In a spirit of pride, Pilsen turns out for El Grito celebration

The Mexican Cultural Committee of Chicago hosted the annual Mexican Independence eve celebration — El Grito, on Monday evening at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Pilsen.

However, the mood was subdued amid concerns of increased enforcement activity in Chicago by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Committee president Teresa Fraga says she doesn’t regret hosting the event under the current circumstances.

“We’re resilient, you know. We dare to cross the river without a raft,” she said.

Fraga said many steps were taken to ensure the safety of those attending, including having lawyers and watch groups patrolling the neighborhood to keep an eye out for ICE agents. A fence secured the perimeter and extra security was on hand.

The El Grito celebration honors El Grito De Independencia, which translates to “The Cry of Independence.” It honors Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who rang his church bell and gave a speech that marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810.

Angela Adams is a member of St. Paul’s who volunteered at the event.

“Anybody can enter God’s house with a good heart,” she said. “With ill intent, though, they will not be let in.”

Immigration lawyer Chris Bergin says organizers had been meeting to discuss safety measures for more than a month.

“ICE would only be able to come in if they had a judicial warrant, which is highly unlikely,” he said.

Bergin initially supported canceling the event over concerns about not being able to manage potential raids in Pilsen.

But after experiencing earlier Mexican Independence Day celebrations, he changed his mind and pushed to hold the event as planned.

“That is the great benefit to having a mayor who has our back and a lot of aldermen who really are supportive of obviously protecting the community,” he said.

Blanca Acevedo was celebrating El Grito in Pilsen for the first time. She said people were watching their backs, but the event was nevertheless a beautiful celebration with traditional music and food.

“I think people are on edge, but I think we have allies, and that is the strength that we have, and there’s power in numbers,” she said.

The night ended with the ringing of the church bell, symbolizing the church bell that rang in the revolution.