September 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which commemorates the independence of various Latin American countries.

On Sunday night, people celebrated “El Grito de Dolores” – the call to arms in 1810 that sparked the Mexican War of Independence – with a night market at the Civic Center Plaza.

Organizers said the event and this month are an opportunity to highlight what Latino communities have contributed to the Bay Area and the country.

“Sometimes I’m proud to say ‘Latina’ or ‘Hispanic,'” says saleswoman Inkza Angles. “Many people who identify as Mexican today don’t know much about their indigenous heritage.”

Angles identifies as an indigenous person. Because her father is from Mexico and her mother is from Ecuador, she says many people only see her as Hispanic.

“In certain places, I show up and say, ‘Yes, I’m Latino.’ Or I have to check the box that I’m Hispanic,” Angles said. “I’m Latina, I speak Spanish, but that’s all because of colonization.”

Angles attended the event as a representative of the family-owned business Xpresion Cultural, which sells fair-trade clothing and jewelry made by indigenous people, mainly from Mexico.

“We are trying to take our business in a direction that revolutionizes and modernizes Indigenous fashion,” Angles said.

Organizer Rodrigo Duran recruited Angles and her company for the event. He worked with officials from the city of San Francisco and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco to organize the event.

“I think the beauty of San Francisco is that you encounter so many different cultures. Mexican is one, Latin American is another. So let’s come together, have a good time and celebrate life,” Duran said.

Duran is Mexican himself and says that Hispanics are part of the American fabric and should be celebrated as such.

“In California in particular, Latinos and Hispanics are about 50%, so there’s no getting around it,” Duran said. “We’re here. We’re very present. We’re contributing to the economy. We’re contributing to the history of this country.”

Angles believes events like this are important to celebrate Hispanic heritage and educate people about the connection to indigenous peoples.

“It feels important and necessary,” Angles said. “It also feels really good because, person to person, a lot of people are coming with genuine curiosity.”

Hispanic Heritage Month runs until October 15.