Hundreds of people gathered in the Schiff Hall at the Bronx Zoo to get an early start to the 42nd National Dominican Day Parade.
Scheduled for Aug. 11, the National Dominican Day Parade celebrates all things special from the Dominican Republic. Members of the community gathered on July 26 to join Council Member Rafael Salamanca for his third annual Noche Quisqueyana, a night celebrating the culture of the Dominican Republic in New York City.
Those who attended were spotted waving Dominican flags, eating Dominican dishes and dancing to live music.
“It’s an honor for this Puerto Rican from the South Bronx to shine a light on the Dominican community,” said Salamanca, addressing the crowd in Spanish. “We are all Latinos.”
“This celebration has become something that we wait for every single year because for many years, our brother, our friend, Rafael Salamanca has been celebrating our culture,” said Assemblymember Yudelka Tapi.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be with all of you celebrating the Dominican community. And I am saying that as the councilmember of this district but also the first Dominican to ever represent this district in the history of this district,” said City Councilmember Oswald Feliz. “We especially celebrate the contributions and the culture of the Dominican community.”

As a part of the event, Salamanca honored New Yorkers who have made significant contributions within the Dominican community living in the five boroughs and also to New York City at large. Those honored included Rafael Nuñes, Carlos Herrera, Fernando Radhames Rodriguez and Fidel Malena.
“It isn’t easy, during 38 years working in bodegas. This work is one of the most difficult jobs we can do. But I do it with a lot of pride,” said Fernando Radhames Rodriguez, honoree and president of United Bodegas of America, speaking to the crowd in Spanish. “I feel so proud to be a bodegero and I’m going to continue working.”

