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Moya celebrates heritage

Moya celebrates heritage
By Rebecca Henely

For years Borough President Helen Marshall has held ceremonies recognizing Ecuadorian Independence Day and exceptional Ecuadorian Americans in the community. While she could not attend this year’s event, state Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) participated in her place.

“As the first Ecuadorian-American elected official [in the state], I’m so proud to be on stage here tonight,” Moya said at the ceremony last Thursday, at the New York Hall of Science, at 47-01 111th St. in Corona.

More than 200 people came out for the celebration, which honored six Ecuadorian-American community leaders in the borough. The event was timed to coincide with Ecuadorian Independence Day, which is Aug. 10 and honors the day Ecuador called for independence from Spain 202 years ago.

“It’s important we come together and honor where we come from,” Moya said.

Pablo Romano, adviser for Hispanic affairs at Marshall’s office, said the borough president holds 21 Latin American independence day ceremonies, saluting nations from Paraguay to Puerto Rico, each year. If an elected official’s heritage is from that country, she invites them to participate. This was the first time an Ecuadorian-American elected participated in this event.

“She appreciates all they do for Queens, all the economic development they bring to our borough,” Romano said.

He said Marshall could not attend the event last Thursday because her husband was ill.

Honorees at the ceremony included Carmen Barroso, who preserves Ecuadorian Folklore music; Silvia Acevedo of the Queens Las Americas Lions Club, who acts at the adviser to the teen group within the club; Vicente Ramones Lopez and Santiago Cornejo Jr., who play active roles in Ecuadorian charities; and Dr. Raul Pohorille, who was the first Ecuadorian chairman of the state Commission on Worker’s Compensation. Pohorille was not present at the ceremony last Thursday.

The major of award of the night went to Neil Hernandez, former commissioner of the city Department of Juvenile Justice. Hernandez won the Dr. Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo Award, named after an Ecuadorian writer and polemicist who was one of the first to call for independence from Spain.

Meghan Tadio, Moya’s chief of staff, said the representatives were chosen through work with the planning committee for Ecuadorian Heritage Month, and the offices of Moya and the borough president voted on the winners with the committee based on what they suggested.

“So it’s very much brought to us from the community, the people they see making a positive change,” Tadio said.

Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.