Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and  El Grito de Delores

Today is El Grito Day, a/k/a El Grito de Independencia (or the yelling for independence).

The Californian eloquently explains El Grito Day:

Music, food, dance and lots of pride will fill independence day celebrations in the coming week, not just for one or two Latin American countries but for eight.

Brazil celebrated its independence from Portugal on Sept. 7. Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua will mark their emergence from Spain’s governance on Monday, Mexico will do the same on Tuesday and Chile follows suit on Thursday.  Residents of the Central Coast will commemorate these events over the weekend, whether in public or at home, as a way to enhance Latin American heritage and pride for new generations to discover. “Costa Rica’s independence from Spain was on September 15th, 1821, same day as the Guatemala’s Captaincy General participants (Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras),” said Adriana Sisfuentes, a Salinas resident from Costa Rica. “Although, the actual independence act was signed several months later.”

On Sept. 15, 1810, in the middle of the night, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a pastor for the Church of Dolores, Hidalgo México, rang the bell to gather a civilian army that started the independence movement from Spain. Other countries took the cue from Mexico and began to pursue their own independence and freedom. That event is called El Grito de Independencia (The yelling for independence).  Mexicans all over the world celebrate Mexico´s Independence with a reenactment of this episode by ringing a bell followed by yelling “Viva México, Viva Hidalgo, Vivan los héroes que nos dieron patria” and then “Viva México” three times.  FULL STORY>>>

 

As we celebrate past independence from Spain, my prayer is that my people will reject the temptation of voter apathy and believe their combined indigenous vote is a powerful one.  May Americans of Mexican heritage remember the sacrifices by Chicano movement greats such as Corky Gonzales and Dr. Hector P. Garcia.  I pray Latino Republicans will punish the Republican Party and Reince Priebus for adopting a draconian anti-immigrant policy in 2012 that was essentially handwritten and blessed by Kris Kobach -- who is the author of many anti-Mexican, anti-Latino laws.  I pray Latino Democrats will not get discouraged with how immigration and redistricting issues have been used as political futbols -- and instead vote. 

Lastly, I pray more of mi gente will join the rising independent registered voters who will ultimately force both sides to solving tough issues -- else the 2 major party system will continue to lose more of their voting bloc while independents move the 2 major party system to do what is in the best interest of our Nation because a divided Country will not stand. Like Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, we hope to ring the bell that will begin our independence and freedom of those who try to oppress us and suppress our Chicano and/or Latin indigenous history.