Mayor Zohran Mamdani affirmed that he will host an annual event celebrating Puerto Rican heritage at Gracie Mansion later this month, after his office said the event was canceled.
The reception is a tradition, typically held at Gracie Mansion on the Thursday before the Puerto Rican Day parade. Mamdani is set to attend the parade, which will take place on Sunday, June 14.
According to a transcript of a WNBC interview provided by the mayor’s office, Mamdani called an email from his office saying that the event was not occurring this year “inaccurate.”
“This is a moment to celebrate the contributions of Puerto Ricans and New Ricans to our city and it's a weekend that so many New Yorkers look forward to and I'm one of them,” he said.
Word of the mayor forgoing the event began to circulate late last month, community leaders said.
An organizer associated with the event told Gothamist she learned in late May that the mayor’s office had decided not to host the festivities, which typically draws packed crowds under tents on the grounds of the mayor’s mansion.
“I was shocked,” said Martha Flores-Vazquez, a Queens Democratic Party leader who has attended the event for 24 years. “For us not to be on the agenda, that is a concern.”
On June 1, a mayoral aide confirmed the decision in an email obtained by Gothamist. WNBC-TV and the New York Post first reported the story.
"As mentioned in our call, we will not be hosting a reception at Gracie Mansion,” wrote Alvaro Lopez, the Brooklyn borough director at the Office of Mass Engagement.
Some Jewish leaders and others recently criticized the mayor for skipping last Sunday’s Israel Day parade. Asked about his decision on WNYC’s “Ask The Mayor” segment this week, Mamdani said, “I think that when there is a parade that is celebrating a government that is violating international law, that is not a parade that I want to be marching.”
Mamdani also elected to skip hosting an annual event in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Gracie Mansion.
Gerson Borrero, a political commentator on NY1 who is Puerto Rican, angrily denounced Mamdani and said he had received poor political advice.
“No mayor has done this,” he said.
Speaking of the event, he added, “It’s a reaffirmation of our cultural identity.”
Flores-Vazquez suggested the mayor was still learning about the city’s diverse communities and their traditions.
“I understand the mayor is a young man, but he needs pioneers and mentors like myself to show him the way,” she said.
Flores-Vazquez and other organizers have already proceeded with planning their own Puerto Rican heritage event.
Asked if she would attend the rescheduled event at Gracie Mansion, she replied, “I have to talk to my family. Because we’re very busy organizing right now.”
