Working for California & Mexico

Cien Amigos is an organization that was formed to support mutually beneficial bilateral projects and initiatives and to reinforce individual and institutional bonds between California and Mexico. With the mission statement of "Working for California and Mexico", Cien Amigos hopes to establish a platform for collective planning and concrete action to encourage the mutual prosperity of both Mexico and California.

Cien Amigos in supporting the Restorations of the Miguel Hildalgo Bust in Sacramento.

Donate and Learn More

About Us

With the mission statement of “Working for California and Mexico”, Cien Amigos hopes to establish a platform for collective planning and concrete action to encourage the mutual prosperity of both Mexico and California. Initial objectives of Cien Amigos are as follows:

1. Create a strategic vision to foster and improve the dynamic relationship between California and Mexico;
2. Continue to educate policy makers on the significant contribution people of Mexican ancestry have made to California’s growth and development;
3. Promote and cultivate a more accurate, comprehensive and positive image of Mexico in California and California in Mexico.

Board of Directors

Cien Amigos is led by a board of directors composed of nine individuals, who coordinate the group’s activities by consensus.

Members represent a broad cross-section of independent community leaders, including entrepreneurs, lawyers, educators, corporate executives, legislative advocates, representatives of civic organizations, professionals and local elected officials. Cien Amigos has been formed to support mutually beneficial bilateral initiatives and to reinforce individual and institutional bonds between California and Mexico.

Our Projects

Renovation of Miguel Hidalgo Bust

To restore the bust of Miguel Hidalgo, historic plaques, create a small plaza with new trees, benches, and add a new pedestal for the bust with the help of sponsorships.

This project is eligible for up to $15,000 in match funding through the City of Sacramento Office of Arts & Culture! Give today and your donation will be doubled, up to $1,000 per donor.

The Project

This project seeks to restore the bust itself and a plaque, which commemorates el Centro Mexicano. To this end, the City of Sacramento office of Park Planning and Development has allocated in its current budget the creation of a small plaza, with new trees, benches, and a new pedestal for the bust. Frostad Atelier Foundry will do the restoration of the bust and the plaques with the help of sponsorships.
The memorial is also a symbol of dignity, respect, and recognition of the Mexican population in California and its location has become a meeting place for the community. In order to continue honoring the legacy of this monumental bust, a revitalization project underway has the support and sponsorship of many important strategic allies including the City of Sacramento offices of Art and Culture and Park Planning and Development, Councilmembers Katie Valenzuela and Erik Guerra; the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento; the Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California; and Cien Amigos civic organization.

Timeline
Fundraising October and November of 2022
Demolition will start October 31st 2022
Restoration of bust and plaques November and December of 2022
Plaza built and installation of monument and bust March 2023
C
elebration of unveiling May 5th of 2023

Why We Are Doing It
The bust of Miguel Hidalgo, located in South Side Park in the city of Sacramento, was donated by the Heredia Family from Roseville in 1982. That same year, Consul General Carlos Ferrer unveiled the memorial as part of the celebrations of Mexican Independence. Since then, the bust has been vandalized and deteriorated as a result. It reflects poorly on the importance of this historical figure and our goal is to restore the bust to it's former glory.

Support the Restoration of the Bust of Miguel Hildalgo

Scholarship Program

Since 2012, Cien Amigos in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California and the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento have been providing scholarships to Latinos in the process of applying to college and those already in college. (visit cienamigoseducationfund.org)
The purpose is to give young Latinos a jumpstart to pursue a higher education degree; support young adult Latinos to upgrade their credentials and expand their skills by financing adult education centers; and, to mobilize the community for the benefit of Latino students in northern California.
Since 2013, more than 1,700 scholarships have been awarded.

Cien Amigos Student Survey Results – Now Available!

In the spring of 2020, the Cien Amigos Education Fund developed a survey as a way to follow up with the students who had received Cien Amigos-IME Becas scholarships between 2012 and 2019.

Full Results
More News

Learn More

Mexico Advocacy Day

Since 2010, the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento has organized a California-Mexico promotion day in the California State Capitol around a specific topic, with the participation of experts from public, private and civil society from both Mexico and the U.S.

Previous years have included Committee Hearings on the following topics:

Border Crossing Facilitation and Disaster Coordination
California-Mexico past relationship, future recommendations and California-Mexico trade relationship and its impact on job creation in California.
Mexico’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and opportunities for cooperation between Mexico and California against global warming.
Strengthening California and Mexico higher education partnerships.