Aurora, IL - For the first time in city history, Mayor Richard C. Irvin and Aurora raised the Tejano flag over One Aurora Plaza, honoring the accomplishments of the Tejano population in the city. Tejanos are people of Mexican descent who emigrated from Mexico to the Grand Valley in Texas, with many coming to Aurora in the early 1950s.
In 1959, five Tejano men in Aurora founded the Latin American Club, and in 1998, a branch of the organization became the Illinois Tejano Organization (ITO). In its 26th anniversary, Mayor Irvin declared the week leading up to Friday’s flag-raising and the 21st annual Tejano Festival on June 29th “Illinois Tejano Week in Aurora.”
Mayor’s Spirit and Excellence Awards were given to the Aurora Latin American club, the ITO Board of Directors, and Mercy Galicia, a longtime leader of the ITO. Commemorative flag raisings demonstrate Mayor Irvin’s commitment to the “One Aurora” philosophy, expressing Aurora’s engaged and diverse population.
