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On Sep. 16, the Chicago Cubs celebrated fans of Hispanic and Latino heritage at the Wrigley Field game against the Oakland Athletics. The event honored the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“It’s so meaningful…” Chicago Cubs fan, Jillian Ruiz said. “It was amazing coming out here seeing the band play the music, wearing the hats, (participating in) the giveaways, and hearing the music all night during the game it really gets the party going, it’s exciting.”
Ruiz was born and raised a Cubs fan since her great-grandfather immigrated from Mexico to Chicago in 1912. She explained how her great-grandfather moved to the South Side of Chicago and heavily supported the Cubs throughout his life in Chicago.
“I remember growing up and visiting him at his house and he always had a Cubs sticker on his front door, and that’s why I feel like we’ve always been Cubs fans because of him.” Ruiz said. “Coming to these games, especially tonight, representing my culture but also being here and representing him.”
Ruiz attended the game with her mother, brother, sister, and brother-in-law. She expressed how her favorite part of being a Cubs fan was creating memories at the games with her family.
Provided by: MLB Official website
The event consisted of live music, dances like bachata and salsa before the game, and Latin American food like chicken quesadillas, quesabirria, and al pastor pork nachos. Special edition caps were offered to fans with ticket purchases and featured on the caps were flags of Hispanic and Latino countries such as Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.
According to ESPN, six out of 28 players on the Chicago Cubs and nine out of 28 players on the Chicago White Sox are of Latino descent while an estimated 30.2% of MLB players are of Latino descent. The baseball event embraced the Hispanic and Latino population of Chicago and the fanbase that consistently supports the Cubs throughout generations. The Hispanic and Latino population of Chicago, according to the 2023 American Community Survey, is 28.8%
Jacob Moreno, a Mexican-American Cubs fan since 2013, shared how celebrating his Latin roots in Chicago has made him proud to live there and to support a baseball team that recognizes the impact of its Hispanic and Latino fans.
“I grew up in Humboldt Park, so that’s a very ‘Cubs’ neighborhood… you are a Cubs fan when you are raised there…” Moreno said. “It’s amazing…I went to the city (Chicago) last night and enjoyed the parade a little bit, and my car had two big flags…I’m very proud to be a Latino living in America right now and enjoying the Cubs game.”
Photo: Cover photo used from Chicago Cubs X, formerly Twitter, account.
