Chirla takes her fight for millions of undocumented immigrants who are in a position to obtain their citizenship to TikTok. In an innovative process, this organization releases clips of the citizenship exams to make it easier for people to study and pass the exams.
Chirla mentions that there are around 9.5 million who are eligible to be citizens.
National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off nationally on Friday honoring the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans.
In Pasadena it’s called “Latino Heritage Month,” and it starts off in a big way on Saturday, Sept. 16 with the 25th Annual Latino Heritage Parade and Festival, with the theme “Reaching for the Stars” to honor the achievements of Latinos throughout the United States.
The parade starts at the intersection of N. Los Robles Ave. and Buckeye St. and ends at City Hall — a brand new route this year.
Following the parade, there will be a festival at City Hall featuring cultural celebrations like Dia de los Muertos, family-friendly activities such as Spanish storytime and Loteria games, and engaging workshops like chocolate skull making and papel picado art.
Robert Monzon, co-chair of the Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Committee, said this year’s Latino Heritage Parade features a new route and some unique additions.
The parade will have multiple Mariachis, one of which will be an all-female group playing during the festival in front of City Hall. Another Mariachi group will be in the parade and will bring their own floats, making it a neat addition to the parade this year.
“I think the biggest difference this year is that we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary,” Monzon said. “So we’ve actually been able to endure the last 25 years and put the event on, and people have always enjoyed it, and we’ve had pretty good turnouts every year. “So we are now able to celebrate 25 years of hosting the parade, which I think is a great accomplishment for the community.”
This year’s Grand Marshal for the parade is Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA). Salas is a prominent figure in ethnic and mainstream press and is often quoted on all issues related to immigrant well-being. Under her leadership, CHIRLA and its national partners have built the foundation for the upsurge in immigrant rights activism.
Salas is also a leader in national coalitions of organizations that have successfully mobilized millions of immigrants to demand just and humane immigration reform with a path to citizenship, family reunification, and protection of civil and labor rights.
“Seeing the commitment of immigrants who volunteer at CHIRLA move me.”
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