July 28th, 2008 - The Beacon News - Author: Christine S. Moyer

Puerto Ricans are encouraged to be proud of island heritage

AURORA -- Latin music drifted down Benton Street around noon on Sunday.

The mix of tunes blasted from rolled-down car windows and convertibles, each one draped with the Puerto Rican flag.

Winners of Teenage Miss Puerto Rico from a range of years stood beside the spotless cars, dressed up in their high heels and tiaras.

They sipped water in the shade, waiting for Aurora's 37th Puerto Rican Heritage Parade to step off.

The event, sponsored by the city's Puerto Rican Cultural Council, included a festival downtown this weekend and aims to raise awareness about Puerto Rico, as well as to celebrate the island country's culture and traditions.

Around 2,500 Puerto Ricans lived in Aurora in 2000, according to Miguel Rivera, former president of the Puerto Rican Cultural Council.

Rivera said the population has probably not grown much since then, because an increasing number of Puerto Ricans are leaving the city for the western suburbs.

"We need to keep our heritage and culture alive, especially for the young people," Rivera said, "so they don't forget where they came from."

Minutes before the parade started, a few children rushed into the street to buy miniature Puerto Rican flags from an old woman pushing a cart.

The lady kissed the bills and blessed herself before tucking the cash away.

Drivers revved their engines and turned up the music as the Miss Puerto Ricos climbed into cars and onto floats and practiced their cupped-hand waves.

Then with a short burst of the police escort's siren, the parade began.

Walking in front, members of the cultural council carried the American and Puerto Rican flags, both red, white and blue and flapping in the breeze.

Families lining Broadway clapped their hands to the blaring music.

"Viva Puerto Rico!" people cried from the floats.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Margarita Marchan-Mankus, the parade's grand marshal, rode in the first car.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Marchan-Mankus moved to Illinois in 1983 and is now a lawyer in Aurora and serves on the Board of Directors for Downtown Aurora.

Joining the parade were area politicians, including U.S. Rep. Bill Foster; state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia; members of Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner's office and Stephanie Kifowit, an Aurora alderman running for mayor, who did a few salsa steps for the crowd.

From the stage on Downer Place, Marchan-Mankus encouraged Puerto Ricans to make their children feel like part of the culture even if they have never visited the Caribbean island.

Further down the street, where community members sipped piña coladas and ate tacos, Marchan-Mankus could be heard urging Puerto Rican parents to teach their children Spanish and nurture their love for the island country.

"So they can say, 'I'm proud of being Puerto Rican. I am Puerto Rican,'" Marchan-Mankus said.

When the speakers' applause ended and the music began, two young girls strutted to the open space in front of the stage and salsaed to the music.

They were the only ones dancing, effortlessly twisting their hips and twirling one another.

Occasionally the girls slowed down as they checked their cell phones, but they never stopped moving their feet.

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