Members of the Hispanic community gathered to honor their heritage in Yonkers Thursday after two hurricanes slammed the Caribbean.

Through music, dance, and food, residents showed what makes Yonkers so diverse yet unified.

Carol Chacon is of Ecuadorian descent and is the founder of Walking Through Art, an organization that supports international artists and unites different cultures through art. She is one of the many people who took part in the city's annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration.

Chacon describes the event as "the melting and respecting of each individual."

The celebration came one day after the Yonkers City Council voted unanimously to recognize the month.

"Although it's done federally, it is important for local municipalities to let people know that they too embrace different cultures,” says Yonkers City Councilmember Corazon Pineda-Isaac.

Yonkers is deeply connected to the ongoing efforts to rebuild places devastated by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian.

It has the largest Puerto Rican population in Westchester —more than 40% of its residents are Hispanic. The population grew 8% from 2010 to 2020, according to the latest census.

"It is not just about a continuous celebration, but a continuous support for one another,” Pineda-Isaac says.

The Yonkers Hispanic Cultural Foundation is working with the city to collect donations for the areas impacted by the hurricanes.