Community festivals and public celebrations across the United States scaled back or were called off this year as Hispanic Heritage Month took place against a backdrop of heightened federal immigration enforcement and directives discouraging diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Organizers in cities including Chicago and Sacramento cited safety concerns tied to immigration crackdowns when they postponed or canceled large gatherings. Events from Massachusetts to North Carolina and on the West Coast have been altered, and several long-running festivals — among them the Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas, Hispanic Heritage Fest in Kenner, Louisiana, and FIESTA Indianapolis — were canceled.
Organizers in Chicago said holding El Grito — the city’s Mexican Independence Day celebration that typically draws hundreds of thousands of people — “puts the safety of our community at stake,” and announced a postponement. Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa criticized the deployment of federal forces around the city, calling it “a fear tactic” and saying it was “unforgivable.” Sacramento’s annual Mexican Independence Day festival was also canceled, with organizers pointing to the tense political climate and safety worries.
The decisions come as a federally led English-only initiative and stepped-up immigration enforcement have altered the environment in which National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, normally unfolds. Organizers and community leaders said a combination of fears about potential workplace or public-area immigration raids, and the perception that ethnic and cultural programming could run afoul of bans on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, led many groups to limit public events or move celebrations into private or consular spaces.
“Rather than not celebrating, be cautious,” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said, urging Mexican migrants to take precautions and suggesting consulates as safer gathering points. Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary announced increased consular staffing to respond to emergencies and advised nationals stopped by U.S. authorities to remain silent, not flee and not sign documents.
The monthlong observance is intended to highlight the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. According to recent U.S. Census estimates, more than 68 million people in the United States identify as Hispanic. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting date to align with the anniversary of El Grito de Dolores, the 1810 call that launched Mexico’s war for independence; several Central American nations also mark independence days around that date.
The federal commemoration has its own history. A weeklong Hispanic Heritage observance was established in 1968 through legislation sponsored by Rep. Edward R. Roybal, D-Calif., and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Two decades later the observance was expanded to a month under legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan.
“[Hispanic Heritage Month] became a chance for people to know Hispanic cultures, for Latinos to get to know a community better and for the American public to understand a little better the long history of Latinos in the U.S.,” said Alberto Lammers, communications director at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
Organizers in some cities described a chilling effect beyond the risk of enforcement actions. Some employers and universities that have aligned with federal rhetoric discouraging DEI programming have scaled back or canceled official recognitions tied to the month, further shrinking public visibility. Ivan Sandoval-Cervantes, an anthropology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said when public events are canceled, celebrations tend to move into the private sphere where people feel safer speaking Spanish or embracing cultural symbols.
Chicago Latino leaders urged peaceful conduct at gatherings and planned protests, saying any unrest could be used to justify a larger federal response. “We will not allow others to use our fear or our anger against us,” said Berto Aguayo of the Chicago Latino Caucus Association, urging residents to know their rights and protect one another.
Organizers who postponed events framed the decisions as protective rather than political. The organizers of El Grito Chicago called the choice “painful,” saying they would not risk community safety. Others said they feared large, visible crowds could become targets for immigration enforcement actions that have included workplace raids and detentions of both undocumented people and legal residents.
Beyond questions of public safety, some community members and scholars underscored the ongoing debates over terminology and identity within the observance. The federal term “Hispanic” historically refers to people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures, but many prefer labels such as Latino, Latinx, Chicano or national-origin identifiers such as Mexican American or Salvadoran American. Observances vary accordingly, with some events calling themselves Latinx or Latin Heritage Month to reflect those preferences.
Despite cancellations and scaled-back public events, advocates and officials emphasized that the month remains an opportunity to recognize the diverse cultures and histories of Latino and Hispanic communities in the United States. The White House has not announced planned events for this year’s observance; last year, President Joe Biden hosted a White House reception and issued a proclamation.
Community leaders said the coming weeks would show whether the trend toward private commemorations would continue or whether organizers could safely rebuild public festivals in the years ahead. For now, many groups, consulates and local leaders are prioritizing smaller gatherings, virtual programming and consular spaces as a way to preserve celebration while managing security concerns.