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Comments from New Yorkers Watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Aired November 22, 2001 - 09:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is just getting underway at this moment in New York. And with all the city has been through lately, the parade this year takes on a patriotic tone, as you may not -- as you may expect.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa is in her Big Bird outfit. She's out there along the parade route. She joins us now live this morning -- Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Leon, how you doing?

It's about to start. We've been watching the very beginning of the parade, which is going to be headed by Lady Liberty and behind her a toy soldier. Of course this parade is going to take on special meaning this time because of it's coming after just two months of a lot of mourning and sadness in New York City. So what you're seeing right now is so much happiness, people smiling, people being together, a lot of people talking about unity, a lot of people talking about why it's important for them to be part of the parade this time around.

And among them are a lot of immigrants. People like Fajula Imotto (ph) who is from Mexico, who was a lawyer in Mexico and who's come here to live in New York City and find job as a -- as a nanny.

Now, Fajula, why was it important for you to come out to this parade? This is your first time ever.

FAJULA IMOTTO: Yes, this is my first time. I think it was very important, you know, two months ago what happened in the Twin Towers I think. My girlfriend and me came here because we really want to share with other people. And this is special moment and you don't care about if it's cold or not, the thing is you're here for enjoy.

HINOJOSA: And you lost a lot of friends in the World Trade Center, so is it also for you to kind of be here in memory of them?

IMOTTO: I think so, because you know when you came here, you came here for a better life. You don't know what's going to happen now, you don't know what you're going to do before -- I mean after that so...

HINOJOSA: It's important for you to live every day to its fullest?

IMOTTO: Yes, it's very important.

HINOJOSA: OK, thank you, Fajula.

IMOTTO: Thank you very much.

HINOJOSA: Special stories about why people are coming out, but for a lot of teenagers, coming to the Thanksgiving Day Parade is just part of the tradition.

We have here Celina (ph), Crystal (ph) and Jennifer (ph).

Jennifer, why did you want to come out today, in particular?

JENNIFER: I think that despite everything that's been going on around the -- that has been going on around us that we shouldn't let that bring us down. And we come here to enjoy ourselves so we should enjoy ourselves.

HINOJOSA: And how are you feeling being out here with so many New Yorkers?

JENNIFER: I feel happy that everybody can recover from this tragedy. And I think it's a good thing because everybody's -- everybody seems to be happy here and it seems like we're going to have fun.

HINOJOSA: OK. And what about for you, why is it important for you to be here?

CELINA: Yes, I think the same way. You know I don't think that what happened on September 11 should bring all these people down. You see so many smiles and happy faces, you know, so that makes me feel happy inside that, you know, nobody's feeling sad.

HINOJOSA: And you, Crystal, you wanted to wear your American flag. Why today? Why for the parade?

CRYSTAL: Because I feel, you know, sad, like I'm not going to forget what happened because that was on my birthday, but you know,...

HINOJOSA: You want to feel happy today?

CRYSTAL: Yes.

HINOJOSA: OK. Well that's the feeling that we're really getting a sense of here, happiness, joy, a lot of New Yorkers together.

Back to you, Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thanks, Maria. Now you stay warm. We'll get back to you. We're going to check back with you off and on throughout the hour, OK?

HINOJOSA: OK, take care.

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