The Town of West New York raised the Puerto Rican flag at the municipal building for the first time on Friday, Aug. 21, celebrating the island’s culture and contributions and also honoring a family with ties to West New York and Guttenberg.
The town dedicated the ceremony to longtime resident Elio Noel Martinez, who passed away in 1977 at the age of 55. Commissioner Margarita Guzman, director of cultural affairs for the town, presented the award to Martinez’s sons, West New York Police Officer Elio Martinez and Guttenberg Police Sergeant Rafael Martinez.
“He and his family were proud citizens of West New York for many years, and yet they never forgot their beloved Puerto Rico,” said Guzman.
“This community is extremely diverse with a very high population of the different Latino countries. We’re trying to hit every single one and raise their flag to celebrate their independence,” said Commissioner Gabriel Rodriguez.
Other countries recently represented include the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Columbia.
“West New York is a tremendous melting pot, which is reflective of Hudson County.” –Commissioner Susan Colacurcio
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Speaking to the crowd of residents and officials that gathered to participate in the flag-raising, she said, “ I am very, very happy not only for the people but for the culture that has integrated into our community, making West New York, Hudson County, and most importantly America a much better place to live.”
A family of public servants
West New York Police Officer Elio Martinez was the one who first suggested raising the Puerto Rican flag outside the Municipal Building. After he filled out a request form about a month ago, it was quickly approved.
“They gave me a date and then they told me that I had to give a quick speech and dedicate it to somebody,” he said. It didn’t take him long to chose an honoree. “I said my dad.”
“My dad came here in the early ’60s from Puerto Rico,” continued his brother, Sgt. Rafael Martinez of Guttenberg. “He scrounged up all his money and bought himself a garage in downtown Jersey City. From there he worked his business, sold it, made a profit, then went to work for a bus company in Englewood as a diesel mechanic.”
Other members of the family followed Elio to the United States and many of them went into public service jobs. “We have over 12 law enforcement officers,” said Rafael. “We have U.S. Postal Service, we have Coast Guard, the Jersey City Fire Department. My uncle is in corrections in the Hudson County Jail. So we come from a long line of public servants, all in Hudson County.”
Rafael has traced his family’s family tree back to the 1800s, documenting 333 individuals. Rafael himself has been a police officer for 23 years, initially in the Hudson County Police Department before it was disbanded.
His older brother Elio has been a police officer for 28 years, also with the HCPD before joining the WNY force.
Honoring Puerto Rican history and culture
West New York has 13 Puerto Rican police officers, according to Elio. “When I was growing up here, this area was Puerto Rican, Irish, and Italian,” he said. “I remember those days. It got so diverse, as you can see.”
“The Puerto Rican community has paved the way for all Latino communities in this country,” said Commissioner Rodriguez. “My grandfather always told me that when he came to New York it was the Puerto Rican community that embraced him and helped him along in his first job.”
He cited the many contributions of the Puerto Rican community, ranging from the food to their participation in the armed services during wartime. “We can’t deny the contributions that this community has done not only for the United States but especially for Latinos as a whole,” he said.
The flag was raised by Dr. Gina Miranda-Diaz, director of the Health Department in West New York, who specifically requested to be involved in the ceremony. “The flag was illegal for quite some time,” noted the former resident of Puerto Rico. Originally designed in the late 1800s, the flag was banned under Spanish rule and again after the United States annexation of Puerto Rico in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. It was only in 1952 that Governor Luis Munoz Marin declared it the official flag of the country.
“I’m so excited about this,” said Miranda-Diaz. “I spent much of my childhood in Puerto Rico. It’s my home. It’s so unchanged from the way it was before. It looks like you stepped right back into the late 1800s. It keeps a lot of its colonial flavor. It’s not spoiled by commercialization. I just love it.”
Also speaking at the ceremony were West New York Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo and Chief of Staff Luis Baez representing Mayor Feliz Roque, who was unable to attend.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.