Caption by Ashmar Mandou

Thousands of people adorned 26th street on Sunday, Sept. 10th as the Mexican Independence Day Parade made its way through the Little Village neighborhood. Mariachis, folkloric dancers, decorative floats, and Aztec dancers descended onto 26th Street chanting, “Viva, Mexico,” while crowds cheered on along the corridor. This year’s theme was centered on the City of Chicago’s “One City, One Dream, One Chicago,” campaign to unite amid the announcements made by the Trump administration in regards to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA.) “As we celebrate the rich culture of our Mexican and Mexican-American community in Chicago during the 48th anniversary of the Mexican Independence Day Parade, we felt it was important, now more than ever, to stand united as one city, one dream, one Chicago,” said Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce Jaime di Paulo.

Photo Credit: Tony Diaz