Fiesta Mexicana is start of month of celebrations

Emotional cries of "Viva Mexico!" are expected to fill Washington Square in downtown Salt Lake City tonight as Utah residents celebrate Mexico's independence day.

Hispanic History Month is under way with festivals ranging from Fiesta Mexicana to a Chilean Independence Festival at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. In Ogden, there are multicultural events, celebrating the heritage of Utahns with ties to a variety of Latin American countries.

The state Office of Hispanic Affairs this week commemorated the month, Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Events include educational, cultural and informational programs.

"Almost every Hispanic and Latino group is represented in our state," said Tony Yapias, director of the state Office of Hispanic Affairs. "The focus is on the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the history of the United States."

Yapias said there are more than 250,000 Latinos in Utah, and as many as 70 percent are of Mexican descent. He said this month's events will help Latinos and non-Latinos alike experience the diversity of the state's vibrant Latino community.

"It's important to take the opportunity to take your family, kids to the events and learn something new about another culture," Yapias said.

As part of its educational focus, the Utah Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission is bringing Hispanic role models to its 10 adopted schools this month. Next month the focus will be on Pacific Islanders.

Commission program manager Michael Styles said the goal is to show children, "Look, we have people who are Latino and Hispanic. There are differences, but we are all one community.

"Our main message is that we are all the same; we want to respect each other and understand each other," Styles said.

Salt Lake City's Fiesta Mexicana III celebrates Mexico's declaration of Mexico declared its independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1821. After 11 years of fighting, Mexico gained its independence, said Consul of Mexico Arturo Chevarria.

Chevarria said the independence festival here is about instilling a sense of pride in Utah's Mexican natives and about "showing the non-Hispanic community what our culture is."

Mexico isn't the only Latin American nation with an independence day in September. Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Chile also celebrate their independence this month.

Monica Rodriguez, Spanish director for Weber State University radio station FM-88.1, said, "It's very important to have a connection with our community."

The station is holding a multicultural Latino festival Sunday at Weber State. Rodriguez said it's important for educational institutions such as Weber State to help build bridges with the Latino community.

The festival will feature food, music and dance from a variety of countries such as Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Peru.

"This is the kind of event people have been expecting for some time," she said. "We know the people are thirsty to remember their traditions, to teach their children how life was in their culture."

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com