TWU’ers Show Pride in Dominican Heritage

It was 10 degrees cooler and a little less humid in the Dominican Republic on Sunday August 14 than it was on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. But that didn’t seem to matter to the estimated 32,000 marchers from TWU Local 100 and 400 other groups who participated in sweltering heat this year’s Dominican Day Parade. Thousands more waved a sea of red, white and blue Dominican flags and cheered from the sidewalks on the mile-long march from just north of Herald Square past Bryant Park to 52nd Street.

State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who is poised to become the first Dominican-American to be elected to the U.S. Congress after his recent victory in the New York Congressional primary for the 13th CD, put on a TWU cap and marched the entire parade route with the union delegation. City Councilman Ydannis Rodriquez also marched with TWU. The festivities for the sizeable TWU contingent, led by President John Samuelsen and Vice Presidents Richard Davis, Derick Echevarria and Kia Phua, kicked off at 11:00am with a sidewalk “brunch” of traditional Dominican food provided by the union.

Public Advocate Letitia “Tish” James stopped by to pay her respects and take some photos with the TWU group. A number of members came straight from work to show their pride in their Dominican heritage.