Greenwich marks Mexican Independence Day
GREENWICH — There were several cries of “Viva Mexico” — with a “Viva Greenwich” added for good measure — as a small crowd gathered outside Town Hall on Wednesday to raise the Mexican flag and mark that country’s independence day.
The flag flew beside the town and American flags throughout the day after it was raised while the Mexican National Anthem played.
“The town of Greenwich is very proud of all the many people that have come here from all over the world and called Greenwich their home,” First Selectman Fred Camillo said. “It’s what makes Green
This is a celebration not just for the country of Mexico but for all of the Mexicans living here.”
Rita Vargas Torregrosa, deputy consul general, Mexican consulate
wich and our country the special place that it is.”
The ceremony commemorated what is called the Dia de Independencia, which is when the cry of independence was first heard on Sept. 16, 1810, triggering the revolution against the Spaniards who controlled Mexico at the time.
Rita Vargas Torregrosa, deputy consul general of the Mexican consulate in New York City, also attended the cremony and spoke to Greenwich Time about how much she appreciated the local celebration.
“This is very important for the government of Mexico,” she said. “There are many Mexican workers living here and many of them are essential workers in this area. They are working here with all of you. … They are working as first responders and doing all of the important jobs to support the economy and the people of this country. This is a celebration not just for the country of Mexico but for all of the Mexicans living here.”
The annual ceremony to celebrate Mexico’s independence was the idea of town residents Ann Blumensaadt and her husband Robert Genna. Blumensaadt grew up along the border in El Paso, Texas, and has said she wanted to bring the celebration to Greenwich.
“Hopefully we will be doing this for many, many years to come,” Camillo said.
The honor of raising the flag, as it has in years past, went to Byram resident Leoncio Flores.
Nearly 30 people attended the ceremony, including state Sen. Alex Kasser, D-36, and state Rep. Stephen Meskers, D-150. Both delivered messages of support and celebration in Spanish to the crowd.
Kasser became emotional when she spoke about the climate in the U.S. on immigration, mentioning the policy under President Donald Trump to separate children from their parents at the border and reports from a whistleblower alleging that a doctor working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was performing hysterectomies on migrant women.
Calling it a “time of danger” in the country, Kasser said, “Forced sterilization of immigrants is not American. Putting children in cages is not American. Separating families is not American. I am appalled by the way this president has disrespected Mexican people and our American values.”
Kasser, who is facing a reelection challenge from Republican Ryan Fazio, pledged to “do everything in my power to ensure that every person is treated with respect and dignity.”
Due to safety measures because of the coronavirus, everyone at the ceremony wore a mask and there was no reception afterward, as there has been in previous years.