[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E796-E797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   50TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIESTA DEL SOL

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. JESUS G. ``CHUY'' GARCIA

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2022

  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to honor Fiesta Del 
Sol, the largest Latino festival in the Midwest, as it celebrates its 
50th Anniversary this month.
  Fiesta Del Sol hails from my district in Pilsen--the first 
neighborhood my parents and siblings found a home in when we arrived 
from Mexico. Pilsen's been a gateway for countless immigrant families, 
and it proudly continues to reflect and elevate the Mexican community 
in Chicago. We gather during the Fiesta del Sol to celebrate the 
richness of our culture through music, food, and community empowerment.
  Born in 1973, Fiesta del Sol was in part the result of the rising 
political power of the Chicano and Mexican American community. That 
year, the Pilsen Neighborhood Community Council, a non-profit 
community-based organization, led a successful campaign to build a new 
public high school in the heart of the neighborhood, the Benito Juarez 
Community Academy. The organizers hosted a block party to celebrate 
this victory, and thus the first Fiesta del Sol was born.

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  Today, this four-day event attracts more than one million people, 
spans an eightblock space down Cermak Road, and can be seen from miles 
around in Chicago because of its Ferris wheel and bright lights. Fiesta 
del Sol also raises funds to provide scholarships for young people 
needing assistance as they enter colleges and universities.
  In its more than 100 booths you will find some of the best Mexican 
food in town, as well as artists and artisans who come to showcase 
their talent. Fiesta also is an opportunity for the community to get 
information about health care, immigration, environmental justice and 
college readiness. And while it features popular talent, it has also 
created opportunities for up-and-coming performers.
  Fiesta del Sol has become such a significant event for the Latino 
community, that a promotional poster for the festival, created by 
artist Alejandro Romero, is now part of the Smithsonian American Art 
collection.
  As the Mexican community in Chicago has grown and evolved, so has 
Fiesta del Sol. Organizations like the Pilsen Neighborhood Community 
Council have expanded their reach, continuing to engage and activate 
people to address the community needs, training organizers, and 
neighbors to advocate for themselves, their families and for the 
benefit of the community as a whole.
  Fiesta del Sol reminds us of the rich history of the Mexican 
community and the remarkable cultural and economic contributions we 
have brought to Chicago and the Midwest. Let's celebrate its 50th 
anniversary.

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