Boston immigrants meet with mayor at City Hall

Mayor Thomas Menino lauded the accomplishments of Boston's immigrants and expressed appreciation for the city's growing number of foreign-born residents during the sixth New Bostonians Community Day at City Hall on Thursday.

"Boston is now a minority-majority city," Menino said in his welcome address to about 600 immigrants.

Menino said one of every four Bostonians emigrated here from another country. Noting that speakers of some 140 languages live in Boston, he urged new immigrants to stay in touch with their heritage.

"For your children, at home, make sure you speak your native language," Menino said. Referring to his own Italian ancestry, Menino said he wished he had been taught the language when he was growing up.

Menino also promoted his English-language tutoring program, which is currently educating 1,000 recent immigrants.

"Unlike some folks in my business who don't want to welcome you," Menino said, "we want to welcome you."

Special ethnic events took place at City Hall throughout the afternoon, including dance and musical performances, ranging from traditional Haitian music to Peruvian folklore.

Visitors could also enjoy a lunch provided by the Office of New Bostonians, take a tour of City Hall, get information on services for new immigrants, register to vote or browse through the cultural displays. Maritza Gallagher, 46, ran a display of Fleming Imports, which included vases from Peru.

Fifteen years ago, Gallagher came to the United States from the Peruvian Amazon. She now lives in Milton and has a four-year-old daughter who is half-Peruvian and half-American. Gallagher said she teaches her daughter, who speaks both Spanish and English, about Peruvian culture.

"She has to know my roots," Gallagher explained. Ada Figueroa, 25, said she believes Boston is quite diverse.

"Everywhere you go, there are white Americans, black Americans, everything," Figueroa said. Emigrating from El Salvador in 2001, Figueroa said she came to Boston to study, and recently completed her education at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Events like these are "something positive for the communities," Figueroa said, but she thinks more should be done to celebrate Boston's diversity. Estrellas Tropicales, a dance group of girls who are mainly Hispanic and come from low-income families, performed before the mayor's speech.

Estephanie Mejia, 13, a dancer in the group, said she agreed with Menino's speech.

"I think what he said is true. We are important," Mejia said. Rivera, who is from Puerto Rico and now lives in South End, shared a similar sentiment.

After all, she said, in America, "everyone is an immigrant. We are the ones that make Boston."