Chicago's 2017 Mexican Independence Festival - A Photo Essay
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Photos and words by April Alonso.
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Blog
Abuelita y Su Gorrita de “Pins”
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I have pondered over writing a blog for many years. My writing skills have never been great and the thought of writing a blog simply scared me. The idea for this blog came up as I was sitting in my office looking at my rendition of Abuelita’s famous “pin” hat. For many years Ramonita Bartolomei Alicea, also known as, Abuelita, would carry around a Panama-style straw hat. Completely covering this hat were pins ranging from places such as the Vatican City or Mexico and you couldn’t forget the pin that started it all - the Puerto Rican flag pin.
Read MoreFamily Traditions - As Told by VFig
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Tradition. Tradición. It's what keeps my culture- any culture- alive. Identifying myself as a "family girl," there's nothing that makes me happier than participating in the Figueroa traditions. Like most Puerto Ricans, we find any reason to party (and drink!). We held one of our many Figueroa traditions this past Father's Day. My Chicago-raised parents moved into their first home together in the northwestern suburbs 23 years ago on Father's Day weekend. In their mind, or rather, my father's mind, why not kill two birds with one stone and celebrate Father's Day and have a house warming?!
Read MoreChicago's 2017 Puerto Rican Festival - A Photo Essay
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The festival kicked off the celebration of the Puerto Rican culture through the music, food and the parade.
Read MoreOscar López Rivera's Chicago Homecoming - A Photo Essay
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On Thursday, May 18th, 2017, Oscar López Rivera returns to Chicago's Humboldt Park for the first time since he was pardoned by President Obama after serving 35 years out of his 70 year prison sentence as a political prisoner. Oscar López Rivera received a warm welcome from the locals in the neighborhood where he was honored by a march down Divison Street that began at La Casita de Don Pedro and continued down to Luis Munoz Marin where a street sign was unveiled in his honor. The celebration proceeded to continue down to the Humboldt Park Boathouse where a program of speakers addressed the crowd.
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