gia santolallaA diverse range of Latino communities from Guatemala, to El Salvador to Mexico, crowded together at Fiesta Patrias to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic culture through tasty pupusas, bailes folklórico and escaramuza dresses.
People packed into the Santa Ana downtown area for 2 days, and allowed a wave of cultural identity to ripple through Fourth Street.
In places where the bright radiance of rich diversity, culture and celebration fills the street, the fear of ICE patrol is still on people’s minds.
Important people also attended the festival in hopes of strengthening support. Orange County Supervisor Vincente Sarmiento wore a shirt reading “Know Your Rights ” to raise awareness of and stand as an ally to the targeted immigrant community.
“This year, it’s special because it’s not just a celebration, but it’s also a moment to resist,” said Sarmiento. “Being out here under these increased ICE raids gives the people hope that they’re not alone, that they can still celebrate their culture, but do it in a way that they’re going to be protected. Unfortunately, we just saw a lot less people turn out because the fear is real.”
As the streets started to become more crowded and lively, a wave of vibrant colors of blue, pink and yellow caught the eyes of every attendee.
The colors and design mark the traditional folklórico dresses that a group of women were wearing. They strutted along the street wearing satin ribbons in their braided hair. One of them had the colors of the Mexican flag on her eyelid coated with gold glitter. Primary colors outlined the skirt and chest, which complemented the white ruffles around the collar.
“Color is life. For Mexico, it’s always the patriotic colors, green, white and red. It’s what represents our roots and ethnicity. Culture is tradition, this dress is from Jalisco, we come to represent Jalisco,” said attendee Angelica Ruelas, who has been a participant of Fiesta Patrias for the last 2 years.
A variety of red, green and white booths painted the streets. Customers chatted around vendors and browsed through beaded jewelry that represented different South American flags through color and unique charms. Boldly colored blouses with embroidered flowers and hummingbirds were also on display.
On Sunday, a live painting session was on display for passersby to watch as Michelle Guerrero, an LA-based artist, unveiled an influential and inspiring fictional cultural character named “Chucho”.
This piñata-inspired character was striped blue, yellow, red and green from top to bottom, with furry bear-like ears, body and paws. The character’s cherry-colored lips matched with his titanium white teeth that smiles in every art piece.
“I’ve created this whole cultural world of characters. My main character, Chucho, his whole story is about a piñata that gets broken, but instead of letting his cracks define him, he ends up self-discovering himself. It’s like a story about resiliency,” said Guerrero.
People of all ages came into the booth to stand and observe her work, as she painted Chucho sitting on a green hill, cheerfully smiling as his stubby paw carefully played the string of the guitar.
At another corner of the event, dancers sweep the grounds and touch the skies with their folklórico dresses. These dance movements reflected a cultural tradition that captivated the audience with lively colors and rhythm that anyone from anywhere can engage in.
“My parents are from Guatemala, so we are actually not from Mexico, but we do like to carry the Mexican culture. So I think it connects to me, because it lets me show my culture to the other people, and then I get to see the culture of others too,” said Julieta Vasquez, a folklorico performer at Fiestas Patrias, whose last performance at the festival was 10 years ago.
- Despite ICE patrols, Fiestas Patrias remains a colorful celebration - September 17, 2025
