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Yuny Parada, a Pasadena resident and an accomplished Latina actress and activist who was selected to be Community Grand Marshal of the Latino Heritage Parade and Festival on Sept. 16, told Pasadena Now that days before the Parade she is reflecting on the challenges that she has faced and continues to face while advocating for the Latino community.
Parada immigrated from El Salvador when she was 18. She has been a Pasadena resident since 1979. In professional career she delivered memorable performances in a variety of films and television shows, such as “Street Ships” and the critically acclaimed “Raymond & Lane.”
At Saturday’s Latino Heritage Parade and Festival, she will be back in the limelight this time along with Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), who was named Grand Marshal.
Parada said she is honored to be chosen as the Community Grand Marshal and hopes to convey a message of empowerment and solidarity to the community, especially to the younger generation of Latinos.
“I would like to convey the certainty that if you dedicate a little of your time to your neighbors, your community and care for its wellness, you will be rewarded,” Parada said.
Parada is a tireless advocate for issues affecting the Latino community, such as immigration, education, health, and civil rights. She said her commitment to education as a tool for empowerment stems from her own experience of facing discrimination as an immigrant.
“Discrimination is a feeling the Latino Community has and will have to cope with,” Parada said. “Education is, I believe, the tool we have to use to empower our children. With an education, opportunities abound. Without it, we are left behind.”
Parada said her advocacy for Latino equity has been the center of every action she has taken while working as Commissioner at the Pasadena Human Relations Commission and the League of Women Voters of Pasadena.
“The Latino community needs to be involved more with the decision makers,” she said. “Many times well intentioned people do us harm in what they do believing it is for our own good. Many times parents and single parents are overwhelmed by work, children and other issues to participate in civic affairs. Hopefully their children, once educated, will do.”
The Latino Heritage Parade and Festival is an annual event that celebrates the rich and diverse culture and history of Latinos in Pasadena and beyond. The event features a parade of floats, bands, dancers, and community groups, followed by a festival with live entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts, and informational booths.
More than 2,000 participants and spectators are expected to attend the parade and festival. The parade begins at the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street at 10 a.m. The parade route heads south on Los Robles Avenue and culminates in front of City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Immediately following the parade, the festival will feature live entertainment, educational booths, free activities for children, and food available for purchase.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.pasadenalatinoheritageparade.org/.
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