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What Hispanic Heritage Month means to me — City Editor Ivan

Viva México, Viva la Independencia 🇲🇽

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City Editor Ivan (light green shirt) celebrating el 16 de septiembre in Laredo, TX circa 2011.

Photo by Ivan Briones

City Editor Ivan here. I’ve been proud to call San Antonio home for the better half of my adult and professional life, but I will always hold my Mexican heritage close.

While I was born in Laredo, TX, most of my adolescence was spent traveling between the US and Mexico to visit family.

Much like how Mexican culture is extremely community-focused, I have always felt that San Antonio, being a Hispanic-majority city, has embraced its residents of all backgrounds. It’s no surprise that the Alamo City was ranked the No. 4 most friendly city in the US.

On September 16, my family celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day at community-wide festivities with mariachis, Mexican food, and El Grito, a tradition that recreates the moment in which Don Miguel Hidalgo gathered his followers in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato.

This year, I look forward to celebrating el 16 de septiembre with hundreds of new friends at Pearl’s Viva Dieciséis celebration.