Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Reception Celebrating Peruvian Heritage

July 29, 2024

Gladys Miranda, Director, Scheduling; Senior Advisor to the Mayor: Muy buenas tardes a todos. Mi nombre es Gladys Miranda y estoy muy orgullosa de ser peruana. Gracias por compartir este evento muy especial, conmemorando el día de la independencia peruana. Hoy nos unimos para celebrar nuestra cultura, la primera vez que celebramos este evento en Gracie Mansion. Es un gusto para mí trabajar y ser parte de esta administración al lado de una persona que en realidad le importa el porvenir de las personas y de la ciudad. Es un gran placer para mí presentarles a mi jefe, un servidor público que demuestra constantemente su compromiso de apoyar la unidad, celebrar la diversidad y luchar por las necesidades de todos los neoyorquinos. Únanse conmigo en darle una gran bienvenida al alcalde de la ciudad de Nueva York, el Honorable Eric Adams.

Translation: Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Gladys Miranda and I am very proud to be Peruvian. Thank you for sharing in this very special event, commemorating Peruvian Heritage Day. Today we come together to celebrate our culture, the first time that we have held this event at Gracie Mansion. It is a pleasure for me to work and be part of this administration alongside a person who really cares about the future of the people and the city. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to my boss, a public servant who is steadfast in his purpose to support unity, celebrate diversity, and fight for the needs of all New Yorkers. Please join me in giving a big welcome to the city's mayor, the Honorable Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Would I want you… I want us to pause for a moment because we often believe where you are is who you are and not who you could become. In a moment in time when we are filled with so much pain, so much despair, we still need to know that in a country that calls itself the American dream, dreams come alive. Dreams are real if you believe in yourself and you surround yourselves with people who believe in you. Now she doesn't want to do it, but she's going to do it. I want Gladys to tell her story to you, her Peruvian brothers and sisters.

Miranda: Bueno, mi historia es, vine aquí cuando tenía 12 años. Estudié aquí, me preparé aquí y como a los 20 años, bueno, toda mi vida he trabajado. Cuando terminé de estudiar, comencé a trabajar. Después comencé a trabajar para la ciudad. Y me dio una oportunidad, y todo es de dar a una persona una oportunidad, y de ahí uno subir. Y déjeme decirle que lo mejor que me ha pasado a mí es conocer a este hombre aquí. Él es una persona que es consciente. Él es de dar a todo. Si él pudiera, le daría a todo el mundo oportunidades. A veces las oportunidades que le dan a la persona no las saben apreciar, pero yo las supe a apreciar. Y por eso, le agradezco mucho y lo quiero mucho a mi jefe, Eric Adams.

Translation: Well, my story is, I came here when I was 12 years old. I studied here, I prepared here and at about 20 years old, well, I have worked all my life. When I finished school, I started working. Then I began  working for the city. I was given an opportunity, and Everything is about giving a person an opportunity, and from there one can grow.  Let me tell you that the best thing that has happened to me was to meet this man here. He is a person who is conscious. If he could, he would give everyone opportunities. Sometimes the opportunities that are given to the people are not appreciated, but I knew how to appreciate them. That's why I thank and love my boss, Eric Adams.

Mayor Adams: I also want Angel to come and take the stage. Someone grab that camera for Angel. I want Assemblywoman Rajkumar to come on and take the state. I want Deputy Mayor Almanzar to take the stage. I don't know who else I have in this house. This is so important because sometimes we hear the narratives and we don't believe it. Renee, you come and take the stage also. Come on up here, Renee. We just don't believe how much, if we believe. If we believe. 

When you hear them tell their story, my administration is made up of people who are living the life that you're living. These are ordinary people. We are not. We're not fancy. We don't deify ourselves. We are humble public servants. When you hear a Jenifer Rajkumar say that her mother was born in a mud hut in India and now she's watching her daughter become the first Indian American to be elected in state government. When you hear the story of Gladys Miranda finally being able to return to Peru after so many years of not coming, her and her brother coming here. The experience of working hard. The beauty is when I first met her, she was just working on her English. Your language does not define your destiny in America. Your language is an asset in America. Because she's able to be bilingual and she's able to communicate with others in her native tongue and they feel when they come into City Hall that is our way of saying you're welcome. Then you look at young Angel, a young intern who worked hard, committed herself, and was dedicated. Now she sits right outside the door of the most important mayor on the globe because of her commitment. What Renee is doing for us in labor, settling important contracts so that working class people don't have to flee their city, the city that they believe in. 

This is the greatest country on the globe. It's the greatest country on the globe because people come from their country to contribute to make this country the greatest country on the globe. If you are not here, then this is not the greatest country on the globe. It's just an ordinary place. Our secret weapon is the dash that sits between our name. Peruvian-American, Chinese-American, Korean-American, Muslim-American, Jewish-American. You remove that dash out and you remove from the soil and grounds of America, then we're no longer a special place. We're just another place that has trees and dirt and grass. We are special because you are part of the American experience. That is what makes us special. Don't let anyone make you feel as though you shouldn't be here. We all came from somewhere. If somebody says go back to where you came from, say you will when they go back to where they came from. Because we are all supposed to be here. 

That is what the American dream is. That's what makes it special. That you could love your homeland and love your adopted land. That's the combination that we have. I'm proud to be the mayor of a city that personifies that more than any place else on the globe. There's no place like here where you can enjoy the beauty of the diversity of this entire city. As I walked the streets of Lima and climbed the mountain of Machu Picchu, as I engaged, and did surfing in the desert. As I moved around and greeted the people and enjoyed the food, enjoyed the music, the culture, the dance. The entertainers today were so proud to show their culture. Now let's take that and let it cascade outside the sterilized environments of Gracie Mansion. Let it be part of our signature of our entire city. 

With all the noise that's taking place, let's fall in love with our city again and let's fall in love with the people in the city again. Let's embrace different cultures into our community so they can learn from each other and not have this segregated city. Let's go into Brownsville and tell our young people to come and enjoy a Peruvian meal. Let's go into the South Bronx and say let's embrace our Jewish brothers and sisters so they can sit down and eat. Let's go to our Muslim brothers and sisters and sit down with our Sikh and Christian brothers and sisters. Let's find creative ways of coming together instead of finding ways to divide us. Because we all want the same thing. We want to raise healthy children and families and have a career that's better than the career and the life that we may have had. 

This celebration is so significant because the role of mayor, as I keep saying over and over again, is substantive and is symbolism. Substantive is what we've done in breaking records with housing, moving more people out of the homeless shelter. What we have done about making our city safe. How we have more jobs in the history of the city. Important investment in small businesses. All of that is great. What about the symbolism? What about you walking past Bowling Green for years and not seeing your flag raised there until the 110th mayor came into office? What about that? What about the symbolism of driving past here or here serving food but never being able to be elevated to the point of using the space to celebrate your culture, as we are doing for the first time, 110 mayors later, and let's make sure that never again would you be locked outside of a building that your tax dollars pays for. You grace us by being in Gracie Mansion. That is what's important. 

I have the role of delivering for this city in a substantive way but I also have the role of the symbolic and the symbolism of saying we're all here together and we're all equals. As our waiters and servers serve us, show them the same level of dignity and respect. People who carry your food that goes into your mouths should have the feeling that you love them and respect them because that is what you're putting inside yourselves. As we meet them, say thank you. Show them the same level of respect. My mother was a food service worker. She stated there were moments that they didn't even acknowledge her aware of being there. She felt so degraded. We have to stop looking down on people and lift people up. The mother of a food service worker is now the mayor of the City of New York. Think about that. 

I'm excited about this moment, your 203rd year anniversary. One of the most beautiful places that I know is matched by the beautiful people that are full of the vibrance and the energy of this amazing country we call Peru. 80,000 Peruvians live in this city. New York may be the Peru of America, but Queens is sure enough the Lima of America. You move through that community and you enjoy all the people who are there and you're excited about the energy that it represents. I'm so happy to be the mayor and all the dignitaries that are here. My new consul general who has started in office. We look forward to having Oswaldo continue to lead from the previous consul general who was a good friend for many years. The ambassador, Alfredo Ferrero, who's here as well. We thank you. 

They are lucky because the country is acceptance. We all know that being and serving here in New York as an ambassador or the consul general is one of the best posts you could have because they feel at home with the beautiful city and the beautiful community we have. I thank you for being here today. Each time I'm among the different diverse group with my African-American, Albanian, Alabama background… Each time I'm among you, I get re-energized on how important it is. Our work is so important on what we have to do. We have to make people fall in love with our city and our country and your homeland again. Thank you. Viva Peru. Thank you.

Millie Sialer, Chief Marketing Officer, New York State Latino Restaurant & Lounge Association: Thank you, Mayor Eric Adams. For now, next on our programming, we're here to honor two Peruvians in our community here in the tri-state area. First, I would like to call Mariela Seclen. Mariela Seclen is the president of Peruvians United for the Culture. She has been an unsung hero in our Peruvian community for many years. She has advocated for the culture, for the community, and for the youth and the next generation. Congratulations, Mariela Seclen. Thank you.

Mariela Seclen, President and Founder, Peruvians United of the Culture: Thank you very much for this great honor. I really want to thank Mayor Eric Adams for this big effort and for the militia there who is the person who nominated me. I'm very proud of being Peruvian, but I'm also proud to live in America. 

I feel that all Peruvians want to feel proud of who they are and where they come from. We believe in our roots. We believe in our culture. What can we do to also show the type of upbringing we had by showing who we are from the very beginning? It is my honor to be here today and also to tell you that we are united. We are one Peru, wherever we are. Thank you.

Sialer: Our next honoree. Thank you. Our next honoree. This gentleman is a pioneer in Queens who has brought our community together, has enriched our culture here in New York City. He's also the president of the International Peruvian Festival. Please welcome honoree Rodolfo Flores.

Rodolfo Flores, Executive Director, International Peruvian Festival: Mayor Adams, I congratulate you. It seems to me that the Peruvian community are very happy today. This is the first time that the mayor of the City of New York in Gracie Mansion is doing the first event. Hopefully next year it will be outside. In order to be outside, we need 900 people. Do you think that we can get it? Yes? All right. Let's do it. 

Quiero agradecer a mis hermanos peruanos y peruanas por ese honor que me da el alcalde. Es la primera vez que lo hace en la casa donde él reside. Y en nombre de 33 millones de peruanos que viven aquí y en nuestro país, voy a recibir esta citación, lo cual me enorgullece. Y creo que durante 40 años, aparte de mi vida profesional, he trabajado por la comunidad. Y como alguien ayer me decía después del desfile, el estrés ya se le fue. Y es verdad, el estrés se me fue. Pero ayer hubo… Fue una cosa muy bonita. Fue la primera vez en la historia de la ciudad de Nueva York en esos 400 años y en los 203 años de la vía republicana del Perú que no había coincidido un evento maravilloso como el de ayer. Fue la primera vez que nuestro alcalde nos visita, saludó a la comunidad, tomó fotografías y dio la mano a todo aquel que... que se le acercaba. Y eso demuestra mucho. Es un hombre sencillo. Es un hombre que tiene un amor por la comunidad. No solamente la comunidad peruana, sino por todas las comunidades. 

Mr. Mayor, Thank you very much for everything. Y parece que vamos a seguir trabajando por la comunidad. Tenemos un aliado. También tenemos una hermosa dama, Jenifer Rachumar. Ella estuvo también con nosotros ayer marchando. Y también estuvo el presidente del condado de Queens, que fue maravilloso. Fueron dos personas muy importantes que realmente hicieron el sexto desfile un desfile inolvidable. Y eso se lo debemos a la comunidad peruana. Muchas gracias. Que Dios bendiga a nuestra patria. Y para adelante siempre. 

Translation: Thank you. As someone told me yesterday after the parade, the stress is gone. It's true, the stress is gone. Yesterday there was a very nice thing. It was the first time in the history of the City of New York in those 400 years, and in the 203 years of the Republican Way of Peru, that there had not been a wonderful event like yesterday. It was the first time that our mayor visited us, greeted the community, took pictures, and gave a hand to everyone who approached him. That shows a lot. He is a simple man. He is a man who has a love for the community, not only the Peruvian community, but for all communities. 

Mr. Mayor, thank you very much for everything. It seems that we will continue to work for the community. We have an ally. We also have a beautiful lady, Jenifer Rajkumar. She was also with us yesterday marching. There was also the president of Queens County, who was wonderful. They were two very important people who really made the sixth parade an unforgettable parade. We owe that to the Peruvian community. Thank you very much. May God bless our homeland. Always forward, never backward.