The 53rd annual Mexican Independence Day parade draws large crowds to Little Village

A cheering crowd filled the streets in the heart of Little Village on Sunday afternoon to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.

Parade participants filled the sidewalks along 26th Street from the historic Little Village Arch to Kostner Avenue. Air horns, chants of “¡Viva México!” and Mexican flags filled the air. Participants kept cool with fans and paletas.

Taina Ramirez, 19, grew up in Pilsen and has been attending the parade for as long as she can remember. For her, the parade is an opportunity to celebrate her Mexican heritage. She is also part Puerto Rican and was on a float in the city's annual Puerto Rico Parade this summer.

“It's exciting to come here and connect with strangers about our flag, our dance, our music, our food and our culture overall,” Ramirez said. “It's nice when you see a stranger waving the same flag. It makes you feel like we're from the same place.”

She does her best to honor both of her ancestral countries by visiting Puerto Rico and Mexico and cooking traditional dishes. On Sunday, she carried a large Mexican flag and her bright red hair was tied back with green and red ribbons.

“It’s important to me to spend equal time honoring both of my traditions,” Ramirez said.

She is studying art education at the University of Illinois Chicago. She appreciates the large proportion of Latin American students at the school and is a member of the campus club LARES (Latin American Recruitment and Education Services).

“I like to get involved in the community as much as I can, such as through volunteering or generally supporting my communities,” Ramirez said.

The 53rd annual Little Village Parade on Sunday capped a weekend of events, including car caravans downtown and El Grito Chicago in Grant Park. The official Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16 marks the date Mexico gained its independence from Spain.

Sunday also marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs until October 15.

Socorro Garcia brought her 2-year-old daughter, her grandmother and her husband to Sunday's parade. She was born and raised on 26th Street and is now raising her daughter in Little Village.

“It's the first parade she's really noticed, and she enjoys watching it,” Garcia said. Like many parents at the parade, Garcia said the celebration is an important opportunity to teach her daughter about her heritage.

The people and the festive atmosphere are why she comes to the parade every year. Her grandmother stood at the front and watched the floats go by.

Antiono Perez recently moved to Chicago from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He lived in Pilsen for five months and decided to stop by and watch the parade on Sunday.

“The celebrations in Green Bay aren't quite as big,” Perez said. “It's really cool to come and watch it all and see all the people coming together.”

His favorite part of the parade was the way the dancers performed the Baile Folklórico, which reminded him of a recent trip he had taken to Central and South America.

One of the reasons the 26-year-old came to Chicago was the diversity the city offers.

“Chicago has a large Mexican population and that adds to the pride,” Perez said. “This parade really shows the solidarity within the Mexican community.”