Sep 14

Sep 14 Mexican Independence Day

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Musicians, Parades, Performance, Public Declarations, Things to Do in Chicago

“I don’t wanna spoil the party so I’ll go
I would hate my disappointment to show
There’s nothing for me here so I will disappear
If she turns up while I’m gone please let me know”

— The Beatles, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, from Beatles for Sale (1964)

Little Village’s 54th Annual Mexican Independence Day Parade can be summed up by the following five words: Lousy Parade; Great Community Event. Every major media outlet in the city reported that attendance was significantly down from prior years, which is no surprise given Donald J. Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s ongoing attacks on migrants, particularly those of Hispanic origin.

According to the parade’s organizers, in prior years, the parade drew 400,000 spectators—last year it was cancelled due to fears over deportations. Based on my observations, I would be surprised if 50,000 people were in attendance today—2,000 people per block multiplied by 25 blocks, with the 2,000 number being very generous as my photographs reveal.

The families who occupied the sidewalks lining the 2-mile route running along the 26th Street commercial corridor enjoyed summer weather on what proved to be a beautiful, albeit hot, Sunday afternoon. The vendors, who were located at virtually every intersection, must have been disappointed by the meager turnout. Everything someone might want was on sale, including tee-shirts; Mexican flags, both gigantic and tiny; plastic noisemakers; and every Mexican food imaginable, including tacos, enchiladas, tamales, quesadillas, tortas, and ceviche.

Paletas vendors could be seen pushing and pulling their refrigerated carts up and down the sidewalks, peddling ice cream confections on a stick. Normally, the vendors are a lakefront staple, but today, I suspect those walking and riding the lakefront trails had to look elsewhere for popsicles and other cold sweets.

From a photojournalist’s standpoint, nothing would have been better than a major incursion by ICE, together with the riot that surely would have ensued. While Trump and Miller would have relished the violence, I correctly predicted that ICE would be a no-show today. The agency’s name is already synonymous with repression and cruelty.

The ICE administrators who run day-to-day operations are far more practical than Trump and his bloviating bulldog, Stevie Miller, who apparently was teased unrelentingly as a nerdy, already-balding schoolboy. According to reports, ICE is plagued by low morale among its existing workforce, together with difficulty in recruiting new agents.

Images of little kids being tear-gassed and their parents being beaten would not only exacerbate ICE’s already tattered reputation, but would produce congressional outrage and investigations. Anyone who doubts my assessment need only recall this past Friday’s tragedy in Franklin Park, when an ICE officer shot and killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, an undocumented father, during a traffic stop that was part of Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz. Both Congressman Garcia and Governor Pritzker have already called for an investigation. An investigation is warranted because the media has reported that the ICE officer may have had valid self-defense claims.

Instead of waging an all-out attack on Trump and ICE, the parade’s organizers opted for subtlety, choosing to celebrate the Mexican community’s Pride and Power: Our Strength, Our Legacy. Yes, the parade included a surprisingly anemic contingent from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights—maybe 20 or 30 people. Another participating group drove a pickup truck with someone standing in the rear waving an orange sign emblazoned with the words, “Fuck Trump.” But aside from those two notable exceptions, the floats and marchers steered clear of ICE, deportations, and Trump. On other side of the barricades, some spectators wore shirts reading, “Fuck ICE,” or carried signs with similar sentiments, including “Stay Out of Chicago” and “ICE Lies: Justice for Silverio”

Light poles, utility boxes, and walls were plastered with posters referring to ICE and Trump, but most of these screeds had been posted long before today. Walking through the streets, I did hear several organizers advising vendors what to do if ICE agents made an appearance, but the pitch was low key, striking me as almost performative. As an additional precaution, the organizers had 25 immigration lawyers on hand.

Returning to my five-word summary: The parade was lousy for a variety of reasons. Most notably, the procession had zero entertainment value. For the most part, people marched either behind corporate banners or rode on flatbed floats with minimal decoration. The sponsors included Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Chase, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Fire, the Chicago Fire Department, the Chicago Teachers Union, CIBC the CTA, McDonald’s, Modelo, Metra, SEIU, U.S. Bank, WGN-TV, the White Sox, and Wintrust, among other financial institutions, health care insurers and providers, and labor unions.

I may have missed some participating politicians because I am not stationary during the parade, but as far as I could ascertain, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Senators Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and most House members did not make what are normally obligatory appearances. In fairness, several of these politicos were seen pressing the fresh at last weekend’s Independence Day Parade in Pilsen. Congressman Jesús “Chuy” Garcia was the honorary parade marshal, although I did not see him pass by. I did encounter Cook County Comptroller Susana Mendoza as she walked the parade route.

I had one recurring thought as the corporate banners headed down the street: A month ago, each sponsor’s public relations department must have sent a memo to employees, asking for volunteers to represent the sponsor in the parade. Not surprisingly, many Hispanic employees answered the call, just as LGBQT employees answer the call for the annual Gay Pride Parade at the end of June.

Most of those who marched didn’t bother wearing apparel that reflected the Hispanic cultural heritage or traditions. Instead, many were clad in jeans and tee-shirts. Regrettably, more than a few chose a cellphone as their fashion accessory, meaning far too many participants looked downward at their screens rather than interacting with the spectators.

As for music, much of it was pre-recorded. I only heard live music four or five times. While I didn’t see them during the parade, I did watch a traditional marching band warming up prior to the parade’s start.

High-above the street, crowded together on a platform carried by a truck, a group of heritage musicians performed traditional Mexican folk music. Toward the end of the parade, a somewhat makeshift group of young men played and sang, walking with two amplified acoustic guitars, an electric bass, and a tuba. The resulting sounds blended folk rock with Latin time signatures.

With its Day of the Dead iconography, the organizers could have utilized spooky skeletons just as the circus parades use clowns to add color and humor, but I only saw a few participants dressed accordingly. The colorfully-attired Danzu Azteca was the day’s stand out unit. Wearing exuberant feathered headdresses, this group hops from one foot to other foot as they make their way along the route, often throwing in some synchronized twirls and spins.

While there were no elephants or giraffes—like ICE agents, I didn’t expect to see any—several groups of Vaqueros on horseback pranced along the route, occasionally stopping so kids could pet the exceptionally well-behaved horses.

I had assumed people would congregate on 26th Street when the parade came to an end at 2:15 PM, 45 minutes earlier than scheduled. As I walked back from Kostner Avenue (the parade’s terminus) along 26th Street, I encountered a largely empty street, except for groups of police officers posted at each intersection. Maybe people decided not to push their luck with ICE, deciding the safest course of action was to head home. As I began my trek, I could see the street cleaners in the distance already at work, even though the spectators left a largely litter-free route.

Those who did attend had a great time, enjoying family, celebrating their culture, and eating. With a route that travels along Little Village’s main retail corridor, the parade showcased what is a very impressive and colorful enclave that many in Chicago never experience. Any one who spends an afternoon exploring 26th Street and the surrounding area will have no trouble finding a meal, Mexican conchas, cookies, churros, or a beer.

The successive generations of Hispanics who have immigrated to Chicago have made a significant contribution to Chicago and the country. Little Village is a vibrant, well-maintained, and prosperous community, filled with families and hundreds of small businesses. Trump, Miller, and Homan should keep their ICE agents out of Little Village, permitting the community to grow and thrive.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]