Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in the Bay Area are well underway. Sept. 16 marks the day the Mexican people rose up and took up arms to fight for independence from Spain. The moment is known as El Grito – the cry of Dolores – and it was heard throughout downtown San Jose on Sunday. Earlier in the day, San Jose hosted Fiestas Patrias filled with music, dancing and charros on horses. In San Francisco, there was a flag-raising ceremony along with food and music. Next Saturday, the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District will continue the celebration with the annual Fiesta de las Americas. Redwood City also celebrated Mexican independence and the contributions of other Latin American countries as well. NBC Bay Area kicked off its own celebration with mariachi music in studio with the son of strawberry farmers Omar Alejandro. While he’s backed up Andrea Bocelli, these days you’ll find him using social media to bridge generations of families through music. Hispanic Heritage Month Sep 15 Hispanic Heritage Month puts diversity and culture at the forefront San Jose 19 hours ago San Jose celebrates El Grito and Mexican Independence Day