picture by ipitimes.com
Gilia Gomez, a resident of Jackson Heights and one the organizers of the “Dia de la Raza” (A day for Race), is very happy these days. She is one of the members of the committee that is behind the prestigious Hispanic event that has taken place in Queens and Manhattan for the past 40 years, and things couldn’t be going better for the 2008 event.
On October 12, a parade of carriages featuring the different Latin American countries will take 5th Avenue in Manhattan for a day of fun, pride, and beauty.
Every year, young women of Latin heritage participate to become the queen of the parade. They can be as young as 16 and as old as 23 in order to participate in the competition. The participants must be single and have no children. Many girls participate because the winner will receive many prizes, including two tickets to the Latin American country of their choosing.
“The main idea is to show our warmth, our pride, and obviously out beautiful women,” said Gomez. “It’s a day to celebrate our unity and our folklore.”
To see pictures of this event, click here