Thousands hit downtown for Puerto Rico parade
Belinda Reyes didn’t speak English when she moved from Puerto Rico to Osceola County as a child in 1984. While she learned a new language more than 1,100 miles from home, she would often use hand signals to communicate with her teachers.
As an adult, she never forgot their patience and desire for her to learn. Now the assistant superintendent of the Osceola County School District, she was named the first woman grand marshal of the Florida Puerto Rican Parade on Saturday, which had as its theme a celebration of educators and education.
Reyes was joined in the nearly one-mile parade route by local and Puerto Rican dignitaries, high school marching bands, law enforcement and cultural groups lending the music and flair of “the Island of Enchantment.”
“For any student past, present or future, I want them to know that we can make it’“said Reyes, adding that she accomplished so much in her career because her teachers “gave me a voice even when it was just through gestures.”
“I never felt left out and silenced, and I want all students to have that opportunity and to know que sí se puede,” she said.
Thousands lined the sidewalks throughout the Downtown Orlando route, with most proudly waving Puerto Rican flags
and wore T-shirts, sports jerseys and hats donning its colors. Those who arrived without that were quickly attended by a street vendor selling whatever they needed.
The sounds of music and the revving of three-wheel motorcycle engines echoed through the streets but didn’t drown out louder, passionate chants by the people who attended. “Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu
lo sepas” — Spanish for “I am Boricua, just so you know” — could be heard throughout
the parade while songs like “Viva Mi Bandera” by Puerto Rican folk singer Andrés Jiménez blared on sound systems.
It was a mass cultural celebration two years in the making, as the parade had been canceled in 2019 and 2020 due to the COVID19 pandemic.
“The warmth of the people, it just can’t be matched,” Reyes said. “We can connect in other ways, but especially for the Latino population, there is no stranger among us. We can have met two minutes ago and you’re with family, so right now mi familia has just multiplied here today and it brings joy to my heart.”
After the parade, people flocked toward the wafting scents of skewered meats, mofongo and other delicacies for sale at the festival following the parade, where artists and other vendors showcased their products to the public.
Many perused through a collection of postcards, prints and canvas paintings by José Becerril Osorio, an artist from San Juan known for his depictions of Puerto Rican life and culture. One painting recreated the famous Paseo de Sombrillas in Old San Juan.
Becerril Osorio, who’s been showcasing his work since the 1990s, said being Puerto Rican, whether living on the island or in the mainland U.S., means having an “attachment to their roots.”
“As artists, we can be jealous. In sports, we are warriors. Wherever we are, we are proud,” he said. “I’ve been to many different states, and even though we have U.S. citizenship we still behave like we are still on the island.”
As a child, Reyes doesn’t remember seeing parades like on Saturday, and the waving flags weren’t as prevalent. Often, she and others like her felt pressured to set aside their language and culture in order to assimilate, something she said has since evolved.
But there’s still work to be done. “Our next step as a people is really to have a voice in decision-making responsibility at every table where students are being represented, where the community is represented,” Reyes said. “The underlying message is wherever we may come from, our culture is imprinted in our heart. And we must not ask anyone to give that up in order to be part of this community.”