San José City Hall celebrated Mexican Independence Day with “El Grito,” a cultural celebratory event which included vendors, traditional Mexican dances, a flag raising ceremony and speakers on Friday evening.

According to the Library of Congress, early in the morning of Sept. 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla delivered his famous El Grito de Dolores, or Cry of Dolores, which was a spoken word delivered at a small Dolores parish church urging citizens to take up arms and fight for Mexico’s independence from Spain. 

While Mexico’s independence would not come until 10 years after Costilla’s death in 1821, with the Treaty of Córdoba, his speech would be a token of Mexican independence, culture and heritage. Signed on Aug. 24, 1821, the Treaty of Córdoba gave Mexico its independence after 300 years under Spanish rule, according to Britannica.

Councilmember Peter Ortiz represents the residents of City Council District 5 which includes

East San José. According to data from BestNeighborhood, Hispanics make up 50.2% of East San José.

“We’ve always [had] a Mexican Independence Day flag raising ceremony, but this is the second annual fiestas patrias [a traditional Mexican celebration] here at City Hall,” Ortiz said. 

Caballos, or Mexican horse dancers, funneled into a fenced-off area in the middle of Santa Clara street between, dividing the street’s lowriders and vendors.

“We wanted to invite everyone to participate and come to City Hall where we shut the street down to celebrate the independence of Mexico,” Ortiz said. “Where you go here in San José, there is a beautiful culture and the Mexican community is part of that culture.”

SJSU alumnus Jonathan Perez works for Councilmember Domingo Candelas representing District 8.

Perez, a community representative and staff coordinator for the event, said he was part of city meetings with the Mexican Consulate of San José where there was an effort to offer spaces for vendors during the Mexican Independence Day celebration.

The Consulate of Mexico in San José is a consular mission representing the Government of Mexico in Santa Clara County, Monterey County and the adjacent counties of San Benito and Santa Cruz. 

The Consulate also aims to carry out Mexico’s foreign policy while also strengthening the expression of Mexico’s cultural identity, according to its LinkedIn biography.

“As a person of Mexican heritage, it’s always nice to have an opportunity to share our culture with folks, whether they are from the Downtown area, West or East San José,” Perez said. “These are communities that have a lot of Mexican residents, and Hispanic residents in general.” 

He said whether attendees are of Mexican heritage or not, people from Latin America usually appreciate the food or cultural entertainment that Mexican culture brings. 

“It was really nice to see the culture and all the different events and hearing people speaking the language I grew up speaking,” forensic studies junior Dalia Cruz said. “It’s a way to feel more connected to my culture.”

Cruz, originally from Los Angeles, said the celebration at City Hall brings back memories of family and home.

“Specifically for my family, I feel like they really wanted me to hold onto my culture, so I think this is a really big way to connect back and feel like I’m with my family,” Cruz said. 

Selene Coss was a vendor at the event, selling bags, clothes and souvenirs to individuals on Santa Clara street.

Coss said she was tabling at a separate event when she was approached by the host of the event and was invited to table at City Hall for the event.

“I was born in Mexico City and raised in San Francisco,” Coss said. “My heritage is Mexican and my parents are from Mexico, so this day means a whole lot to me.”

Coss said she tries to raise her children to be aware of their rich culture and heritage.

“My business imports from Mexico,” Coss said. “We want to connect that with the community and anything that has to do with the Mexican culture.”

She said it’s common for new customers and visitors to think the event is another flea market from afar, but their support goes a long way.

“They should realize that a lot of us are small business vendors, and for a lot of us, this is our only income,” Coss said. “Come give it a try and come support small businesses.”

Forensic studies sophomore Talia Brown said she enjoyed looking at handmade jewelry, clothing and watching the folklorico dancers.

Ballet Folklorico is a traditional Mexican dance created by young Mexico City dancer Amalia Hernández in 1952, according to a Britannica article. 

The dance includes elaborate costumes, exaggerated choreography and scenery, often including troupes of dancers representing Mexican culture and traditions through music and movement, according to the same article.

Brown said she heard about the “El Grito” celebration through her roommate and was eager to learn more about Mexican culture and traditions.

“It’s different, for sure, but it’s cool experiencing something out of my culture,” Brown said. “It’s not every day you get to experience something like this, seeing everyone come together and put this on is pretty cool.”

SJSU alumnus Fernando Corral is a fire technician who, along with other Compas Chevroleros lowrider members, parked their cars in front of City Hall for people to see.

“We’re with Compas Cheveroleros and we started the club around five years ago,” Corral said. “We are here celebrating El Grito, Mexican Independence Day, and it’s an honor to be a part of this with the lowrider community.”

Corral said it is in his roots and the traditions of Mexican-Americans to celebrate their families, ancestors and origin.

“Seeing everybody celebrating this day out here is great,” he said. “We have the horses, the music, folklorico and all the beautiful rides . . . it’s a big thing, especially in San José.”