"¡Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas!"
For Puerto Ricans, there is no event quite like the Puerto Rican Day Parade. The officially unofficial start to the summer in New York City, the parade is a cultural icon bringing together over 1 million attendees annually in celebration of everything Puerto Rican. And if the sounds of our salsa, bomba, and plena don't bring you in, the smell of our delectable food certainly will! There is no escaping the intoxication that is celebrating with the Puerto Rican people and, when we celebrate, we go all out!
Celebrating its 67th parade this year, the parade theme, "Boricua de Corazon", hits close to home. As a Puerto Rican born and raised in the States there has always been a debate concerning my "Puertoricaness". I have always been too American for the Ricans and too Rican for the Americans. The torn identity a heavy burden to carry. For the newer generation, new complexities -- the rallying cry against the gentrification and exploitation of the island as celebrities and one-percenters flock there to grab a piece of paradise with significant tax breaks and the distancing from the "colonizer's language" in favor of the learning the indigenous tongue while being labeled "No Sabo" kids. It will be interesting to see how the organization tackles the concept of what it truly means to be Puerto Rican.
Join me as I analyze the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, looking into its target audience, event scope, and marketing tactics used to make this parade the success it has been for over six decades. Further, we'll explore some suggestions for improvement as they continue to advance the movement!
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