James Sánchez

It was an honor to celebrate Puerto Rico with a flag raising at the State Capitol and an amazing parade in downtown Hartford. I would like to thank Latino Caucus members, the Connecticut Institute for Community Development – Puerto Rican Parade Committee, Hartford city council members, and their teams for all their great work serving residents and the state of Connecticut during Hispanic Heritage Month and the rest of the year.

As a Puerto Rican, I could not have been prouder to have seen the island’s flag above the seat of our state government. Puerto Rico has been a fabric of our community for decades. A huge migration came to Hartford after World War II. The first Puerto Rican parade in Hartford was held in 1964, when I was only four years old. Both of my parents were involved in organizing that ground breaking event on Kennedy Street. About a third of all residents in Hartford and more than 300,000 residents in our entire state are of Puerto Rican descent.

The Puerto Rican flag brings many emotions to different people including pride, strength, unity, and independence. The red stripes represent blood poured by the heroes of the rebellion against Spain. The white stripes represent victory and peace, and the white star symbolizes our beloved island.

I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy our culture, food, music, and everything else that makes Puerto Rico so special at the Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival del Coqui. I can’t wait for next year’s big event!