The House of Mexico, which plans
to build a cottage with the others at Balboa Park’s House of Pacific
Relations, is hosting its first Mexican Independence Day celebration from 6:30
p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
The
celebration — on Mexican Independence Day — will culminate with the
Mexican consul performing the traditional “grito,” according to Gloria Cazares
of the House of Mexico.
Art
Castro, president of the House of Mexico, called the grito a “declaration of
independence or a shout for independence.”
The grito,
which means shout or cry, recalls the impassioned speech, known as “El Grito de
Dolores,” made by the Rev. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest who called
his congregation to arms against Spain in 1810. Mexican officials, including
the president, perform the grito every year in honor of the beginning of
the war that led to Mexico’s independence after 300 years of colonial
rule.
The House
of Mexico festivities will also feature two mariachi groups, Mariachi
Miztli from San Ysidro High School and Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista.
A ballet folklorico group, La Fiesta Danzantes de San Diego, will
demonstrate various regional dances. Radio Guacamaya will perform Son
Jarocho, a cultural art form from Veracruz that includes music and dance.
The
organization hosted an event in September 2015 that drew about 700 people,
Cazares said. It was the House’s first annual Arte Color y Fiesta event,
timed to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from
September 15 to October 15. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Chile also celebrate their independence days in that time frame.
“This time
we’re trying to inform and educate people and reference the typical dancing or
typical protocol of what independence day is,” Cazares said. “A lot of people
think Cinco de Mayo is independence day in Mexico. There’s no relationship.”
The House
of Mexico was approved by the House of Pacific Relations to join the other
Balboa Park houses in 2004. There are thirty-three countries listed in the
House of Pacific Relations website as belonging to the group.
Castro,
who was one of the founding members of the House of Mexico, said the
organization has been fundraising since then to build a cottage of its own. He
said so far it has raised about $120,000, but it needs another $150,000 to
complete the cottage. Eight other houses are also planning to build cottages,
including the Philippines and India.
The House
of Mexico also will host its annual lawn program at the international
cottages from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.on Sunday afternoon.
Source: kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com
