Raul Juarez, 33, got to 26th Street early Sunday to secure a spot for his family and the many friends joining him at the afternoon’s 54th annual Mexican Independence Day Parade in Little Village.
Juarez lives near the parade route and attends every year. He said it was important to be loud and proud of his heritage for his children. And to their delight, Juarez’s daughters — ages 6, 7 and 9 — had their eyes on the gummy worms from Dulcelandia.
“It’s crucial we show we’re not afraid and that we’re willing to stand together,” Juarez said. “Nobody wants a fight, but it’s good to show we’re a united force and that we are not going to lie down on our backs and take abuse. … This parade is so much more than just a celebration for the neighborhood.”
He was among thousands who turned out Sunday despite widespread concerns in the community that agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would turn out in force.
The event, organized by the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, runs nearly two miles along 26th Street, from the historic Little Village Arch at Albany Avenue to Kostner Avenue. It is held on the Sunday closest to the official Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16, which marks the date Mexico gained independence from Spain.
Fear has permeated the community since Gov. JB Pritzker said on Sept. 2 that immigration agents from the Trump administration would “try and disrupt community picnics and peaceful parades” for the holiday.
Organizers of the event said they initially considered canceling, but forged on with safeguards; the two-day El Grito festival was postponed over similar concerns.
In their preparations they also shared resources with parade organizers in Joliet and other Chicago neighborhoods, which also didn’t have to use their contingency plans, according to Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. Federal agents were not seen at any of the events that Aguilar had coordinated with.
Riders on horseback greet fans along 26th Street on Sunday. Many attendees said they showed up despite fears across the community that agents from the Trump administration would use the celebration to make arrests.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
The theme of this year’s parade was “Pride and Power: Our strength, our legacy.” The parade featured fan favorite caballos bailadores, or dancing horses, as well as Aztec dancers, who open the parade every year.
Aguilar said the context of this year’s event made the performance even more poignant.
“They show our cultures have persevered throughout the decades and centuries, no matter what,” Aguilar said.
The Xochitl-Quetzal Aztec Dance group performs.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
The festive parade and celebration comes just days after ICE agents fatally shot 38-year-old Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park. Agents allege González struck an officer with his car while attempting to flee a traffic stop, though that hasn’t been independently confirmed.
Also Willian Gimenez, a day laborer who filed a lawsuit accusing off-duty police officers of ethnically motivated assault, was taken into custody less than a mile from where the parade kicks off, leaving many uneasy.
In recent years, organizers said they generally expect between 400,000 performers and attendees annually, making it one of the largest Mexican Independence Day events in the Midwest.
But Rosalyn Pedraza, a 45-year-old Southwest Side resident, said there were far fewer people than in years past in the area of 26th Street near Pulaski Road where she sat with family.
“It’s not nearly as full as other years,” Pedraza said. “But those who came out to celebrate, it wasn’t going to stop our joy of being here, celebrating amongst ourselves, and showing others how beautiful the Mexican community and our immigrants are; and how much we bring to this community and this country.”
A rider on horseback carries the U.S. and Mexican flags.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
The city put its own plans into place to quell the usual celebrations downtown on Saturday night, with police at checkpoints taking flagpoles from drivers with flags hanging out of their cars’ sunroofs, but allowing them to keep the flags.
Yatziri P, a suburban teen who didn’t share her last name for fear of retribution, said her family has come to the city for celebrations for most of her life, walking downtown amid car caravans and other impromptu celebrations.
She said the muted celebrations in the city were evident.
“I just remember the colors of the flags, the songs and the community,” she said. “There was none of that last night.”
Pedraza agreed, saying the city’s safety measures went too far, but she understands the concerns of officials.
But for those who stayed home, or had their celebrations interrupted, Pedraza, a Chicago Public Schools teacher, had one message: “We got you. They may not physically be here today, but we know every single day their hard work, their labor, love, the lessons they teach to their families, that’s what shines through,” Pedraza said.
“Today is just one amongst 365 days that we will continue to show our pride and our love for our country, our homeland and the contributions we make to this nation.”