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Adele, Flowery celebrate Mexican Independence

The first-ever Mexican Independence Day celebration at Adele Harrison Middle School was held Friday, Sept. 16, by the school’s ELAC and Dual Immersion programs.

ELAC (found at all district schools) is a committee of parents of English-language learners who try to find ways to support their children academically. The turnout of some 200 parents, students, teachers and guests from Flowery delighted the event’s organizers, who had advertised it in the Global Connect phone system of both Flowery and Adele Harrison, as well as through the school bulletin.

The evening began in the gymnasium, where dual immersion social studies teacher Maria Moreno, and Nora Mendez, an ELAC parent, gave a bilingual PowerPoint presentation that provided a brief history of Mexican independence. In the presentation they explained how Aztec-controlled Mexico was conquered in 1521 by the Spanish, led by Hernán Cortés, who established Spanish domination over all the inhabitants of Mexico. They even created a new race of people, the mestizos (part Spanish, part indigenous).

The presentation then explained how the Mexican Revolution began with the underclasses, led first by Miguel Hidalgo, then by José María Morelos. Though these first efforts were unsuccessful, once the middle and upper classes joined the struggle, the Mexicans managed to gain their independence in 1821. Mexicans celebrate this holiday with parades, fireworks, singing the national anthem, traditional folk dancing, and they usually get the day off.

After the PowerPoint presentation, a group of sixth grade students performed a traditional dance from Sinaloa that they had learned as fifth graders from Esmeralda Moseley, the principal at Flowery. Though many months had passed since they had learned the dance, they still remembered the steps very well.

Then a group of second graders from Flowery also performed a traditional Mexican dance that they had learned from their first grade teacher, Juana De Anda. This performance had two different styles of dance in it, both of them very joyful and lively, that got the audience clapping along.

When the dancing was over, everyone headed outside to the quad, where a professional DJ was playing different genres of Mexican music and there was plenty of delicious food on sale for $1 per serving. People enjoyed pozole, flautas (rolled up tacos with meat or potato inside that is fried), tinga (cooked, shredded chicken in a tomato-chipotle sauce over tostadas with cream, cheese, and salsa) fruit salad, fresh tacos (donated by local businessman Ramón Contreras), Mexican drinks, as well as desserts such as ice cream popsicles, shaved ice, and buñuelos. All the food was eaten and many people commented on how pleased they were with the event.

The principal plans on continuing with this celebration next year as well as including a special event during the school day to include all the students of Adele Harrison.