CLEVELAND — Patty Esparza was born and raised in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.

She moved to northeast Ohio over a decade ago, and she is now the cofounder of the Comité Mexicano de Cleveland, also known as the Mexican Committee of Cleveland.

What You Need To Know

  • The Comité Mexicano de Cleveland, a nonprofit organization, is hosting a festival to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens

  • Mexican Independence Day is marked by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo's battle cry against Spanish rule in Mexico on Sept. 16, 1810

  • The event invites Ohioans to try Mexican food, watch dance performances, purchase artisanal crafts and learn about the country's history

"I love because we promote Mexican culture but not only for Mexicans, it's for everybody who lives here in Cleveland and around Ohio," Esparza said.

She works alongside the committee's cofounder and president Rey Esparza, who said they're hosting festivities for Mexican Independence Day at Centennial Peace Plaza at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The holiday celebrates the end of Mexican native people's struggle against Spanish control of the region, led by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who was born in the state of Guanajuato.

On Sept. 16, 1810, Hidalgo gave his famous speech "El Grito de Dolores" or "The Cry of Dolores," calling for the end of Spain's rule.

Now, Esparza said they have big plans brewing to commerate this criticial point in Mexico's history.

“We have plans to have there, food truck, of course, tacos. We’re going to have some performances,” he said. “We’re going to have some tables with artisan gifts.”

Esparza said the committee began around seven years ago.

“I got involved in the Clark Fulton area because that’s where I saw the most Hispanic community, and we didn’t see that much of the Mexican representation,” he said.

Still, the Mexican community has deep roots in the Cleveland area, he said.

“Knowing a little bit of the history of the Mexican population here in Cleveland and, adjacent, counties, we can say that Mexican people have been here for many, many, many years,” Esparza said. “Even when the steel factory was in Lorain... a lot of other Latino countries have been joining the Cleveland community.”

Despite a growing presence of Mexican American people in northeast Ohio, Esparza said many of them are still struggling to make connections.

“We are spread like and Lorain, Norwalk, Painesville, Cleveland, Salem,” she said. “So I know we are a lot of Mexican people here, but we are spread around northeast Ohio.”

Esparza said they’re hoping to unite the community by putting Mexican pride and culture on full display, for Mexicans, Americans and everyone else to see.

“I want to invite because the kids grow here and then they don’t know about our Mexican culture,” she said. “If you go to our events, they can explain what is that Mexican Independence, and Children’s Day, and Day of the Dead, or different events we have.”