SALINAS, CA — The old saying defines a Mexican American as someone who is treated as a Mexican in the United States, and an American in Mexico.
As a Mexican American, with every trip I take to Mexico, I understand better the meaning of that saying.
Born and raised in the farmland of Central California, I’ve never doubted that — as a U.S. citizen — I belonged on this side of the border. The United States is my country, and I’ve always loved it — even at those moments when it didn’t seem to love me back.
Today, on the 16th of September, el deis y seis de septiembre, our neighbor celebrates its independence from Spain. All over Mexico, people will gather with family and friends, and eat really terrific food.
Meanwhile, on this side of the border, many Mexicans and Mexican Americans will join in the celebration from afar.
Mexicans celebrate this holiday every year. But in 2025, the day hits different. Here in the north, what my Mexican parents might have called el norte, these are scary times. Much of what we learned in junior high school about the Constitution and its promise of due process and equal protection under the law doesn’t seem to apply to those with dark skin.
I’m not exaggerating. The Supreme Court said recently that U.S. immigration agents can use skin color or the fact that someone speaks Spanish as justification for checking their immigration status. That’s profiling, and it is supposed to be against the law.
I know Mexican Americans whose families have been in this country for several generations, and now they tell me they’re thinking about carrying their passports with them on their way to the market.
Happy Independence Day, my Mexican brothers and sisters. Enjoy your freedom. Could you send some up here?
Maximiliano Cuevas, MD is the CEO of Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, a collective of non-profit community health care centers that serve patients in Monterey County.