In honor of the bonds that have united us for two centuries, U.S. Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas Christopher Dodd and Mexico Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard signed a Bicentennial Friendship Declaration at Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) in Mexico City. Along with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, Special Advisor Dodd and Secretary Ebrard also opened an SRE art exhibition focusing on work by Mexican artists, Americans residing in Mexico, and binationals.
The Bicentennial commemorates more than a relationship between our governments. It offers a unique chance to celebrate the links that connect our people on both sides of our border.
Recent and Upcoming Events
Throughout December, governments, the private sector, NGOs, and diverse partners will host more than 200 events in Mexico and the United States to celebrate the Bicentennial. They span 26 Mexican states, 19 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., and include dozens of virtual events. Highlights include:
• The Lucha Libre Bicentennial Cup in Mexico City’s Arena Mexico on December 9, featuring integrated Mexican and U.S. wrestling teams.
• The binational airing on PBS and Canal 22 of the documentary “The Journeys of Harry Crosby,” about Californian photographer, explorer, and historian Harry Crosby, whose lifetime work recording images of Baja California’s communities and landscape exemplified the spirit of mutual understanding and conservation between the United States and Mexico.
• In Ciudad Juarez, the U.S. Consulate organized a 10-kilometer race on December 10 and will host a Bicentennial posada with members of the Tarahumara community at Colonia Rarámuri on December 15.
• On December 12, students, academics, and businesspeople will join officials from the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros and the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville on the Gateway International Bridge for a Binational Greeting.
• At the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mayor Montserrat Caballero will unveil a 5-meter-tall statue in honor of the Bicentennial during the week of December 12.
• In Monterrey, the December 15 baseball game between the Monterrey Sultanes and the Mayos de Navoja will be played in honor of the Bicentennial.
• On December 15, the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles will open the installation “La Mesa Mexicana,” which highlights Mexico’s cultural influence in the United States.
These events, and many more, represent the multiple connections that we share. Through our Bicentennial events, we celebrate the kinship between our people and create fresh narratives about how our nations view one another. The Bicentennial presents an opportunity to pay tribute to our past and seize new opportunities to shape our shared future.