Aurora to host 'Aurora Avanzando' series to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Aurora honors Hispanic Heritage Month with a month-long series of events from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
"Aurora Avanzando," which means Aurora is moving forward in Spanish, will feature more than a dozen in-person and virtual events to celebrate the heritage, impact, and resilience of Aurora's Latinx community.
"While we couldn't do the traditional Fiestas Patrias this year, we will continue to move forward with many cultural and educational events to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month," said Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin. "Aurora's Latinx community has not only a rich history but also a promising future for generations to come."
The month begins with Ward 2 Alderwoman Juany Garza's sold-out annual Hispanic Pioneers Breakfast on Wednesday, Sept. 15. The annual event brings together the community to honor longtime leaders and to provide scholarships to students.
"We look forward to coming together to celebrate excellence in our Latinx community in Aurora," said Alderwoman Juany Garza. "Due to the pandemic, we didn't host an event last year, so I am very happy to return this year and to celebrate as part of the Aurora Avanzando series this month, which also includes our first Mexican flag raising ceremony."
Mexican Independence Day:
Alderman Garza, Ward 1 Alderman Emmanuel Llamas, and Deputy Mayor Guillermo Trujillo will be joined by Mayor Richard C Irvin to honor Mexico's Independence Day on Thursday, Sept. 16, with a Mexican Flag Raising Ceremony. The event will begin at noon at the plaza at North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd.
Community Conversations:
Starting Sept. 21, every Wednesday during Hispanic Heritage Month, Mayor Irvin will host virtual Community Conversations at noon that highlight Latinx professionals in the community.
On Wednesday, Sept. 22, and Wednesday, Sept. 29, the two-part conversation will feature Latinx leaders at Aurora City Hall discussing their roles, goals, and heritage. In addition, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, the mayor will be joined by Latinx medical professionals to discuss health care, including the impact of Covid-19 on the Latinx community. The four-part series will conclude on Wednesday, Oct. 13, with a panel of Latinx educators in Aurora.
LatinXcellence Awards:
The city will spotlight Latinx community advocates and organizations at both city council meetings during Hispanic Heritage Month. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28 and Tuesday, Oct. 12, Mayor Irvin will present the Mayor's Award of LatinXcellence to honorees recommended by Alderman Llamas and Alderwoman Garza. Those being recognized will be listed on the agenda before each meeting.
The second half of Hispanic Heritage Month will highlight youth and heroes.
Parade of Nations:
On Friday, Oct. 1, the popular Parade of Nations returns with Aurora students serving as guest flagbearers representing more than 20 Latin nations. At 6 p.m. at Aurora City Hall, the Parade of Nations ceremony will commence with a special presentation followed by a parade through downtown Aurora. The Parade of Nations is a collaboration between the city, Simply Destinee Dance Team, and community advocates Dee Basile and Maria Lozano.
Honoring heroes:
To honor the life and legacies of three young men who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, the city will name streets in recognition of Lance Corporal Hector Ramos, Lance Corporal Edwardo Lopez, and Lance Corporal Jesse DeLaTorre.
In three separate public street naming ceremonies on Saturday, Oct. 9, the young heroes will be remembered for their service to our country and community and forever memorialized for future generations to know their impact on the world. All three heroes were graduates of East Aurora High School. Additional details, including times and locations for each ceremony, will be released soon.
Preparing Future Leaders:
"As a graduate of East Aurora High School and alderman of the same ward I was raised in, I know our youth can achieve anything they put their minds to," said Ward 1 Alderman Emmanuel Llamas. "We must continue to tell the stories of our fallen heroes and our rising leaders in every field. Aurora Avanzando provides us a platform to do just that as we provide our youth accessible examples of success."
A focus on the next generation of leaders will conclude Aurora Avanzando on Thursday, Oct. 14, when panels of Latinx leaders at city hall will meet with students in the Waubonsee Community College Upward Bound Program. The "Si Se Puede" panel offers a dialogue with first-generation college students at local high schools that will motivate them to navigate high school and plan their futures.
A list of Aurora Avanzando activities can be found online at www.aurora-il.org/AuroraAvanzando.