San Francisco marks Mexican Independence Day with Civic Center celebration
September 15th kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month, commemorating the independence of various Latin American countries.
On Sunday evening, people celebrated "El Grito de Dolores" -- the call to arms in 1810 that triggered the Mexican War of Independence -- with a night market in Civic Center Plaza.
Organizers said the event and this month is an opportunity to highlight all that Latino communities have contributed to the Bay Area and the country.
"I feel proud to sometimes to say 'Latina' or 'Hispanic,'" said vendor Inkza Angles. "A lot of people nowadays who identify as Mexican don't know a lot about their Indigenous heritage."
Angles identifies as Indigenous. Because her father is from Mexico and her mother is from Ecuador, she says many people see her as just Hispanic.
"In certain spaces, I show up and I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm Latino.' Or I have to check the box [that] I'm Hispanic," said Angles. "I'm Latina, I speak Spanish right, but that's all because of colonization."
Angles was at the event representing her family's business, Xpresion Cultural. They sell fair trade Indigenous clothing and jewelry, mostly from Mexico.
"We're kinda trying to take our business in the direction of revolutionizing and modernizing Indigenous fashion." said Angles.
Organizer Rodrigo Duran recruited Angles and her business for the event. He worked with San Francisco city officials and the SF Consulate General of Mexico to put it on.
"I think what's beautiful about San Francisco is that you get exposure to so many cultures. Mexican is one, Latino is another, so let's get together and have a good time celebrating life," said Duran.
Duran is Mexican himself. He says Hispanic people are a part of the fabric of America and should be celebrated as such.
"Especially in California, the percentage of Latino or Hispanic is about 50%, so there's no getting around," said Duran. "We're here. We're very present. We're contributing to the economy. We're contributing to the history of this country."
For Angles, she thinks events like this are important to celebrate Hispanic heritage as well as educate people about it's connection to Indigenous people.
"It feels important and it feels necessary," said Angles. "It also feels really nice because, from human to human, there's a lot of people that come with genuine curiosity."
Hispanic Heritage Month runs through October 15th.