CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The community of Chula Vista celebrated El Grito de la Independencia de México with music, food and traditional dances.
“We wanted to learn more about our heritage and all the beautiful array of everything, all the love between us and for Mexico,” Ballet Folklorico dancer, Amanda Malicki said.
Amanda and Felice Malicki are a mother-daughter duo who are both ballet folklorico dancers, they say joining the group has helped them stay in touch with deep rooted traditions.
“I love being around the families that are in our dance troop who speak Spanish because we're not fluent and Felice is bi-racial, she's white from dad, American and Mexican from me and it's been beautiful to share and learn together,” Amanda Malicki said.
To celebrate Mexico and keep traditions going for the next generation. For many San Diegans in attendance, Saturday served as an important opportunity to share their culture. Like for Erika Martinez, who's both daughter and son performed at the event.
“Teaching them the culture and embracing the culture and not only that but performing the culture as well…very proud, they make me very proud,” Martinez said.
With Mexico being San Diego’s neighbor at the southern border, it is also a time for San Diegans to feel at home and embrace who they are.
“Our community in Chula Vista is a very vibrant community, it's very diverse. People are from all over the place and especially south of the border and we want to make sure that we're celebrating each other and getting along together,” Chula Vista Mayor, John McCann said.
For City leaders, it's an opportunity to bring the entire community together.
“We’ve always worked well together, we’ve been a city that loves each other and we want to be able to unite our community,” McCann said.
To learn more about the history of La Independencia de Mexico visit “El Grito” celebrations held on eve of Mexican Independence Day | cbs8.com