Mexican Independence Day fiesta in Santa Rosa showcases culture, message of unity

Amid the dancing, singing, eating and children playing at a Mexican Independence Day fiesta Sunday in Santa Rosa, there was a message of unity and hope, despite the unease over President Donald Trump’s strong anti-immigration views.

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore set the tone early in a bilingual speech saying “it doesn’t really matter what happens in Washington, D.C., or Sacramento. If we are not strong here locally with our family, we have nothing.”

He said there are two “bubbles,” an Anglo one and a separate Latino bubble, and both need to be burst.

“It doesn’t matter to me where you were born, where you came from. You are part of my family, our common family,” he said in Spanish.

Gore’s comments were greeted with strong applause by an audience of hundreds sitting in a shaded, tent-like structure outside the Luther Burbank Center.

He ended his speech with a loud “grito,” or high-pitched yell symbolic of the cry for independence that launched a Sept. 16, 1810, uprising culminating with Mexico’s eventual break from Spain in 1821.

The eighth annual Fiesta de Independencia at the Luther Burbank Center featured Aztec dancers, folkloric ballet, mariachi bands and a low rider custom car show with brilliantly shiny classic Chevys and Fords that looked like rolling art sculptures.

In keeping with the family atmosphere, no alcohol was served.

“You can see a lot of wonderful food. You have the opportunity to taste homemade food from a whole long tradition,” said Irma Garcia of Santa Rosa. “It made me feel like I was in Mexico.”

From the “pambasos,” a fried bread filled with meat, to the “elotes,” a corn on the cob seasoned with mayonnaise and cheese, it reminded her of her native country.

“We should not forget our language and traditions and be proud of that,” she said. “It doesn’t matter the situation of the government.”

Garcia is also involved with the North Bay Organizing Project’s outreach to members of the immigrant community to assist them with legal services and other needs.

Relations between Mexico and the United States have been strained by Trump’s calls to build a border wall between the two countries and his decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a program that allows young immigrants - most of whom were brought here illegally as children - to work in the United States.

“All children will be affected,” Garcia said pointing a group of young mariachi camp students on stage. “Who will help them?”

There were few tangible reminders of those divisive issues Sunday, other than a small sign at a Catholic Charities booth advising people they could get help with DACA renewals.

Diana Fertino, a volunteer at the booth, said anyone whose DACA permits expire between Sept. 5 and March 5 can apply to get them renewed through U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services, but only until Oct. 5.

The festival also included student exhibits of six Central and South American countries that celebrate their freedom from Spain in September: Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Chile.

Roseland Prep School students had cultural exhibits showcasing the countries and also got on stage every hour to briefly talk about each nation.

“They’re all great traditions and cultures,” said Daniel Shea, a teacher at the charter high school.

Esmeralda Reyes, a senior at Roseland Prep, said it’s important “to open your eyes and see all cultures.”

Reyes, who was born in Santa Rosa and whose parents are from Mexico, said Trump’s negative comments about Mexicans “has made it easier for people to accept discrimination and racism. He’s the voice making it OK,” she said, and that’s why events like Sunday’s are important to see the richness of diverse cultures.

“It’s a place where you can keep you mind off the situation - come together as one,” she said.

Valentin Leon Estrada, a native of Michoacan, Mexico who teaches mathematics at Santa Rosa Junior College to students seeking a high school equivalency degree, brought his son, 10, and daughter 11, to the festival. They played in a children’s mariachi band that sang traditional songs like “Guantanamera,” “La Cucaracha” and “De Colores.”

The fiesta, he said “is a beautiful thing. It brings the community together. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy the richness of Mexico.”