American and Mexican flags fluttered in the breeze Saturday as thousands lined the streets of Dallas to celebrate El Diez y Seis, Mexican Independence Day.

"I'm an American," parade spectator Joe Morales said. "But I'm never going to forget my roots. My family came to the Dallas area from Tamaulipas, Mexico, to find a better life here, and I'm glad they did."

The supervisor for an electric utility said he and his wife are living the American dream.

"We own our own home, we have two cars and my son is a student at SMU," he said. "This holiday is important because it reminds us of the days when it was tough to be a Mexican-American in Dallas. ... It's a time to remember that we have deep roots on both sides of the border."

Marching bands from Oak Cliff and from as far away as Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, kept the crowd cheering as the parade wound through the streets of Little Mexico and to Pike Park.

Longtime members of Dallas' Hispanic community – many of whom grew up in Little Mexico, a neighborhood that has been nearly eradicated by high-rise buildings and business enterprises – said celebrating Mexico's Independence Day is an important part of their culture.

Today will mark the 197th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain. In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the bells of his small parish church and called for "death to bad government," triggering the 11-year war for independence. The "grito," or call for independence, is generally repeated on the evening of Sept. 15 in Mexico and throughout many U.S. cities.

Parade-goer Manuel Ruelas, 78, said he wants this holiday to be a tribute to independence, regardless of which country is celebrating it.

"Hispanics have fought in all the wars of the United States and many have given their lives for this country," the Korean War veteran said. "We're proud Americans, and we're proud of our Mexican roots also."

Many old-time residents of Little Mexico gathered at Pike Park for a day of fun, with the aroma of sizzling fajitas permeating the air.

"Pike Park is a reminder of how we used to be," said Nina Rivera Guerrero, representing the Cumberland Hill Elementary School Alumni Association, one of a number of organizations that operated food and craft booths at Pike Park.

"Everybody in Little Mexico knew each other and cared for each other," she said. "It was like a place to be yourself after working all day in a strange world."