Commemorative Speech – Opening of the 14th Annual Russian Heritage Month
June 3rd, 2016
Mayor of NYC, Bill De Blasio
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dear friends, as we gathered here today to celebrate the opening of the 14th Annual Russian
Heritage Month, I would like to thank all of you to contributing to NYC culture. New York has
been known for attracting new immigrants and for solidifying what all America stands for –
equality for all and opportunities for everyone. As I recently learned, Russian is the third frequently
spoken foreign language in New York after Spanish and Chinese. If you think about it, it’s amazing
how much cultural heritage all Russian speaking immigrants have brought to New York over the
years. It is our responsibility not to deny them the right to be acknowledged and recognized as a
part of our community. We should not just assume “Brighton Beach” when we say Russian
Americans, we should not just put them in the back seat of the car we are driving as a silent
passengers. No. Each one of us has to see that it is your neighbor, your kid’s classmate, your doctor
and your hairdresser. We all should learn more about culture and traditions of Russian Speaking
New Yorkers. As we grow more and more diverse as a society, not only we should “accept” the
fact that we are different, not only “tolerate” each other unique qualities, but learn about each
other, embrace each other’s culture. This way we will prosper in a far better way as a city and
society as a whole. I myself represent diversity. With my wife being African American and my
kids mixed raced, I know how important it is to understand and know cultural background of those
close to you so you can pass it on to the future generations.
I think the work that's being done here is extremely important to all of us, as we take pride
in being a diverse, being different. It brings richness to our experiences and our lives. While I
celebrate contribution of Russian American Foundation, who organized this annual festival, I want
to also thank the Russian American Cultural Heritage Center, another large organization that
makes a major impact on cultural life of Russian Speaking population in New York. If you think
about the goal and the practices of the two centers, they are closely related, and for someone
outside the community it would not be evident how they are different. However, despite common
goals and values, these two organizations are not related at all. As I’m standing here today, I would
like to remind all of us what America is really about. We are United States of America, we are the
Union. And we should be bringing the Union to all aspects of our lives and society. When we stand
together, we are stronger.
It is somewhat surprising to me that such a large representation of Russian speaking New
Yorkers still does not have a parade day. In New York, we are welcoming and encouraging you to
celebrate your national day by organizing a walk through the city. All new Yorkers can enjoy
watching the cheerful and colorful festivities on the main streets. And it raises awareness and
acknowledgement among larger population. We are standing here today at the opening of the 14th
annual Russian Heritage Month, and this is great. A lot of work has been done, a lot of progress
made, but if someone is not making a conscious effort to come to your events and learn about your
culture, it practically means they are not welcomed to the opportunity to observe and acknowledge
their Russian neighbors. All the churches, restaurants, community centers that you have built
around New York deserve to be known and acknowledged by every single person in our city. So
it needs to be easy for those who are not involved enough to make an effort to come to your events.
It needs to be easy for them to remember their neighbor and friend which you have been for
decades. I think it is your call whether you want to be only associated with “Little Odessa” in the
south of Brooklyn, or you would rather choose to unite your efforts and claim one of those 365
days to call in a Russian Day in NYC. Claim one of the weekend days to call your own. We will
fully support you in this beginning as a city, but we can not do it for you. In fact, no one can do it
for you. Among all the ethnic groups in New York City, all our attention is that everyone gets a
fair share of opportunity to represent their culture and to be recognized.
And I want to tell you today: you have full support of city’s administration, we applaud all
the work you’ve done so far, and we are happy to have you as a part of our City. And we want to
encourage you to unite your efforts and organize a parade for your Russian speaking community.
Dominicans have one, French have one, Germans have one, French have one, Argentinians, Polish,
Romanian, Hungarian – just to name a few. And while I do enjoy the small invite only event here
at Metropolitan Museum of Art, I do believe it could be more inviting and welcoming. Just like
the City welcomed you and your parents one day, please make an effort to welcome more people
to celebrate with you. Our larger culture, American culture, praises diversity and inclusiveness,
the values that we want to see foster in all smaller communities of our society. Everyone deserves
a celebration, and while Russian Heritage Month definitely provides one, I’m sure it will be a big
step forward if there is a more exposed and opened event out there. Again, I want to assure you
my full support, but you need to be the ones making the first step and declaring yourself here.
Make yourself seen on the streets of New York, make it loud and clear that you are a part of our
City’s culture and life. I am hoping to see all of you on the streets of New York City next year
marching hand in hand with one another.
Thank you.