As far back as I can remember, Chicago has been home to one of the largest public celebrations of Mexican Independence Day. The calendar date marks September 16th, however in our Latin community, we celebrate this cultural milestone through the entire month of September with an homage to Hispanic Heritage month.
Chicago and bordering towns go all out in decorations, festivities, and best of all, parades. Floats and celebrants march through Cicero, Pilsen, Little Village, and more, as they highlight symbolic Hispanic elements such as mariachi bands, folkloric dancers, and Aztec drummers.
The most popular and awaited parade lies in the heart of the Hispanic community among the streets of Little Village. They take great pride in their annual celebrations as the community expresses the love for their culture.
Celebrants drive with the Mexican flag throughout the streets waving from their windows, as vendors set up shop along 26th Street. Tents are filled with various themed items, ranging anywhere from massive flags to toy trumpets, so no one feels left out from the celebration.
You can feel the energetic buzz of the community’s heartfelt emotion, as they praise their deep-rooted love for the culture. In previous years, after 9 A.M., you could not get within two miles of 26th Street on the day of the parade because of everybody who came out to celebrate. The site is empowering and the parade is anxiously awaited every year.
But this year was different.
This year the air was thick with tension. This year there were reduced crowds leaving the fences bare. This year there were more teary eyes than innocent smiles. Why? Because our current political administration has the Latino community living in fear.
Amid recent ICE threats within Chicago, specifically the activated plan known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” celebrations were left scarce as people stayed indoors too scared to leave their homes. The genuine fear of deportation has affected thousands of community members as ICE agents and masked bounty hunters flood the streets of Chicago.
The Hispanic community is disappearing one by one as men, women, children, and U.S. born citizens are being unlawfully detained and deported without proper due process. With the threat of being taken away from their families and the only home they’ve known for years, people have no choice but to hide.
Our current political climate inevitably muted the Little Village parade as many people chose safety over attending the event. The risk of an ice cold immigration raid was too high, but the community came prepared. In fact, this year the parade consisted more of an outreach for the undocumented.
The usual business fliers were swapped out with red “Know Your Rights” cards and phone numbers of lawyers who were offering their services to help during these unruly times. Protesters were also in attendance for those who could not be there as posters were held high in support, one reading “Immigrants Make America Great.”
Our protester, who states that she is “reduced to secrecy” but will not be silenced, expressed to us that she is the daughter of immigrant parents. She is grateful for her dad’s hard and honest work selling fruits from his car just to help his family get by.
“My daughters and I are here to give respect to his dream,” asserts our protestor. “To the dream of every Hispanic, even though our country doesn’t let us advance.”
The brave souls who were in attendance continued to look over their shoulders as they felt the threat of ICE right on their heels. However, the private security positioned throughout the parade route were able to provide some semblance of comfort. In fact, one officer declared to us that he was here for the people.
Officer Ramirez assured me that the security was outsourced by the Chicago police department because “If ICE agents do come, they can’t tell me anything, but I get to tell them to leave my city.”
I attempted to reach out to the Chicago police officers patrolling the parade for further details regarding the presence of private security, but they declined to comment.
Nevertheless, the Little Village parade was carried out in full support for the community’s brothers and sisters who were forced into hiding, living in constant fear that they wouldn’t make it through another day. They have been reduced to a state of defense, so now it is more essential than ever for our voices to be heard. The inhumane treatment of the Latino community has gone too far, and it is time to fight back.
As the parade dispersed without a hitch, people were left roaming the streets looking towards each other and chanting the words “We are not going anywhere.”
Why would we? The fight has just begun.