‘A day of freedom and libertad’

On May 31, Idaho became the fifth state to receive a replica of the Mexican Independence Bell, which will ring every year on Mexico’s Independence Day in celebration of the state’s Hispanic community.

The bell was donated by Mexican business owner Enrique Michel Velasco through the Consejo de Comunidades Hispanas A.C., a nonprofit organization that supports Mexican migrant families residing in the United States.

Velasco is the owner of the international corporation Dulces de La Rosa, which produces many of the most beloved brands of Mexican candy, most notably De La Rosa Mazapan.

“Thank you for permitting us to bring to Idaho one of the most precious patriotic symbols that awakens feelings of fraternity, aspiration to always be free, always be united, always be close,” Velasco said in Spanish at a ceremony Tuesday at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho in Nampa.

The bell was unveiled during an inauguration organized by members of Consejo de Comunidades Hispanas A.C., the Hispanic Cultural Center and PODER of Idaho, which provides resources and organizes events to support young people registered with DACA or those who are undocumented.

Velasco, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling and a delegation of Mexican senators and representatives from the state of Jalisco were present for the inauguration, along with several Hispanic leaders.

Belia Paz, a member of the donor organization, had attended the inauguration of another replica in California and decided that Idaho should be next.

“Standing there I thought, Idaho needs a bell,” Paz, known to the Nampa Hispanic community as La Comadre, said at the event. “In my mind and in my heart, Idaho has always been present, and I will always represent it anywhere I go.”

With more than 25,000 Nampa residents being of Hispanic or Latino descent, the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho was the clear choice to house the bell.

“The history of Hispanics in Idaho isn’t new,” Velasco said. “Even though many miles separate this beautiful state from the Mexican border, we see in Idaho a land of opportunities with a strong foundation and the spirit of its people.”

Bell symbolizes Mexican war of independence from Spain

The Bell of Dolores Hidalgo was rung by Roman Catholic Priest Miguel Hidalgo y Castella in 1810 to announce the start of the revolution against the Spanish, which became the Mexican War of Independence.

The bell has since become a historical icon of freedom for the Mexican people. Every year on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day, the president of Mexico rings the Bell of Dolores Hidalgo while re-enacting the late priest’s “Cry of Dolores” from the National Palace in Mexico City, Jalisco.

Part of what makes receiving a replica of the bell such an important event for Idaho’s Hispanic community is that Jalisco, the Mexican state home to the original Mexican Independence Bell, is Idaho’s sister state.

“Just know that there’s a special place in our heart in Boise for the people of Jalisco, as well as the people from Jalisco that live here,” McLean said. “I will remember this as that symbol of connection between Jalisco, the state, the country of Mexico, and the city of Boise.”

The bell was unveiled at 4:45 p.m. Many event organizers and state leaders took turns ringing it, as those in the audience cheered “viva Mexico,” a shout traditionally accompanying the bell’s presentation on Mexico’s Independence Day.

The 440-pound bell now lies outdoors in front of the Hispanic Cultural Center and is engraved with the donor’s name, the coats of arms of Mexico and the state’s name: Idaho.

Additional guests at the inauguration included Mexican senators and representatives from the state of Jalisco and various cultural performers showcasing traditional Mexican sport, dance and dress. Among the groups performing were Escaramuza Charra Sueño Dorado, Danza Azteca Tonatiuh, and Norma Pintar, a folkloric ballet dancer.

Kling also presented a proc lamation at the event, where she proclaimed May 31, 2022, as “a day of freedom and libertad.”

TNS