Dominicans March Through Midtown To Celebrate Their Heritage

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Dominicans celebrated their culture in Midtown Sunday at the annual New York Dominican Day Parade.

Hundreds of thousands lined Sixth Avenue to watch the parade run from 36th Street to 52nd Street.

About 10,000 people marched and danced in the parade.

"I love my country, I've got to represent my country and I want my son to be involved to and know where his family came from, in order to move on, move forward," said an onlooker who brought his young toddler to the parade.

"To see all the colorful and beautiful floats and our music and how energetic we are here and the United States and especially here in New York and the way we represent our Dominican culture here," said another onlooker.

"With the merengue, the bachata, it's just very exciting," said a third. "Everybody should just go to the Dominican Republic, if possible."

Delegations from the Dominican Republic joined local community groups, marching bands and colorful floats along the route.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined other officials by starting the parade with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Last month, the Bronx held its annual Dominican Parade, which runs along the Grand Concourse through the city's fastest-growing Dominican community.

Local Dominican Leaders Hold Inwood Breakfast

Ahead of the annual Dominican day parade, several of the city's most prominent Dominican leaders were on hand this morning for a breakfast in Manhattan.

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State Senator Adriano Espaillat and City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez were among those in attendance at the Annual Dominican Parade Breakfast at the La Marina restaurant in Inwood.

There, they celebrated the accomplishments of Dominicans in the city.

"Today is a very special day. Today is a day where all New Yorkers are of Dominican ancestry," said Espaillat. "So this is about merengue, this is about baseball, this is about our contributions to this great city, to this great state, to this great country."

"For me, it is an honor being born and raised in the Dominican Republic and celebrating what we Dominicans are doing in this city," said Rodriguez.

Both Espaillat and Rodriguez went on to march in the parade.