Antonio Reynoso Celebrates Hispanic Pride Through Serving Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Borough President speaks about his Hispanic pride and his continued fight for Brooklyn families.
It’s no secret that New York City is a melting pot. Rich with culture and community, the five boroughs are nothing short of diversity at its finest. This Hispanic Heritage Month, Brooklyn is celebrating with an extra kick. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the borough’s first Latino person to hold the position, embraces his culture and heritage with pride. A proud Dominican American, lifelong Brooklynite, and father of two, Reynoso understands firsthand the challenges facing working-class communities—from skyrocketing rents and the childcare crisis to the need for safe and vibrant public spaces. Ahead, Reynoso shares his initiatives for Brooklyn families and how he continues to celebrate his Hispanic pride.
Q: Brooklyn is home to many diverse families. What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for families raising children here today?
A: Brooklyn is one of the best places you can raise a family; it’s where I’m raising my two sons with my wife, Iliana. But like everywhere else in New York City, affordability and childcare are major obstacles. Families can’t keep up with the rent, and now childcare costs as much as it takes to put your kid through college. This year, with New Yorkers United for Childcare, we successfully advocated for $10 million in the city’s budget for free childcare for 0-2-year-olds, but the fight is not over until we have universal childcare in New York.
Q: What role do you think community spaces—like parks, libraries, and cultural institutions—play in shaping family life in Brooklyn?
A: Third spaces are essential, and it’s really sad that we’re generally seeing fewer third spaces available for young people today than when you and I were growing up. Take a look at those viral videos of hundreds of kids hanging out in the streets after school – it’s clear that there’s a strong demand for spaces where kids can safely hang out. We shouldn’t punish kids for being kids; we should provide them with the resources they need. That means libraries should be open late and on all seven days, every New Yorker should live within a 10-minute walk to a park, and after-school programs need to be expanded. There are so many solutions; we just need to get the city to prioritize investing in our children and young adults.
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Q: How does your own experience living in Brooklyn influence the way you advocate for families?
A: I was born and raised on the southside of Williamsburg, and that has profoundly shaped how I approach governance. I know what it’s like to live in a neighborhood that’s been systemically neglected by the city and to see how neighbors can come together in force to close those gaps. I also know how important assistance programs like SNAP and Section 8 can be for working-class families. I believe government can be a tool for rooting out inequality and creating opportunities for every New Yorker to thrive.
Q: What new initiatives are you most excited about that directly impact families in Brooklyn?
A: We just released the 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, the largest borough-specific planning effort in New York City. From worsening climate change to skyrocketing rent, many of the challenges we face in New York City are the same challenges cities around the world are experiencing. But while cities like London, Bogota, and Mexico respond by building comprehensive plans for the future, New York City simply hopes for the best.
The 2025 Plan allows us to simultaneously respond to our most pressing challenges while creating a long-term, forward-looking vision that ensures New Yorkers today, and those yet to arrive, have the resources they need to access opportunity. It is a tool I will leverage in my own decision-making, and it is a resource for communities across the borough to advocate for more equitable investments in their own backyard.
Q: Are there any upcoming partnerships or community programs you’d like Brooklyn families to know about?
A: This year, we are hosting our Second Annual Community Baby Shower Fund to support new and expecting parents. For those out there who lack a strong support network or the means to afford basic necessities, we’re proving that Brooklyn has their back. Nonprofits hosting community baby showers may apply here for up to $5,000 in reimbursed funds for events held before May 31, 2026.
Q: With the recent cell phone ban in schools, where do you stand on this issue, and how do you think it’s affecting students and parents?
I’m not sure yet – this is a new policy for New York, and I want to give this initiative a chance to succeed. We know that students right now are dealing with a lot; academic performance has been rocky since the pandemic began, students are struggling socially, and an increasing number of young people are experiencing mental health issues. It’s good that the city and state are trying to solve these issues, and we should give this initiative some time before we determine how we need to pivot or build from here.
Q: Brooklyn has one of the largest and most vibrant Hispanic communities in New York. How is your office celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year?
In 2023, I announced that Borough Hall would celebrate Brooklyn’s communities through service, not parties or concerts. In that light, I will be meeting with various Hispanic community groups and organizations throughout the month to learn more about the challenges they face and how Borough Hall can help. Last week, I had a blast joining AMICO Senior Center’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration to talk about the importance of uplifting the immigrant experience.
Q: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you personally, and how do you hope Brooklyn families will engage with it?
To me, celebrating Hispanic Heritage means celebrating the promise of America. In the Dominican Republic, for many people, the Dominican dream is for parents to sacrifice everything so their kids can have a good life in America. My family was poor; we came from the countryside of the Dominican Republic, and within one generation, their son went off to become the youngest Borough President ever elected in the City of New York. To be Hispanic is to be resilient, and I am so proud of my culture.
