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Among other delights, Mexico has given the world the avocado, chocolate, corn and vanilla. Aside from edible offerings, the country, the 11th most populous with more than 112 million individuals, has presented the global community with impassioned displays of nationalism. Sunday endowed South Philadelphia’s Mexicans with chances to proclaim their pride, as they honored Mexico’s 201 years of independence with a six-hour celebration within the Ninth Street Italian Market.
Dazzling sunshine guaranteed that anyone who covered the area from Federal Street to Washington Avenue had a bright complement to the vivid colors of the dancers’ and musicians’ garments. Ample food vendors ensured eyes were not the only organs to gain satisfaction. The famous space’s Mexican business owners united with Casa Monarca, 1144 S. 17th St., a nonprofit center aiming to preserve Mexican culture and the Spanish language for South Philadelphia’s 20,000 Mexicans, to stage the day.
“We had thought of gathering for many years,” Monica Orozco, a Casa Monarca board member and a former resident of 15th and McKean streets, said of forming a sign of appreciation for their ancestors’ struggles and subsequent joys.
Old discussions yielded no consensus, so the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival held at Penn’s Landing had served as the lone significant tribute before Sunday.
“We finally figured if we never try, we’re never going to know how successful we can be,” Orozco, a native of Múzquiz, Coahuila in northeastern Mexico, said of agreeing on an occasion to have her compatriots hawk their goods and move their feet.
She arrived in the United States in January 2001 and sought to connect with fellow Mexicans, forming an outreach program while working for Child Care Information Services of Philadelphia. Casa Monarca’s November ’09 opening gave her more cause to promote tradition.
“We really wanted an event to showcase what the children have learned,” Orozco said of the youngsters’ mastery of folkloric dances, civics and history.
According to Orozco, the Casa Monarca youths and their neighborhood contemporaries comprise the first generation of Mexicans born in South Philadelphia. They have developed a great understanding of their heritage and eagerly flaunt their skills. Their elders showed them what continued studies could yield, as they performed an Aztec dance just after 2 p.m. on Ellsworth Street.
“Our dances are always fun and educational,” Ana Soto of 13th and Reed streets, said.
Soto moved from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua eight years ago and has loved teaching American and Mexican culture to her 4-year-old son Arturo, who took more interest in a soccer ball than in his enchilada. The boy, whose attention soon turned to a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, stood with his mouth agape as his potential mates began their routines on Ellsworth Street.
Sets of boys and girls executed dances with different tempos and themes. Adults followed with the Jarabe Tapatío, a folk dance that symbolizes courtship, honor, love and pride. Soto, a former dancer, deemed the dance a necessity.
“People can neglect and even despise their backgrounds,” she said. “What better way is there to show respect than with love?”
Spain invaded the Aztec Empire in February 1519 and claimed the territory in August 1521, renaming it New Spain. On September 16, 1810, priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla led peasants in a revolt in Dolores, Guanajuato. The insurgents needed 11 years to vanquish their foes, with Sept. 28, 1821 serving as the proclamation date for the formation of the Mexican Empire. The 1846-’48 Mexican-American War resulted in the forfeiture of more than half of the land to the United States, giving the land what would become part or all of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Other atrocities have hampered the land, but Mexico City, its capital, has achieved renown as a popular tourist destination. Their homeland’s overall positive reputation, however, has not deterred Mexicans from seeking new lives in the United States. A 2009 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey revealed nearly 32 million people of Mexican descent call America home, good for 10.3 percent of this country’s population.
The same document notes Mexican Americans comprise 66 percent of America’s Hispanics and Latinos. With 67,062, Mexico last year led all countries in U.S. naturalizations, according to an April report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.
“We are numerous and we are eager to contribute to our new home while remembering our first one,” Orozco said.
Though Sunday marked the first Independence Day celebration in South Philadelphia, area Mexicans have revealed their reverence to other elements of their identity with the Carnival of Puebla. Occurring the last Sunday of April for the last five years, it blends Easter and Cinco de Mayo, the celebration of the Mexican army’s 1862 triumph over the French at the Battle of Puebla. The carnival begins at 17th Street and Washington Avenue and terminates at Sacks Playground, Fourth Street and Washington Avenue.
“Again, the children know the meaning of the day and enjoy their roles,” Orozco said.
She touted their memories, expressing happiness with their knowledge of “Himno Nacional Mexicano,” the Mexican National Anthem. After offering praise, she and Carlos I. Gibralt-Cabrales, the Consul of Mexico in Philadelphia. witnessed their patriotism. While Americans place their right hands against their chests during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Mexicans point their palms down when singing their honorary words.
The vocal treat followed the presentation of the Mexican flag by a group of girls and the Cry of Independence, during which Gibralt-Cabrales called the names of the heroes of the fight for independence, leading the crowd in a chant of “Viva Mexico.” In Spanish, the leader then extolled the growth of the Mexican community and its contributions to the Ninth Street District. He stressed family unity and continued care for the Mexican heritage. True to his role as a builder, he encouraged attendees to wait out tough times.
Nobody seemed eager to dwell on any sadness, as the seven-member Mariachi Flores wrapped up the final hour with tunes that sent listeners away with a desire to continue the fiesta on their own.
“The owners have told me they are happy with the attendance and are eager to talk about next year already,” Orozco said. “We are thrilled and hope today is the first of many South Philadelphia festivals.” SPR
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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