News and Upcoming Events for Mexicans in Cleveland
Veronica Dahlberg to be inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Veronica is founder and executive director of HOLA Ohio, the organization she founded in 1999, which works to empower Latinos through leadership development, civic engagement and advocacy. HOLA has received recognition for its groundbreaking advocacy over the course of over 25 years.She also established the HOLA Business Association, a group of over 60 Latino-owned small-businesses who provide support.
She has said that, “A typical day involves fielding calls from desperate immigrants in deportation, finding ways to keep them here with their families, whether through a public action or legal maneuver. I often feel like a circus performer spinning plates — each deportation case is high stakes and requires quick action. I contact elected officials, lawyers and other leaders daily. I drive to immigration in Cleveland, HOLA meetings, sometimes I drive 1,000 miles weekly. I delegate tasks to HOLA volunteers, and consult my mentors to strategize or get moral support.”
Recently, under her direction, HOLA Ohio developed a new, $2 million Hispanic Community Center in Painesville, which opened to the public on Cinco de Mayo, 2022.
The Mexican community was well-represented at the 2024 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cleveland. The Mexican Cultural Garden marched as part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation unit.
The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) celebration was put on by Dia de Muertos Ohio and Cleveland Public Theatre. The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday largely developed in Mexico, where it is mostly observed, but also in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. One of the highlights of the day is the colorful Skull and Bones Parade.
Most of the tributes are outside in a cemetery of ofrendas (altars) on the Cleveland Public Theatre grounds but there are also some elaborate displays inside.
The Mexican Committee of Cleveland (Comite Mexicano de Cleveland) is an organization dedicated to promoting art, culture, and community services for Mexican residents in the Cleveland metropolitan area and Northeast Ohio. They hosted a celebration of Mexican Independence on September 16, 2023 at the Centennial Peace Plaza in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
Rey and Patty Esparza of Comite Mexicano de Cleveland
Consul of Mexico in Detroit Roberto Nicolas Vazquez
A highlight of the evening was this traditional Aztec dance performance, led by talented artists who took the audience on a journey through ancient Mexican traditions. Additionally, the Folklorico Dancers were part of the celebration, providing an impressive display of Mexican folk dances.
The Mexican Cultural Garden group was very busy on One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 50,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2023. The Mexican Garden community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.
Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) in Cleveland 2022
The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) celebration was put on by Dia de Muertos Ohio and Cleveland Public Theatre. The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday largely developed in Mexico, where it is mostly observed, but also in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. It normally takes place on All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 and 2).
The Parade makes a few stops to visit altars like the one at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where a mariachi band performed and there was a colorful Mexican dance.
The Cleveland Mexican community demonstrated their heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 40,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2022.The Mexican community participated in the Parade of Flags and then hosted visitors to the site of their new Cultural Garden.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation World on Stage series presented a night of music and the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, a highly acclaimed folk dance group. This included a fashion show of dresses from different regions of Mexico. It was presented in conjunction with the Mexican Cultural Garden.
HOLA Ohio is a 501c3 Latino organization based in Painesville with a mission to empower the Latino community by creating opportunities through education, outreach, leadership development and economic advancement. In 2016 HOLA embarked on a project to develop a Hispanic community center to meet the demands of the growing Latino community and demand for its services. On May 5, 2022 the HOLA Hispanic Community Center had its grand opening.
12 year old Tania Daniela Nicasio led the national anthem.
Los Jilgueros de Altamira and HOLA Folkloric Dancers at HOLA grand opening
After the HOLA Hispanic community center ribbon cutting, the festivities continued with delicious food and performances. Los Jilgueros de Altamira celebrates the enduring folk music of the Mexican Huasteca region identified by its indigenous inhabitants, the Husatecs.
Los Jilgueros de Altamira
In addition, the HOLA Folkloric Dancers performed. The HOLA Folkloric Dancers were started by Salome Espinoza and his wife Rosario when they were teens in their home city of Leon, Guanajuato Mexico.
Mexican Community at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens August 29, 2021
Cleveland's Mexican community was well-represented at the 75th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. They marched in the Parade of Flags and attracted hundreds of visitors to their in-process Cultural Garden.
Mexican Holiday Traditions by Judith Villalón Saucedo
We asked community leaders of various ethnic heritages to share some holiday traditions of their culture. Judith Villalón Saucedo tells the story of the nine nights of Mexican "Posadas", piñatas and "Ponche con Piquete" (Christmas Punch).
Niños pidiendo posada, 1953 by Diego Rivera at Children Hospital of Mexico, Mexico City.
Flag Day in Mexico takes place on February 24. Día de la Bandera ("Flag Day") is a national holiday in Mexico. It was established by the President of Mexico, General Lázaro Cárdenas, before the monument to General Vicente Guerrero, first to pledge allegiance to the Mexican flag on March 12, 1821. In Cleveland, members of the Mexican Committee in Cleveland celebrated the Mexican Flag Day at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
Mexican Committee in Cleveland celebrating the Mexican Flag Day
On January 20, 2020 the newly formed Comite Mexicano de Cleveland presented their plans for a Mexican Cultural Garden to the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation.
Comite Mexicano de Cleveland representatives with CCGF president Wael Koury, past-president Sheila Crawford and Director Lori Ashyk
A group of community leaders and volunteers gathered in the Hispanic Alliance Building on Wednesday October 23, 2019 to begin the process of establishing a Mexican Cultural Garden.
Group photo of Mexican Cultural Garden planning committee
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosted the 74th annual One World Day on August 25, 2019. Police estimates say that over 30,000 people visited the Gardens and attended One World Day. Though the Mexican community does not yet have a Cultural Garden, the culture was well represented.
A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. This year was undoubtedly the largest and most colorful in memory.
The annual “Day of the Dead” honors the memory of those who have passed and is a treasured holiday in Mexico and throughout Latin America. Activities included indoor and outdoor altar and art installations, Latin food, live music, performances, and a colorful “Skulls & Skeletons” procession.
Ready for the Skulls and Skeletons procession
The city of Cleveland celebrated Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a vibrant cultural celebration for the whole family centered around 62nd and Detroit.
Mexican community at International Cleveland Community Day
International Cleveland Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art is a celebration of the rich diversity of our region’s multiethnic communities, featuring traditional music and dance performances, cultural displays, and ingallery experiences. During this vibrant afternoon, visitors enjoyed presentations from more than 50 community groups expressing the continued vitality of the global cultures and arts that enliven our city.
The Mexican community was well represented banners, information tables and a performance by Comite Mexicano.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) hosted the 73rd annual One World Day on September 16, 2018. A highlight is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. The Mexican community was well-represented in the Parade.
St. Cecilia Mariachi Band at Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration
A highlight of the 8th Annual ICC-WIN Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland was the performance by St. Cecilia Mariachi Band.
They started with this classic Mexican song.
(Click on the white arrow to watch the video)
St. Cecilia Mariachi Band
The popular Cielito Lindo was next.
The audience danced along to La Bamba.
The finale was the classic Christmas song, Feliz Navidad.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
October 28,2016
The annual Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States.
In Cleveland, the celebration centered at the Cleveland Public Theater. There was Latin food, live entertainment, displays and activities throughout the day. A highlight was the parade, Skulls and Skeletons.
Cleveland Mexicans at Cleveland Multicultural Event
The Cleveland Mexican Community was represented at the 7th annual International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) holiday party on December 14, 2016.
120 people participated in the fashion show and each walked the runway to music from their country. Click on the white arrow to watch the short video of the Mexican models Citlali Moreno, Laura Lopez, Cecilia Arteaga and Francis Bastidas.
Tepehuani Nelli Mexican Ensemble at ICC-WIN Multicultural Holiday Party
One of the highlights of the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation was the performance of the Tepehuani Nelli Mexican Ensemble performing traditional Aztec dances.
During the Fashion Show at the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland, traditional costumes from Mexico were worn by Citlali Moreno, Laura Lopez, Cecilia Arteaga and Francis Bastidas.
Watch the video:
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
October 29,2016
The annual Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States.
In Cleveland, the celebration centered at the Cleveland Public Theater. There was Latin food, live entertainment, displays and activities throughout the day. A highlight was the parade, Skulls and Skeletons.
Mariachi Band for Our Lady of Guadalupe and Mexican Immigrant Family
A group of Mexican immigrants from Painesville and Polish parishioner met in front of St Casimir Catholic Church in Cleveland to pray for a Miracle from the Polish icon Our Lady of Czestochowah and her Mexican counterpart Our Lady of Guadalupe to keep the family of Carmen Camarillo of Painesville together. Mariachi Santa Cecilia of Painesville performed.
Outside St Casimir Church on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Grupo Tepehuani Nelli pre-Hispanic era dances at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Grupo Tepehuani Nelli performed pre-Hispanic era dances in beautiful Mexican Aztec costumes at the Cleveland Museum of Art's International Cleveland Community Day in the Atrium of the museum.
Mr Vicente M. Sanchez Ventura and the Mexican Consulate from Detroit sponsored a Mariachi Band to perform at the Cleveland Museum of Art's International Cleveland Community Day in the Atrium of the museum.
The HOLA Mexican Dancers performed classic Mexican dances at the City of Cleveland's 2015 Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.
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The City of Cleveland celebrates Cinco de Mayo out of respect for its Mexican population specifically but for the Hispanic and broader community as well. A luncheon event was held at Cleveland City Hall on May 5, 2015.
Representatives from the Cleveland Mexican community participated in the International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network's (ICC-WIN) 5th annual multicultural holiday celebration at the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center in Cleveland Ohio. They modeled Mexican costumes at the International Fashion Show which featured traditional costumes of dozens of countries.
When news of the unaccompanied children crossing the US-Mexico border was released, concerned citizens in Cleveland started meeting regularly to see how they could help. They formed the Children's Coalition and their regular meetings led to a community information night. Over 100 people attended the information session at Saigon Plaza at West 54th and Detroit to learn and speak about the Unaccompanied Children and Mothers.
A young mother named Beatrice told her story of how she and her family fled from Mexico because of the threats to her and her family from gangs and criminals. Her husband was even kidnapped. She is now in the US, wearing an ankle bracelet, and checks in with immigration frequently but is not in fear as she was in Mexico. Jeff Stewart of the Immigrant Worker Project translated.
The Santa Cecilia Mariachi Band performed at the annual International Cleveland Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The band strolled the Atrium before their performance and played the traditional Spanish folk corrido "La Cucaracha" which is Spanish for "The Cockroach". This song became popular in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution.
Cinco de Mayo at Cleveland City Hall
MetroHealth CEO Akram Boutros, MD was the keynote speaker at the City of Cleveland's Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.
He told of the three important themes of Cinco de Mayo and how they relate to Cleveland and to MetroHealth hospital. He said "We are the solution and have collective power."
Special redocgnition awards were given to Pablo Castro III and Lucita Galindo.
Performances were by The Mariachi National Band and the Hola Folkloric Mexican Dance Group from Painesville
Pilgrimage to Stop Deportation of Local Immigrant Father
Ricardo Ramos, an immigrant father of three U.S. citizen children, has been working (and paying taxes) in the nurseries of Lake County, OH for the past sixteen years. Currently, he's facing deportation on January 16th, the same day as his daughter's twelfth birthday.
St. Casimir Church in Cleveland is home to a predominantly Polish American congregation but St Casimir has become the adopted Church of Ricardo Ramos and his family. They learned of the miracles attributed to Our Lady of Czestochowa, also known as the Black Madonna.
On Monday January 13, 2014 about 100 supporters made a 20 mile pilgrimage walk in the cold and rain from Painesville to St Casimir to pray for a miracle in front of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Grupo Tepehuani Nelli performed a traditional Aztec Mexican dance at the 2013 International Folk Festival at Wade Oval in University Circle in Cleveland. Grupo Tepehuani Nelli is a Mexican folk dance group formed to promote cultural awareness and preserve the rich Mexican culture through costumes and dance. They performed Danzas Prehispanicas representing the Aztec/Mexica culture. The group's name means True Conqueror in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. Grupo Tepehuani Nelli is directed by Lilly Corona Moreno.
Great costumes for Aztec Dance by Grupo Tepehuani Nelli
Grupo Tepehuani Nelli performed a traditional Aztec Mexican dance at the 2013 International Folk Festival at Wade Oval in University Circle in Cleveland. Their costumes are amazing. Grupo Tepehuani Nelli is a Mexican folk dance group formed to promote cultural awareness and preserve the rich Mexican culture through costumes and dance. They performed Danzas Prehispanicas representing the Aztec/Mexica culture. The group's name means True Conqueror in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. Grupo Tepehuani Nelli is directed by Lilly Corona Moreno.
On September 24, 2013 the Cleveland Food Adventurers went south of the Border - to Mexico! The Passport holders were asked what food they wanted to try and the majority said MEXICAN!
So they headed to Mi Pueblo Authentic Mexican Restaurant in University Circle. (11611 Euclid Avenue.)
One of the food adventurers told the story of how Mexico helped helped save the Union and kept the United States united. As you will see in this video, Lt. Colonel Joe Meissner told the story of Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla. This defeat kept France's Napoleon III from assisting the Confederate Army and allowed the Union Army another year to build leading to victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg which essentially ended the Civil War.
Gerardo Ortega, owner of Mi Pueblo restaurant, told the group about Mexican customs and food and answered their questions.
The many different cultural performances were a highlight of the grand opening of the Ames Family Atrium in the Cleveland Museum of Art on Sunday October 28, 2012. This included a performance of ancient Mexican Aztec dances by Grupo Tepehuani Nelli.
The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century.
A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation had been making an impressive recovery until the global financial crisis hit in late 2008.
Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states.
The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe Calderon.
Read more about the Mexican and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Mexican community, please contact us.
