noon at City Hall, where the streets were lined with people waving the red, blue, and gold flag of Ecuador. Rafael Crespo (at right in photo), who works for the city as the head custodian at Edgewood School, proudly pointed to his 15-month-old son, Eduardo, whom he called a first generation Ecuadorian-American. Crespo is from Puerto Rico; his wife Grace is from Ecuador.

In a brief ceremony before the start of the parade, the flag of Ecuador was raised with the American flag on the pole on the green. The mayor, the general consul (pictured), and other dignitaries, including downtown Alderwoman Bitsie Clark, were on hand to march at the head of the parade.

As the parade proceeded north on Church Street, beginning its slow loop through town, Ecuadorian music blared from pickup trucks decorated with flags and banners. Several groups of Ecuadorian dancers wearing colorful traditional dress spun and bobbed their way along the parade route.

Some dancers wore colorful and exotic masks.

Ecuadorian organizations from throughout Connecticut — including Danbury, Bridgeport, Bristol, Stratford, and Trumbull — were represented by vehicles and groups of marchers in the parade. Ecuadorian paraders also organized themselves by the part of the country that they came from, demonstrating their pride for their particular region of Ecuador.

The parade route terminated at 1 Church St., the location of the Ecuadorian Consulate. Hundreds of people filled the parking lot to feast on Ecuadorian food.

Remarks were made by the Consul General Raul Velarde, who said that the parade demonstrates that Ecuadorians are organized, hard-working, and good citizens. “This event gives the message that we are part of the community,” he said later.

Mayor John DeStefano, with translation assistance from publisher Norma Rodriguez-Reyes of La Voz Hispana, spoke to frequent applause. “New Haven has always been made strong by those who come from other places,” he said.

Their remarks were followed by dance and music performances.

Later, standing near the entrance to the parking lot, Ecuadorian Consul Patricio Suarez, expressed the meaning of the parade. “We want to be part of this community,” he said. “You can feel the happiness.”

2 Views On East Haven

Saturday’s parade came just one week before a very different march planned for the nearby town of East Haven. New Haven activists are organizing a march on East Haven’s City Hall on Saturday Aug. 15, to protest alleged calls to immigration and racial profiling by the East Haven police against the local Ecuadorian and Latino community. The juxtaposition of the New Haven parade and the East Haven protest on consecutive Saturdays provides another point of contrast between these neighboring communities.

John Lugo, one of the organizers of the East Haven march, passed out flyers on Saturday, inviting people to attend his event. Norman Clement, another organizer, said that parade-goers had been receptive to the nearly 500 flyers that had been passed out.

Consul Suarez later expressed the consulate’s distance from the East Haven protest. “We do not have anything to do with the other march,” he said. “We respect the [East Haven] mayor and the local authorities … We respect the protest organizers.” Suarez indicated that the consulate is not taking a position on the allegations of police misconduct in East Haven.

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Comments

Posted by: lance | August 10, 2009 10:48 AM

Ecuadorians should A) not be allowed in this country without proper permission from the united states federal government. and B) should comply with all state motor vehicle laws.

Posted by: JR | August 10, 2009 11:46 AM

Nice photos.

I was born in New Haven, recently moved back here after a long time away. It gives me a lot of pride in this town that the City embraces its thriving Ecuadoran community (and man, it's quite a contrast with the apparent attitude of East Haven - yikes).

Don't forget: every single one of us is descended at least in part from immigrants. In New Haven in particular, there's just no escaping the obvious fact that immigrants literally and figuratively built this town.

Hopefully the new Consulate & this parade are signs that New Haven has a future as a real, thriving center of Ecuadoran-American life, the way it has long been a center for various other immigrant groups.

Posted by: Um Lance | August 10, 2009 2:34 PM

Lance,

Leave it to you to take a nice story about people celebrating their culture and impugn it with your fear of everyone who doesn't look like you.

Thanks.

Posted by: cRESPO | August 10, 2009 6:37 PM

LANCE: Not everyone is here illegal like you may want to think.But it is peop[le like you that makes it harder on the rest of us.so if you don't have something good to say keep it to you'r self
Thank you
Rafael Crespo

Posted by: lance | August 10, 2009 6:38 PM

to the above poster "umm lance"....it's a two part article in case youy missed it.... explain how my comment translates into beiong a racist, which is what you are alleging. by the way, while a cop i seized millions in dangerous drugs from....you guessed it....illegal latino immigrants!

fact of the day: 95 percent of LAPD's outstanding murders warrants are for the arrest of illegal immigrants.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/taxes.asp

keep 'em in new haven if you want, but we don't want illegals in east haven.

Posted by: Juan | August 10, 2009 7:31 PM

I am happy to see that immigrant groups are expressing themselves culturally in New Haven. It would be nice to see the Star and Sripes along with the bandera ecuatoriana, as the former allows the blanket of freedom to express themselves and their culture, not the Ecuadorian consulate.This may be too much to expect. It would not be possible for an immigrant group to celebrate in the streets in Ecuador(Colombians, Peruvians, etc) without much harassment and being called nasty names like "Gringo go home" and havng the police try to
stop it.
So, if one decides to go back to live and work in Ecuador,( a dilemma) dont bring an US flag with you.The dream is a mirage and you wouldnt be in New Haven if Ecuador was Shrangri-la. Be glad you are in New Haven, and celebrate your new bi-cultural life whether on the 4th of July or 10 de Agosto!

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | August 10, 2009 8:11 PM

Hey Lance
A friend of mine works for the DEA. I showed him you post. He told me to tell you to look at this because this drug is coming back.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/mdma.html

That right Good old MDMA IE:ECstasy!!!! And look who is bring it in.And it is not Legal or Illegal
Latinos!!!!P.S. Use by more White youth than People of color,Also can't For get Date Rape drugs
look up the Race who use this drug the most.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | August 10, 2009 8:15 PM

Hey Lance
He sent me this one to.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/major/candybox/index.html

Should we kick out Canadians.

Posted by: lance | August 10, 2009 8:34 PM

is this the famous ralph crespo i used to catch shoplifters with?

Posted by: RidiculousLance | August 10, 2009 8:51 PM

Lance, you astound all of us. No townhall meeting on health care reform to go to? Seems like your buddies are busy shouting down health care reform in other communities.

Spewing rhetoric and not so clever sounds bites might impress your buddies, but they only reveal your hateful ignorance.

The immigrants add to our country. Despite that, each generation of immigrants must face xenophobes and racist. You would think we would have learned something from our history.

Posted by: lance | August 11, 2009 7:46 AM

three fifths, can you find out how many shootouts there are on our borders over the ecstasy trade (lol). it isn't even a pimple on the butt of the heroin and cocaine trade.

and the rest of you liberals crack me up. if someone comes out with true statements supported by facts you can't dispute you resort to the saul alinksky/barack obama strategy of calling people racist.

oh, and check this out.....

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/fairfield_cty/news_ap_danbury_police_can_enforce_immigration_200908110649

as dave chappelle used to say before farrakhan and obama forced him off the air, "in yo face!" lol.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | August 12, 2009 8:01 PM

Hey lance

In yo face and these any liberals or Illegals.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/12/national/main5237092.shtml

Posted by: Monica | November 17, 2009 9:39 PM

Lance ... You obviously have no idea about all the humiliation and struggles that we have to go trough and order to be considered a "somebody" in this country. Hispanic immigrants come to this country to WORK, not to make anyone's life harder like you say. WE come here looking for more opportunities for our families but unfortunately when we come across ... like YOU, we still manage to keep our heads held high. What you need is a realty check.

Ecuadorian Pride Fills City Streets

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