Appreciate El Grito as a Celebration of Freedom

Appreciate El Grito as a Celebration of Freedom
by Rodolpho Carrasco
September 16, 2000
in the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group

Rodolpho Carrasco is associate director of Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena, Calif., which was recently recognized as an exemplary technology program for community centers by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute's Digital Steppingstones initiative.

Two years ago I wrote an article for an East Coast magazine about Mexican Independence Day. I wrote that on this day both Mexicans and Mexican-Americans celebrate the same spirit of freedom and revolution that propelled American insurgents to a tax revolt, to defy freezing winters, and to make war against the superpower of their time.

I also stressed that Mexican immigrants celebrate a land they remember through mental gymnastics, photos, and occasional visits. Even as they miss their hometowns and old friends, they resolve anew to hope and struggle for a better future, which is the reason they made the trek north in the first place.

As I do with all of my articles, I posted this one to my web site. Last September the article was viewed by thousands of web surfers. This year that number increased, and so did the number of emails I've received from readers commenting on the article.

Many of these missives are passionate about Mexican Independence Day. A pair of e-mails I received this week indicates just how much.

One person took great pride in my reflections. His e-mail was short and read, "I too am a Mexican-American and I applaud you for this well written article. Thank you!"

Another took great offense. His e-mail was shorter: "F*** U Mexican."

Mexican Independence Day marks the 190th anniversary of The Grito -- The Shout -- by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo that called disenfranchised Mexicans to rise up against the tyranny of colonial Spain.

It also raises the issue of whether Mexican holidays should be celebrated in America.

On one side, many people believe that the celebration of Mexican Independence Day is a matter of ethnic pride, much like St. Patrick's Day parades and Jewish holidays, and is not a sign of a radical separatist agenda.

On the other side there is a belief that Mexican immigrants are not assimilating into American society as did immigrants of the past. The level of concern varies, depending on the individual or group, between mild annoyance to the type of disgust conveyed by the e-mailer who tried to put me in my place.

But there are other ways to look at Mexican Independence Day.

One way to see the celebration is as an exhibit of the pride and energy that can be harnessed to advance the fortunes of Mexicans in Mexico and Mexican-Americans in the United States.

The revolutionary spirit -- the "I'm not going to take it anymore" attitude that drives all freedom movements -- is what propelled opposition candidate Vicente Fox to victory in Mexico's presidential election.

The will to fight is what motivates Latino families, professionals and educators throughout the United States to combat school dropout, discrimination and youth violence.

If those who fear that Mexican pride equates separatism will look deeper, they will see that the very Mexicans celebrating the loudest are the same people whose children are acculturating into American society and intermarrying with whites, blacks and Asians at rates that lead almost every other ethnic group.

Another way to look at Mexican Independence Day is as a celebration of the principle of freedom. As such, it is an occasion for Americans of any ethnic background -- European, Mexican, Black, Chinese, East Indian, Arab, Russian -- to pause and be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.

This celebration of freedom has a new hero, outgoing Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, who may be embraced by anyone who loves liberty. History will record Zedillo as one of the 20th century's great democratizers, who championed reforms that broke the strangle-hold of Mexico's politically corrupt, 70-year-old, one-party rule.

He used his office to set new democratic precedents, often at the expense of his own political party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He spent billions of dollars to create reliable rosters and photo ID's of voters, to combat Mexico's long tradition of electoral fraud.

He prosecuted Raul Salinas, the brother of the prior Mexican president, for murder and ended the unspoken immunity of the PRI's power elite. Zedillo's leadership resulted in the fairest election in Mexican history and a peaceful transition of power.

Zedillo stood down what some have called "the perfect dictatorship," a political ruling class that perpetuated its power at the expense of the Mexican people. He is a role model for any individual who would stand against entrenched and corrupt interests, be they political, economic, or social.

On Mexican Independence Day, freedom is the point. If the day is just about ethnic pride, or if it's an offense to you, you are missing the mark.

This nation is a great place to live because people who loved freedom made it that way. When we nod approvingly at freedom lovers and welcome anyone or anything supports it, we do ourselves a favor.

The copyright for these materials are owned by Rudy Carrasco.  These materials were use with permission by TechMission