Staten Island’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Draws Hundreds of Guests

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The smell of delicious food wafted along the sidewalk in front of New World Preparatory School as hundreds of Staten Islanders gathered to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

The occasion was celebrated in 21 countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Belize, which celebrated their independence anniversaries last week.

The event — the only one of its kind on Staten Island — is hosted by El Centro del Inmigrante. Michelle Molina, the organization’s executive director, was all smiles as she greeted community members at the school’s open auditorium doors.

“It’s really important for people who have left their country, when they come here, they can finally feel something of their own, different from all the new environments they encounter. It’s a way to hold on to their roots and also be able to pass it on to their new families,” Molina said. “It’s an event about pride; it’s a beautiful, colorful event where we can not only share a part of our culture, but (also) we can learn about other cultures.”

Inside the auditorium, event attendees sipped traditional beverages like icy horchata served through colorful straws, while others sat in chairs to enjoy freshly made hallacas, empanadas, fruits and other traditional treats.

Organizations like Project Hospitality, Catholic Charities of Staten Island, the US Army, and many others set up their own booths to share information with the community, while other booths sold original merchandise.

Every moment was filled with popular songs and live music, including performances by Mariachi Huella, Ñuu Davi, Rey Chaux, Ms. Yvette Wheatley and many others.

Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore/Battery Park) and Democratic congressional candidate Andrea Morse were in attendance, both eager to sample the food.

Fall, who joked that he was prepared to gain a few pounds for the event, said it was important to “acknowledge and celebrate” the diversity of Hispanic heritage.

“We have a very vibrant Hispanic community here on Staten Island, with very, very deep roots … it’s just great to celebrate with them,” Morse said.

Abelardo Aleman, chairman of the Staten Island Democratic Party’s outreach and diversity committee, looks forward to the event every year. Aleman predicts that by the end of the day, about 1,800 people will have walked through the auditorium doors to celebrate.

Part of the reason for the large attendance is the masses at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, which has one of the largest congregations on the island. In between masses, Father Hernan Paredes could be seen blending in with the crowd.

More about El Centro

Located on Port Richmond Avenue—in the heart of the Hispanic community—El Centro has for years sponsored major celebrations of arts and culture that share the pride of the neighborhood’s Hispanic heritage. El Centro was the first organization in the neighborhood to recognize the needs of immigrants and continues to serve people from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, as well as Native Americans.

For more than 25 years, El Centro has been a trusted source of information for tens of thousands of Staten Islanders as they navigate ever-changing immigration conditions, economic downturns, housing shortages, the September 11, 2001 attacks, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Hurricane Sandy and other events in recent history.