EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The University of Texas at El Paso marked Mexico’s fight for independence with an “El Grito” celebration Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Centennial Plaza on the UTEP campus.

UTEP’s Student Engagement and Leadership Center invited students, faculty and staff to take part in the event, which commemorates the Mexican cry for independence.

The tradition, originally called “Grito de Dolores” and now commonly known as “El Grito,” is held annually in remembrance of the Mexican War of Independence, which began Sept. 16, 1810.

“This is a very important celebration because I was born here, but I was raised in Mexico. It’s very important for my culture,” said Genesis Melero, a student at UTEP.

Special guests included Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, consul general of Mexico in El Paso, along with a special presentation by the Escolta y Banda de Guerra of the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Juárez.

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