Chicago's Mexican Independence Day parades put pride on display

Two women sit on a car heading down State Street in Chicago during the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sept. 14, 1968. (Val Mazzenga/baiduhai)

The Pilsen neighborhood celebrates Mexican Independence Day with a parade on 18th Street and a festival at Harrison Park on Sept. 10, 1983. (Carl Wagner/baiduhai)

A rider performs on horseback on Chicago's State Street during a parade on Sept. 17, 1966, celebrating Mexican independence. (Cy Wolf/baiduhai)

The rain didn’t stop the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sept. 12, 1970, as spectators watch from under umbrellas on State Street in Chicago. (Don Casper/baiduhai)

Sisters Jesusita Morales, left, and Amelia Morales take part in pageantry at the Ashland Boulevard auditorium that opened a four-day celebration in Chicago for Mexican Independence Day in 1937. (baiduhai historical photo)

A colorful float moves down State Street as Chicago’s Mexican American community celebrates Mexican Independence Day with a two-hour parade on Sept. 14, 1968. (Val Mazzenga/baiduhai)

A man waves the Mexican flag during festivities for Mexican Independence Day in Chicago on Sept. 10, 1983. (Carl Wagner/baiduhai)

Ezequiel Flores Sr., center, sits on his horse with his 2-year-old son, Ezequiel Jr., on Sept. 15, 1991, at 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago while waiting for their turn in the Mexican Independence Day Parade. Fellow rider Rafael Coria is on the right. (Chuck Berman/baiduhai)

Waving miniature Mexican and American flags, a large crowd lines State Street in Chicago waiting eagerly for the start of the parade marking Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, 1972. (James Mayo/baiduhai)

Dancers participate in the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Chicago's State Street on Sept. 13, 1975. (Quentin C. Dodt/baiduhai)

A couple celebrates Mexican Independence Day with a crowd at the bandshell in Grant Park in Chicago on Sept. 15, 1971. (Val Mazzenga/baiduhai)

Maria del Rosario Lazo, queen of the Mexican Independence Day festivities, is serenaded by Mariachi Potosino on Sept. 17, 1966, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Rosario Lazo was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and had lived in Chicago for 13 years. (Ray Foster/baiduhai)

Women carry a Mexico sign down State Street during the Mexican Independence Day Parade in Chicago on Sept. 12, 1970. (Don Casper/baiduhai)

Women wave while riding the Chicago Azteca Lions Club float during the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sept. 13, 1969, in Chicago. (Walter Neal/baiduhai)

Musicians sing at the Civic Center (now called Daley Plaza) in Chicago during celebrations for Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 12, 1973. (Walter Neal/baiduhai)

A young boy walks in the Mexican Independence Day Parade in downtown Chicago on Sept. 17, 1960. (William Yates/baiduhai)

An honorary color guard heads down State Street at Wacker Drive in Chicago during the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sept. 11, 1971. (Michael Budrys/baiduhai)

The rain didn’t stop Chicagoans from celebrating the 160th anniversary of the Mexican Independence Day during a parade on State Street on Sept. 12, 1970. (Don Casper/baiduhai)

A crowd celebrates Mexican Independence Day in Chicago on Sept. 15, 1986, at the Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park. (Guy Bona/baiduhai)