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I have always been interested in the intermingling of identity and culture. As an immigrant living in the Big Apple, I am faced with how these ideas are reflected in everyday life, everyday encounters, and how different groups of people define and validate their identity in entirely unique ways of which street art, protests, and cultural festivals are a few examples. The metropolis of New York serves as a backdrop for my reflections and this website embodies an exploration into the formation of immigrant ethnic identities: how they are shaped in and through communal rituals and commemorative ceremonies, how these contemporary cultural expressions fit within a historical context, and how the act of performing one’s culture in a parade setting has allowed immigrants to validate their claims in and to the civic space by forging a distinct image of their community and carve a better future in the host society. To develop these interactions of commemoration and identity I took a closer look at three of New York City’s most significant parades: the Columbus Day parade, the St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Chinese New Year parade.