National Puerto Rican Day Parade a Moment to Reflect and Address Inequality Exposed by Hurricane Maria

The Power 4 Puerto Rico coalition released the following statement to commemorate the 2018 National Puerto Rican Day Parade celebration taking place in New York City.

"The National Puerto Rican Day Parade has always been an occasion to celebrate the many contributions Puerto Ricans have made to this country," said Melissa Mark-Viverito, campaign director for the Power 4 Puerto Rico coalition. "This year, we have the challenge of celebrating our culture and communities, while at the same time raising greater awareness around the need for immediate improvements in the post-hurricane recovery efforts on the island and for better treatment of the thousands of displaced families across the mainland living in perpetual limbo."

"On this day of unity, we use our collective voice to remind the elected officials enthusiastically marching with us this Sunday that they also have a responsibility to advocate for policies that treat the over 8 million Puerto Ricans, regardless of whether they live stateside or on the island, like the U.S. citizens they are, with the dignity and respect everyone deserves in a time of crisis. That includes permanent extensions of emergency relief for families displaced by Hurricane Maria; equitable fiscal policies that will jumpstart Puerto Rico's economy; and finally, a rebuilding process grounded in democracy, inclusive of local communities, and focused on the critical needs of impacted communities now two weeks into a new hurricane season. The time to act is now. We must not lose one more life due to incompetence and mismanagement of this recovery effort."