June

16, 2015

Mr. Bill Holiber
CEO, New York Daily News
4 New York Plaza #6
New York, NY 10004

Dear Mr. Holiber:

On behalf of the Parades Board of Directors and the Puerto Rican community, I am writing to express
our outrage and grave concern over the coverage published in todays New York Daily News. As a
long-standing Parade partner, my fellow Board members and I would never have imagined that our
beloved Parade, arguably one of the worlds largest cultural celebrations, would receive such
distasteful and inaccurate coverage by your newspaper, on page eight. The image published is not
only disrespectful to the Puerto Rican culture, as it shows two topless women in g-strings, it is
misleading, as they are clearly nowhere near the Parade route but in Times Square. We have seen
them there before, and they have historically solicited payment for their dress. The Board and the
community at large are deeply offended and concerned, as this mistake is a gross, overt
misrepresentation of the Parade and it serves to reinforce negative perceptions about the Puerto
Rican people and culture.

As one of our valued media partners, who received a prime position in this years Parade and played a
leading role in several of our events, we would like to believe that the New York Daily News does not
view the Puerto Rican community in the light portrayed on page eight. For that reason, we demand
an immediate, front-page apology and a statement that clearly communicates these ladies were not
participating in the Parade in tomorrows edition of New York Daily News. Furthermore, we expect
accurate coverage that reflects the dignified, respectful and positive celebration that actually took
place, yesterday, and we expect that your company take the necessary measures to guarantee this
type of error will never happen again. This affects many in our collective community, including
business people, community organizations, public officials, sponsors, and our community at large.
They are expecting this apology and correction or follow up action will be taken.

The Parade was founded as a result of the unjust discrimination, prejudice and hatred that Puerto
Ricans living in New York experienced in the 1950s. At the time, the Parades organizers aimed to fight
this by celebrating our people by showcasing the best Puerto Rican culture had to offer, on a world
stage like New York Citys Fifth Avenue. The current Board of Directors carries on that mission and has
strict requirements and mandates to ensure the Parade contingents have cultural components and
that spectators dress and conduct themselves in a respectful and dignified way. The community,
corporate sponsors and spectators have adhered to these mandates. Unfortunately, this image and
lack of dignified coverage has taken us back to the 1950s and promotes the discrimination, prejudice
and hatred our Parade was, and still is, working to combat. Whats more, it places the Parade in a
position where we may risk the ability to retain current sponsors and seek new ones, as they will not
want to have their brands participate in an event like the one your coverage inaccurately portrays.
We know we had a strong partnership, based on mutual goals of publishing content of interest to your
sizeable, Puerto Rican/Latino readership. We are puzzled by this coverage and view it as an egregious
error, as it clearly undermines these goals. Having said that, the Board of Directors, public officials,
community based organizations and many other interested parties await your response. .

Respectfully,

Lorraine Corts-Vazquez
Board Chair