Hispanic Heritage Month: Camden’s Felix Moulier talks Pride, Culture and the Parada San Juan Bautista
Photo courtesy of Felix Moulier
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written from an interview editor Clyde Hughes conducted with Felix Moulier.
BY NATHALY SUQUINAGUA | For AC JosepH Media
CAMDEN – Felix Moulier said Parada San Juan Bautista, also known as the San Juan Bautista Parade, exemplifies the best in Puerto Rico.
As president of the San Juan Bautista Association since 2024, this past year’s festival sparked “the most beautiful display of culture.” Moulier said the parade is the oldest such celebration of the Puerto Rican culture in the United States, starting in 1957.
San Juan Bautista is a group of parishioners dedicated to fostering solidarity and harmony within the community. Their mission is to share Puerto Rican history and culture while uniting people from diverse backgrounds.
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He described Puerto Ricans as hard working, entrepreneurs and professionals unlike what might be displayed on TV.
“[Putting on the parade] was a labor of love, a lot of sacrifice, but the reason all that was done was most importantly to preserve the culture that is the purpose of the parade,” Moulier told Front Runner New Jersey. “It’s not just a celebration to have fun. No, the significance of the parade is that there are a lot of Puerto Ricans that came to [mainland] United States without a support system.
“This is how we all came together to show that there is positivity in the Puerto Rican community.”
Moulier described his culture and highlighted the Puerto Rican Parade crucial to preserve the culture and to not back down as a culture and nationality.
“There is so much pride that surpasses the political divisiveness that exists in this country, and we weren’t allowed to be divisive, to divide us, and we pushed forward through it all,” Moulier said.
This year alone, Moulier brought in three new members and was able to diversify the committee, while before having members averaging 60 years old. Moulier was able to bring members that were 40 and under, allowing the torch to be passed down to new community members.
One of the events that was crucial to the group was the Three Kings Day celebration that San Juan Bautista hosted in collaboration with the city of Camden.
Bringing in the culture of Bomba and Plena, a type of music from Puerto Rico that has African roots that includes the drum and other percussion instruments.
“Everybody got up, and we did almost like a conga line of sorts, and everybody was dancing. And that’s how it is, because in Puerto Rico, Three Kings Day is very important, as is Christmas.” Moulier said.
The return of the coronation pageant was a special highlight, marking the first time in five years that the event had been held.
The pandemic had halted it for some time, but its comeback featured children ages three to five showcasing Puerto Rican culture in an entertaining way, in partnership with Mi casita Daycare.
Another major accomplishment was the business and professional event, held for the first time in collaboration with Subaru and TD Bank.
Unlike previous years, when the event took place at a local pub, this one was hosted at a Fortune 500 company, a significant step forward. The evening also featured a moving story from one of the scholarship recipients, inspiring attendees to contribute to the scholarship fund.
“There’s so many of us here that contribute to this country, and I wish to recognize that more often,” Moulier mentioned.
Moulier decided not to seek re-election for another year, despite being strongly encouraged by committee members to do so.
As a single father, he wanted to dedicate more time to his daughter, acknowledging that the previous year required him to sacrifice much of their time together for his work. His priority, he explained, is his daughter, which ultimately led to his decision not to run again.
Still, Moulier emphasized that the Puerto Rican community refuses to back down as a culture and as a nationality.
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