This weekend, Mexicans in New York are celebrating 214 years of independence from what was then a Spanish colony, with parades in Manhattan and Staten Island, as well as several festivals in neighborhoods like Sunset Park and a popular party in Times Square.
A commemoration that this year has many meanings for a community that is one of the most important economic and cultural engines of New York life.
This celebration, also known as the ‘Grito de Dolores’, is set against the backdrop of estimates of a sustained increase in Mexican migration throughout the country, after periods in which the trend was, on the contrary, a decline.
As explained by Patricia Hernández, creator and director of the Manhattan Parade, this Sunday, September 15, the 30th edition of one of the most important cultural parades that define the cultural life of the Big Apple will be celebrated.
“We have an opportunity to show children and teenagers who were born here, and whose parents or grandparents are Mexican, that we have traditions of which we are very proud,” said Patricia, an immigrant who highlights having been born in a farming town like Chila de la Sal. And today she is the creator of one of the most important stops in the Big Apple.
This year, the celebration will feature more than 14 floats that will parade from 12 noon on Madison Avenue between 27th and 38th Streets.
The presence of the governor of Puebla, Sergio Salomón, and the boxing champion from Puebla, Gabriela Bonita Sánchez, is expected. In addition, there will be folkloric performances from Veracruz and Morelos.
For the fifth time
Also on the agenda of the Aztec community in the Big Apple is the fifth edition of the Staten Island Mexican Parade this Sunday, September 15, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the community organization La Colmena, one of the most important support centers for migrants in that town in the Big Apple.
This parade will take place on Port Richmond Avenue and will feature vibrant performances, traditional music and a variety of local vendors.
This event will begin at 2:00 p.m., kicking off at 774 Port Richmond Avenue and concluding at Veterans Park, where the festivities will continue with food, music, and performances until 6:30 p.m.
Since its beginning in September 2020, this parade has become a very popular event on Staten Island, attracting more than a thousand participants and spectators each year.
“Mexicans are one of the largest Latino groups on Staten Island. They have contributed a lot to this borough, not only with taxes, but also in community leadership,” said Yesenia Mata, executive director of La Colmena.
The celebration will run along part of Port Richmond’s main commercial thoroughfare, and will be a resounding reminder of how important the Mexican community is to the identity of this New York island.
Growing community
“Together we are making history by celebrating the fifth annual Mexican Independence Day Parade on Staten Island, which is a sign of this growing population, which has been on the front lines supporting New York City, many times,” Mata said.
According to projections from the 2020 Census, more than 500,000 Mexicans have found their home in recent years in the Big Apple, but there are approximately 1,200,000 in the rest of the state.
According to data shared with local media by the Institute of Mexican Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY), just over 180,000 Mexicans lived in the five boroughs in 2000. That number soared to 324,000 in 2021.
And Staten Island is the county with the highest rate of growth in this migration. There are estimates that indicate that more than 20,000 Mexicans live there, a jump of more than 180% during this same period of population measurement.
In an investigation published by El Diario in 2019 entitled Are the Numbers of Mexican Immigrants in New York Decreasing?, it is described in detail how between 2010 and 2018, according to the American Community Survey, a 14.94% decrease in the Mexican presence in the state of New York was recorded.
Now, on the contrary, trends define a revitalization of this migratory flow.
“We are a valuable workforce”
Since 2020, and especially in recent months, several reports agree that the combination of increasing violence throughout Mexico and a complicated economic situation, marked by high inflation, has led to the first rise in Mexican migration to the United States in a decade.
“More and more people are coming. In fact, many people who had even decided to return to Mexico are now back, because the crime rate, the lack of opportunities, the terrible economy, especially in the smaller towns, is forcing older people to return who thought they could have a better retirement, but no!” said Barbara Lopez, a community activist from Sunset Park in Brooklyn, one of the “most Mexican” neighborhoods in New York City.
There is one piece of data that gives further weight to Barbara’s comment: according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, the number of Mexicans detained at the U.S. border rose by almost 50 percent between 2019 and 2020, from about 170,000 to almost 255,000.
This figure continues to grow, with approximately 379,000 people arrested so far in 2024.
All indications are that migration from Mexico decreased between 2009 and 2019, a period in which more Mexicans left the United States than entered.
The interpretation of Puebla native Bárbara García, a resident of Sunset Park, is that this is a very valuable workforce for the country, who arrives ready to work from day one, with the support of family and friends. She also comments that there are few families of her fellow countrymen established in New York at this time who are not waiting for relatives who come to seek a better life.
“It may sound a little humble, but in reality, we Mexicans are high-quality workers who have come to this city for decades and decades, without demanding anything. Only opportunities to work. We as a community have never caused a migration crisis. We come to work like no one else, period,” said the migrant.
What exactly do Mexicans celebrate?
The Grito de Dolores is considered the act that marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Based on historical data, it consisted of a call from the priest Miguel Hidalgo, along with Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama, who shouted to their parishioners to rise up in arms against Spain, in the early morning of September 16, 1810. At that moment, one of the church bells in the town of Dolores rang. Today Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato.
Aztec presence in New York
- In 2010, the state of New York registered 252,206 Mexicans. In 2018, the number was reduced to 223,333.
- 2017 was the year in which the fewest Mexicans lived in New York State in decades.
- Approximately 15% of Latino immigrants in New York City are of Mexican origin, the majority from Puebla. This is based on the report on the Latino Population 1990 – 2015 in NYC, from the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. However, currently all projections indicate a growth of this community.
- The 2020 Census counted 500,000 Mexicans in the five counties of the Big Apple.
- An estimated 1,200,000 Aztecs currently live in New York State, providing an indispensable labor force for agricultural activities.
Mexican Independence Agenda in NY:
Sunday, September 15:
- Staten Island Parade: This event will begin at 2:00 p.m., starting at 774 Port Richmond Avenue and concluding at Veterans Park, where the festivities will continue with food, music, and performances until 6:30 p.m.
- The 30th edition of the Manhattan Mexican Parade will be held. More than 14 floats will parade from 12 noon on Madison Avenue between 27th and 38th Streets.
- At 7 PM the Mexican Consulate in New York is preparing a traditional party in Times Square with the invitation of two important artists who will be a surprise for the attendees.
- Community groups from Sunset Park in Brooklyn will also organize a parade on 59th Street and Fifth Avenue at 2:30 PM. Afterwards, musical groups such as Aliados, La Nueva Clase, El Duo Los Pícaros and Ricardo Silva will perform at 4210 Second Avenue until 9:00 PM.