"It's a celebration of the contributions of who we are. All of us. And every one of us should celebrate," said Jack Spatola, chairman of the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn and executive chairman of the parade. He emphasizes that the parade transcends mere festivities, promoting unity and shared cultural heritage across diverse communities.
"It is a tradition since we were a kid. It brings a lot of family and old friends, even coming back that have left the borough, come back just for the celebration," shares Bensonhurst resident Maria Lattanzi, expressing how the parade fosters connections and nostalgia among families and friends.
In the parade's 42 years, it's grown to represent even more backgrounds than Italian culture alone. 'Forty-two years ago, it was mainly an Italian-American community, but now there are Italian Americans, plus Asian Americans, Arabic, Irish, all different backgrounds. It's great,' Spatola said.
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