In this episode, Curtis Sliwa discusses political participation and representation within Latino communities, emphasizing the need for consistent engagement from both major political parties.
SPEAKER 01 :
Curtis Lewa. Curtis Lewa. Rip and reach. Check this out. This is the Riff and Read featuring Curtis Lewa. Now, to the Bernard McGurk Studios of 77 WABC and Curtis Lewa. This is the Riff and Read.
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Yo, fellas.
SPEAKER 00 :
Body quap. Yo, fellas. Body quap. Yo, fellas. Body quap party. Yo, fellas. Body quap. Yo, fellas.
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Body quap. Yo, fellas. Yo, fellas.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, it was so good this past weekend. 67th anniversary of the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street up to 79th Street. But even more importantly, the day before, as you go into El Barrio, which used to be called Spanish Harlem, East Harlem. And the festival there along 3rd Avenue, it goes from 1 10th, where you have one stage, 1 16th, another stage. And up there, 1 29th, you have the third stage, offering you all different kinds of entertainment. And I and the Guardian Angels, we are there every year. At times when we catch some grief. At times when gangbangers, originally Latin kings, nietas, wanted to square off with us. It didn't matter. We were there every year for a reason. First off, Puerto Rican people are Americans by birth. And Justin Ehrlich, I bet you don't know that when you see all those Puerto Rican flags flying, and it looks a lot like the Cuban flag, a little different, that that flag was actually created here in New York City. Here in New York City, not even on the island of Puerto Rico. So it's like a state flag, like the Texas flag. Like when you go to Texas, how many Texas flags do you see flying? And I mean, they got big ones, the Lone Star State. And you do see American flags, but it's called the Lone Star State. And that's what they're known for, that Lone Star Flag. In Puerto Rico, do they fly American flags? Yes. But they're best known for the Puerto Rican flag, which again, the non-cognizante who don't take the time to learn would know that that flag was created here in New York City by exiles and then brought back to Puerto Rico. And what a lot of people don't know because they're not taught in school is is that Puerto Ricans are Americans at birth, whether in the Commonwealth or the mainland, wherever it may be, and they have died in battle, per capita, per persons, one of the highest ethnic groups that ended up being sacrificed in America's wars and conflict and serving in peacetime. So I make it a point every year I'm there. First, 152nd and Jackson for the Puerto Rican Festival there. And what has in the past been little Puerto Rico, although increasingly more Dominicans and Mexicans are moving in and Puerto Ricans are moving on up. And they're up there in Orange County. They're out there in Allentown, especially moving to Kissimmee, right next to Disney World in Orange County. That's become like... Little Puerto Rico there because of all the Puerto Ricans from the Commonwealth, the island that have come there after the hurricane and after the earthquake. So I'm there every year, and I'm proud to be there. Even though every year, Justin and Alec, they have us as the last contingent or near last contingent because it's the Democrats who control the parade. And every time I talk to Puerto Ricans, They say to me, where are the Republicans? Where are the Republicans? They're never ever there. Never. And they say they want our votes. Why would we vote for them? They never come to our festivals. We don't even know who they are. That's step one. You can't be a fair weather friend. Number two, with President Donald Trump having had a month ago such a successful rally in the heart of of what used to be El Barrio, the South Bronx, Cretona, although that's changed. A lot of different groups here now. But the predominant group is still Puerto Rican. Yeah, 20,000 people. A large majority of them were Puerto Ricans right from that neighborhood. I would have thought that the Republican GOP leadership in the state and locally would have said, man, this is a time that we got to be seen at the festivals and we've got to be in the parade. Look, some people are going to boo. They're used to Democrats. Some of them have jobs provided by the Democrats. We're going to catch some heat. But a lot of for the first time as I marched in the parade on Sunday and as I worked the festival on Saturday, mostly men, very few women, but mostly Puerto Rican men. And again, remember, they can vote at birth. They have voters. We're talking Trump. We're talking Trump and dissing and dismissing Biden. And the person who was afraid to show up as he had said he would, the mayor, at 2.30 on 116th Street stage. Mistake. That's the reggaeton stage. Most of those young people don't vote. Hey, Mr. Mayor, it's obvious you're not used to working with Puerto Rican people. You go to the salsa stage. They're older. They're like 55 plus. They vote. And remember, they can vote at birth. And Justin, he would not come knowing that I was there for three hours. He was supposed to be there at 2.30. He shows up two hours later. What time?
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4.30.
SPEAKER 02 :
I left at approximately 4.18. So he must have been circling in the area. I ain't coming in there as long as Sliwa and the Guardian Angels are there because we were getting mad praise. Mad praise. And then he came in, and he did his two-step on the stage. Nobody wanted to hear from him. Hey, and it wasn't because of him. They really don't want to. Had a reggaeton concert. Nobody wants to hear from politicians, Republicans, Democrats. They don't want to hear from him. But he then went into the crowd, and the crowd swallowed him up. You can read about it in the New York Post, because they carried my comments, and they carried his comments, and I eviscerated him. He shows up and he tells the people all these investigations. What do I know? I'm not a lawyer. I'm the mayor. I'm the cop. And the moment he said the cop, they all started running up to him. What about the mopeds and the e-bikes that are threatening to turn us into speed bumps? What about the fact that this place and all neighborhoods now smell like it's weed everywhere? The garbage in the streets. Man, he was getting hit every which way. on quality of life issues, and he decided to pack up and leave. But Republicans out there, you can't say, oh, we're working on trying to get the Latino vote. It's doable. You got to show up. And if I got to take you out there because I've earned the cred for 46 years, I'll do it. But they need to hear the Republican message so that they can make a choice. And if you're not there, if you don't go to their parades and festivals, it's like a dis and dismiss because they know you could be there. You just chose not to be there.
