RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Mexican Independence Day, known as El Grito, will be celebrated this year on September 16, 2016; and
WHEREAS, A Roman Catholic priest and legendary leader, Father Miguel Hidalgo, in his famous speech of September 16, 1810, known as "El Grito de Dolores" or the "Cry of Dolores," exhorted his parishioners to join him in his fight against the injustices of the Spanish colonial rule; and
WHEREAS, El Grito de Dolores marked the beginning of the long Mexican War of Independence, which Mexicans fought with resolute determination until they achieved their independence in 1821; and
WHEREAS, This august Body has been notified of this important event by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Honorable Daniel Solis, Alderman of the 25th Ward; and
WHEREAS, This year marks the 206th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spanish colonial rule; and
WHEREAS, Mexican Independence Day-is one of the country's most important holidays celebrated with flags, feasts, dances and parades; and
WHEREAS, Fiestas Patrias Chicago Committee is a group of over 100 prominent Mexican Chicagoans who have revitalized the celebration of Mexican Independence Day in our City; and
WHEREAS, El Grito 2016 will be celebrated in Harrison Park in the City's Pilsen community on September 15, 2016, featuring Mexican cuisine, traditional dancing, marching bands, and floats; and
WHEREAS, El Grito 2016 is an opportunity for the one and a half million Mexicans in the Chicago area to celebrate the culture and history of Mexico; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this fourteenth day of September, 2016, do hereby acknowledge the cultural and historical significance of Mexican Independence Day; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Fiestas Patrias Chicago Committee as a token of our appreciation of the Committee's efforts in reinvigorating the celebration of Mexican Independence ...
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