Politicians vie for votes in Dominican parade

Yawu Miller

Like any other Dominican Festival parade, this year’s featured the usual mix of beauty queens, tricked-out low-riders, dance troupes and revelers.

But this is an election year and with an open at-large seat beckoning candidates, this year’s parade had a decidedly political tint.

Mayor Thomas Menino’s green signs and stickers were plastered on nearly every car at the head of the parade, with the slogan “porque lo bueno no se cambia” — “because what’s good doesn’t need to change.”

What mayoral challenger Maura Hennigan lacked in favorable placement she more than made up for with presence. While Menino did not make an appearance at the parade, Hennigan led a contingent of about 100 volunteers and supporters in a trolley, three trucks and several cars plastered with her red and blue signs.

“This is the kind of administration I’ll bring to City Hall,” she said, gesturing toward her supporters. “Everyone will be here, unlike the current administration which has walked away from Latinos.”

Menino has drawn criticism from the city’s Latino community for the lack of Latinos in positions of power in his administration. While his predecessor Raymond Flynn had put Latinos in charge of the Boston Housing Authority, Human Resources and other positions, Menino has none.

“We have zero,” said activist Regla Gonzalez, who heads the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Communities and a Hennigan supporter.

Also jockeying for position in the parade were city councilors Felix Arroyo, Stephen Murphy and Chuck Turner and challengers Sam Yoon, Matt O’Malley, Patricia White, Kevin McRea and John Connolly.

“This is not just a parade,” said activist Ana Lamarche. “This is a political parade.”

While some politicians like Hennigan, Arroyo and Turner have regularly turned out to honor the Dominican community, the burst of political activity in this year’s parade signals an increased interest in one of the city’s newest and fastest-growing constituencies.

There were more than 85,000 Latinos counted in Boston during the 2000 Census. While white politicians have been slow to court voters of color, Arroyo’s strong second-place finish in the 2003 at-large council race served as a wake-up call to white politicians.

“If the candidates are serious, they’ll be out here,” said Turner, who marched in support of Arroyo. “The Dominican community is exercising its vote as all sectors of the community are. The votes aren’t just in West Roxbury and South Boston anymore.”

For years politicians in Boston focused on the neighborhoods with the highest numbers of active voters — South Boston, Neponset, Hyde Park and West Roxbury — leaving the center of the city alone like the hole of a doughnut. Arroyo’s 2003 campaign drew heavily from the hole of the doughnut, proving not only that the center city communities can vote, but that they could win as well.

Andrea Cabral’s 2004 victory over Councilor Murphy, who sought to bump her from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s office, further underscored the voting power of people of color.

Although a strong contingent of elected officials appeared to heed the wake -up call this year, Menino wasn’t the only no-show. City Council President Michael Flaherty did not make a show in the parade. Nor did John Tobin, who represents Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury.

Tobin’s rival in this year’s election, Gibran Rivera, however, made a strong showing with volunteers handing out literature and handshakes to the spectators lining the parade route. Rivera scored points with the crowd, dancing to merengue as did Arroyo, who danced a spontaneous bachata with a member of a local dance troupe.