SAN DIEGO — As the “El Grito” celebration gets underway outside the Mexican consulate on India Street, CBS 8 is diving deeper into the meaning of “El Grito” and its significance to Mexican culture.
“You’ll see people coming together in the streets and really hanging out as a community, as a collective because it was that kind of social movement,” said Dr. Ramona Pérez, Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at San Diego State University.
The “El Grito” celebration pays homage to the rallying cry for independence made by Father Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. It was a call to the Mexican people to rise up against the Spaniards after 3 centuries of Spanish rule.
“He called for the movement. He called for the fight for independence,” said Dr. Pérez.
They marched forward and took over a series of major cities, and while they stopped short of the capital, Mexico City, the struggle for independence carried on, eventually coming to fruition in 1821. To this day, celebrations of Mexican independence carry the same spirit of the original movement.
“There’s a lot of music, there’s a lot of calls for justice, so you get a lot of people talking about what we need to do this year,” said Dr. Pérez. “It’s a moment where you get to affirm your independence, but you also get to reflect and kind of move forward in what you want today.”
“El Grito” is celebrated all over the world and of course, right here in San Diego.
“It’s part of our culture, it’s part of our identity,” said Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego. “It’s an opportunity to help our kids, particularly those who were born here in the U.S., to strengthen their pride to their culture, to strengthen their sense of belonging to our nation.”
At Friday’s celebration outside the Mexican consulate in Little Italy, Gutiérrez will step on to the balcony outside his office to recreate the call, “Viva Mexico,” the same ceremonial call performed by the president of Mexico and ambassadors around the world.
“I call three times, ‘¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!’ And just like it happens at the zócalo, I do this with the flag and then I ring the bell,” said Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez has been Consul General here in San Diego for 4 years, and for him, performing the ceremony is an incredible honor.
“Every time I give it, I feel my knees trembling because it’s very emotional,” said Gutiérrez. “After it happens, you are like very excited, I come down with the people, everybody’s happy, this is a family celebration.”