Another country joined the roster of communities recognized with a flag-raising in downtown Aurora.
The city raised the bright yellow, blue and red flag of Colombia Friday in honor of the 214th anniversary of the country’s independence from Spain. It also honored the growing Colombian community living in Aurora.
“The Colombian community has immersed itself in the Aurora community,” said Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. “Colombia has made a significant contribution to the world … in fostering democracy, human rights.”
The country is the top exporter of jewels and the third-highest exporter of coffee in the world, officials said.
In Aurora, the community has several high-profile people working in the city government, including Community Services Director Viviana Ramirez and Deputy Poet Laureate Fermina Ponce.
Irvin recognized both with Awards of Excellence at the Friday event.
Ramirez’s parents moved to America when Ramirez was 2 years old, and she grew up in the United States, spending summers in Colombia. She moved to Aurora when she was 12.
She praised Aurora for its “spirit,” and called it “a community that celebrates diversity.”
“Moving to the U.S. … was a pivotal moment of my life,” she said.
Ponce read her poem, “Homeland,” about Colombia, in both English and Spanish. She thanked the city for a chance to represent her homeland “through the arts, through poetry.”
The event featured the Colombian consul general in Chicago, Diego Alexander Angulo Marinez, who said an increase in Colombians locating in Aurora since 2021 has led to “a vibrant community in Aurora.”
The flag-raisings in One Aurora Plaza have become a common way of recognizing different communities within the city under Irvin’s administration. This was the first for Colombia, and Clayton Muhammad, a senior adviser to the mayor, said it is one of 14 in the city this year.
“This is a way we tell out cultural communities that you belong here,” he said.
slord@tribpub.com
