Mexican Consul Calls Chicago Police To Disperse Latinos Protesting Arriaga's Decision To Oust Mexican Civic Society From Official Bicentennial Celebration

Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga
Mexican Consul General in Chicago

Protest photos courtesy of Yvette Anna Soto

If the situation worsens and Arriaga doesn't comply with President Calderon's call to unite the community during the Bicentennial celebration, he won't be the Consul in Chicago for long, according to SRE sources in Mexico.

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 4, 2010

Chicago, Illinois - On Tuesday, more than 50 Latino community members and representatives of various community based organizations converged outside the Mexican Consulate in Chicago to protest. They are protesting Consul General Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga decision to keep several Hispanic groups and the Mexican Civic Society (MCS) from officially participating in the upcoming Bicentennial celebration of Mexico's 200 years of Independence.
The Mexican Civic Society for the last 40 years has officially sponosred the Mexican Independence Parade and festivities del "Grito." The non-profit organization is composed of hundreds of community volunteers of Mexican descent. The organization has provided cultural arts, events and activities to a large majority of Mexican-Americans, Mexican citizens and Chicago residents throughout the area.
Recently, Mexican President Felipe Calderon sent out a message calling for everyone to come together and help celebrate Mexico's Independence Bicentennial and the Centennial of the Revolution. Even, Chicago's Mexican Consul has posted in its website: http://www.consulmexchicago.com/. It seems Consul Arriaga has not read the message himself, because his personal decision to keep the Mexican Civic Society of Illinois from officially participating is contrary to President Calderon's call for all Mexicans to come together and celebrate the Bicentennial. (link http://bit.ly/dA1zFj ) 
Arriaga remained defiant and has not commented on the current cultural and bicentennial celebration crisis the Mexican Consulate in Chicago is facing. If the situation worsens and Arriaga doesn't comply with President Calderon's call to unite the community during the Bicentennial celebration he won't be the Consul in Chicago for long, according to SRE sources in Mexico.
Consul Arriaga ordered Consulate officials to call Chicago police to disperse the gathering of protesters outside the Consulate. Police arrived, but were unable to remove the protesters as they were exercising their rights to protest.
For the last three years the Mexican Consul had been reaching out to non-profits, museums, cultural arts institutes, universities and other entities, but failed to include a large portion of the Mexican community including MCS. MCS organizers say that they were part of the bicenntennial celebration and Arriaga had included them, until early 2009 when they discovered Arriaga had excluded them from participating.
This year they were apparently left out of the planning and steering committee for the Bicentennial celebration. In June, the MCS held a press conference to announced their decision to cancel the Mexican Independence Day parade in September.
On Wednesday, Evelia Rodríguez, Media and Public Relations of the Mexican Civic Society says, the MCS annual cost to hold both the parade and El Grito is about $138,000. Since, Consul Arriaga has taken away El Grito from us and decided to exclude us from the bicentennial celebration, we can't offer sponsorship for both the annual parade and El Grito to corporations and local businesses.
We decided to cancel the parade and haven't collected any sponsorship, especially if we can't offically offer both to sponsors.
The parade is usually done on a Saturday, a week before September 16, and El Grito is done after September 15 at midnight on September 16.
In 2008, 21 community organizations representing the Mexican community sent a letter to President Felipe Calderón complaining about Consul Arriaga, who took office in April 2007.
The complaint alleged Arriaga was arrogant, disputes, disrespected people, and ignored the needs of the Mexican community in Chicago. Arriaga lacked to understand his responsibilities that come with the job.
They even wrote Calderón that Arriaga verbally attacks and offends leaders of the Mexican community based organizations looking to divide the community, reported El Diario Hoy from the Chicago Tribune.
Numerous members of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) even supported the allegations made by the 21 community organizations. IME members alleged Arriaga was not fullfilling his duties by working with the community and had neglected to attend community events in Wisconsin when invited.
Arriaga supposedly represents the Mexican government in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Arriaga failed to comment or respond to the allegations made by the organizations in 2008.
In brief: In 2004, the Mexican Consulate created the Fiesta Patrias Mexicanas (FPM) committee after MCS in 2003 removed their president for not providing financial records to the organization. MCS ended up in a court battle over the issue and a judge issued an order suspending all MCS activities.
Then in 2004, FPM organized El Grito at the Mexican Consulate parking lot and in 2005 and 2006 they were able to acquire Pritzker Pavillion at Millenium Park in downtown Chicago.
In 2007, MCS once again began to operate efficiently and reclaimed El Grito event as it had presented for more than 30 years to the Chicago community, but weren't able to come into an agreement with FPM to join efforts in organizing El Grito. By than, both groups decided to do their own event, according to Terra.com report.
Mexican Consulate sources are claiming that MCS were unable to hold the ceremonies of El Grito in 2006, 2007 and 2009, which the FPM took over the ceremonies.
This year, MCS says Arriaga led them to believe they would be included in the Bicentennial Celebration through several meetings, but later recanted and excluded them from officially participating in the event. The FPM committee disagreed with Arriaga's decision, but they had no alternative since the Consulate controls the activities of the committee and Consul Arriaga has the final say in the decision making. MCS was reluctantly excluded from the Bicentennial Celebration, according to FPM sources.
Another protest in front of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, 204 S. Ashland Ave. is being planned for next week. MCS and community organizers say, they plan to make it larger and expect the particpation of folkloric dances and more.

Related article: Protest At Mexican Consulate In Chicago Ignited By Mexican Civic Society's Ouster From Bicentennial Grito Event http://bit.ly/9JCX0B

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Protest At Mexican Consulate In Chicago Ignited By Mexican Civic Society's Ouster From Bicentennial Grito Event

Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga
Mexican Consul General in Chicago

Mexican Civic Society cancels annual downtown independence parade and related festivities in protest

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 2, 2010

Chicago, Illinois - On Tuesday, a group of Mexican-Americans are expected to march and protest in front of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago. The group is protesting the decision of Consul General Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga to keep the Mexican Civic Society (MCS) from participating in this year's only Bicentennial Celebration of Mexico's Independence and the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution, according to a press release by Yvette Anna Soto from Chicago. Soto is part of several Chicago residents who are spear heading the protest along with Maria Alva, both community activists.
Alva says, the group is motivated by making sure the Hispanic, especially the Mexican and Mexican-American communities are fairly treated and represented in the Bicentennial celebrations. Soto is expecting over 50 people at the protest. They received over 1,000 signatures of support and the list is growing, according to Alva. 
On late Monday, Evelia Rodriguez, Media and Public Relations representative for the Mexican Civic Society of Illinois (Sociedad Civica Mexicana) confirmed that Board of Directors and members of the MCS will also be participating at the protest.
Both Soto and Alva are self financing and coordinating Tuesday's protest and don't belong to MCS, but do support the afluent organization, which has provided generations of the Chicago Mexican community with culture, festivals, famous Mexican midwest parade and the MCS Queen Pageant in the last 40 years.
Apparently, Consul Arriaga was granted the permit for El Grito by the City of Chicago to hold the celebration. The Mexican government provided the Mexican Consulates that serve large Mexican populations with funds to help celebrate the Bicentennial event.
In this case, Consul Arriaga went one step further, he took control of the event and hired a company to sell "El Grito" event to major corporations like Citi-Bank, McDonald's and others in the Chicago area. It seems, Arriaga is counting on profiting from El Grito some will argue, and leaving one of the foremost respected organizations like La Sociedad Civica Mexicana from participating. A political move, if any or just bad judgement that will most likely cost the Mexican Consulate in Chicago to be blamed for creating division among the very community it should serve.
Arriaga duties are to serve the Mexican community with legalize documents and services for Mexican citizens and to represent the interests of the Mexican government. But to engage in what is being alleged by Chicago organizations, groups, and the community as a profit venture for his own personal gain has raised legal questions. Such questions as transparency, accountability of funds and who actually profits after all? Questions that will linger on long after Arriaga gets reassigned.
The MCS has tried numerous times to meet with Arriaga, but has ignored meeting with them. Maybe, it's time for Mexican President Felipe Calderón to step in and help the Chicago Mexican community to come together and celebrate the Bicentennial, since Mexican citizens alone in the Chicago area have sent billions of U.S. dollars into Mexico's economy for decades.
Instead, Consul Arriaga has accomplished one thing notable in Chicago's community and that is to divide and avoid working with reputable community organizations like the Mexican Civic Society and others, according to Chicago residents in the Mexican community.
This year they were apparently left out of the planning and steering committee for the Bicentennial celebration. In June, the MCS held a press conference to announced their decision to cancel the Mexican Independence Day parade in September.
Rodríguez says, the MCS annual cost to hold both the parade and El Grito is about $138,000. Since, Consul Arriaga has taken away El Grito from us and decided to exclude us from the bicentennial celebration, we can't offer sponsorship for both the annual parade and El Grito to corporations and local businesses.
We decided to cancel the parade and haven't collected any sponsorship, especially if we can't offically offer both to sponsors.
The parade is usually done on a Saturday, a week before September 16, and El Grito is done after September 15 at midnight on September 16.
Board members of the MCS have said, they will try and meet with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to discuss the critical matter effecting the Hispanic community at large.
In May, MCS held their weekend Cinco de Mayo celebration at Chicago's Navy Pier and then began to seek sponsorships for both the annual parade and El Grito. Later, MCS discovered Arraiga wouldn't offically recognize and include them in the upcoming bicentennial celebration.
So far, Arriaga or the Consulate in Chicago haven't released or posted in their website any type of press release with information concerning the Consul General's decision to exclude or continue their partnership with the Mexican Civic Society. Attempts to reach Consul Arriaga were unsuccessful.
In prior years the MCS planned and organized the annual 16 de septiembre celebration and had invited the Mexican General Consul as protocol for the honors of El Grito.
It seems that MCS and the Consul General have a difference of opinion and conflicting desire venue of entertainment. MCS would like to have mariachis, folkloric dancers and regional norteño Mexican bands and duranguense music popular with Chicago's community. But, Arriaga is advocating for a symphony orchestra and opera singers popular with the cultural arts community, which in any case, both entertainment venues allowed could very well serve and provide an awesome event.
Soto says, "many in the community are upset with Consul Arriaga for excluding MCS from the Bicentennial celebration of "El Grito de Independencia...the community is taking matters into their own hands to let their displeasure known to Arriaga by protesting...and will continue to protest until Consul Arriaga does what is correct and include the MCS as Co-presenters as he previously stated in early 2009," Soto wrote.
The group will begin protesting at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd at the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, 204 S. Ashland Ave. The protest is in support of the MCS and to show that the Mexican community in Chicago is united and are calling for Consul General Arriaga to leave politics and profits aside and allow MCS to participate, instead of dividing the community it serves.
In early March, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley during a reception at the Chicago Cultural Center, proclaimed and helped kick off the 2010 Year of Mexico in Chicago celebrations.
“In Chicago, we celebrate the diversity of our neighborhoods and respect the culture and rich traditions of all of our residents,” said Mayor Daley. “The success of Mexicans in Chicago is the result of years of hard work, strong family values and dedication to community.”
At the kick off, the Mexican Consulate announced the Chicago Symphony, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Sinfonietta were part of upcoming bicentennial celebration and 70 other culural events were planned. The Consulate had been working for the last three years to get museums, nonprofits, universities and other cultural institutions from Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin to help plan for a broad program of cultural activies during the celebration. It reported about 50 participants had already planned activities. But the Consulate left the Sociedad Civica Mexicana (MCS) out of the actual planning committee.
In 2010, Mexico and predominately Mexican-American communities with roots in Mexico will commemorate the bicentennial (200 years) of its Mexico's Independence and centennial (100 years) of the Revolution. On September 16, 1810 is the day of the " Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's call to take up arms against the Spanish colonial government. The start of the Mexican Revolution is celebrated November 20, 1910, when Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Pascual Orozco led the first insurrectionist attack.

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