Brentwood Three Kings Day brings gifts, hope to children amid trying times

One by one in Brentwood, the children let go of their parents' hands Sunday morning to meet royalty.

Men dressed like Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar — the three kings who traveled to Bethlehem to bring gifts to the baby Jesus — posed for pictures with the children, who also received toys and ate slices of cake.

The Knights of Columbus was the site of the Three Kings Day event, traditionally signifying the official end to the Christmas season. The Puerto Rican Coalition for a Better Community and the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society hosted the celebration, which was attended by about 400 children and their parents or guardians, officials said. 

It was a necessary show of joy in a time of strife for the local Hispanic community amid crackdowns from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Marc Soto, the coalition's director of public relations, told Newsday.

"People who happen to speak Spanish, or happen to have a Hispanic surname, or happen to be in a Home Depot parking lot, are now being harassed, and being questioned as to their citizenship status," said Soto, of Merrick.

"Whenever there's an opportunity to show love, compassion and support for a family, and for children in particular, that's a great thing," he said. "They need that feeling of love, support, and that feeling of joy so that it can relieve some of the tensions they have on a daily basis."

Several members of the Suffolk County Police Department were in attendance for the 23rd installation of the event, including Yasmin Gallant, the department's Latino liaison officer. Gallant, 42, of Holtsville, said in an interview it was important to show children "it's OK to be Hispanic, in this time and age, when you kind of question that."

There have been more than 30 ICE sightings in Brentwood, which is home to one of Long Island's biggest Hispanic communities, since September, according to Islip Forward's ICE tracker.

Gallant also said the department's presence at the celebration was meant to illuminate the differences between the Suffolk police and ICE for local children.

"We don't work with ICE, you don't have to be scared of us, we are here to help and serve you," Gallant said. "It's familiar faces. They have the same officers that they see in their schools here today. They know that that's a safe space for them, that's a safe person."

Corrinna Santos, 25, of Bay Shore, brought her two children to the celebration Sunday. Growing up in Brentwood, she regularly attended similar heritage events, she said in an interview. The three kings celebration, as well as other cultural celebrations, hold extra importance for the community, she said. They provide warm, welcoming environments in a time of uncertainty.

"Having secure events like this really give people a sense of, like, within all of the chaos, this is a nice calm," Santos said, before helping her 3-year-old daughter place a crown atop her head.