Thousands Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary at Fremont Independence Day Parade

The parade brought together participants from a wide range of community groups and organizations.

The Northern California Taiwanese American community delegation participates in a parade in Fremont, Calif., on July 4, 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Nathan Su/The Epoch Times

Residents from across the San Francisco Bay Area gathered in the city of Fremont on July 4 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday at one of Northern California’s largest patriotic events of the day.

The parade brought together thousands of participants representing a wide range of community groups and organizations.

The largest contingent in the parade was the Taiwanese American community, joined by officials from Taiwan’s representative office in San Francisco. More than 300 Taiwanese Americans from across the Bay Area participated.

Leading the Taiwanese American delegation was Wu Chih-hsiang, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco. Wu told The Epoch Times he was honored to take part in the celebration.

“The Republic of China [Taiwan] and the United States share common democratic values,” Wu said. “This year, we are not only celebrating America’s 250th birthday, but also the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election.”

Although the Republic of China was founded in 1912, civil war and decades of political change delayed its first direct presidential election until 1996.

Sophia Chuang, director of TECO’s Culture Center in Milpitas, California, told The Epoch Times that the United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a longstanding friendship.

“We hope that by participating in this parade, we can let people know that Taiwan continues to uphold the values of a democratic society through the principle of democratic self-determination,” Chuang said.

Huang Kuei-hua, president of the Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California, said Taiwanese Americans serve as an important bridge between Taiwan and the United States.

“We have eight member associations, all dedicated to strengthening the friendship between Taiwan and the United States,” Huang told The Epoch Times.

Members of Asian Pacific American Public Affairs participate in a parade in Fremont, Calif., on July 4, 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Nathan Su/The Epoch Times

Chinese American Civic Engagement

Also in the parade was a delegation organized by members of Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA).

Fremont City Councilmember Yang Shao led the APAPA contingent through the parade route, waving an American flag. He serves as vice president of the organization’s Greater Fremont chapter.

Shao told The Epoch Times that Chinese Americans have steadily increased their civic participation and strengthened their standing in American society through years of hard work and civic engagement.

“We hope the future of the United States will be even more prosperous and stronger,” he said. “We also hope Fremont will continue to prosper.”

Founded in 1956, Fremont has a population of more than 220,000 and is the fourth-largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. Known for its highly ranked schools, affluent neighborhoods, and ethnic diversity, the city has hosted an annual Independence Day parade since 1998.

Practitioners of Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) participate in a parade in Fremont, Calif., on July 4, 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Nathan Su/The Epoch Times

Falun Gong Practitioners Celebrate Freedom

Dozens of practitioners from Northern California’s Falun Gong community also participated in the parade. Performing traditional Chinese waist drum routines and demonstrating Falun Gong meditative exercises, the group celebrated the freedoms protected by the United States.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice centered on the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance. Introduced to the public in China in the early 1990s, it gained widespread popularity, reaching between 70 million and 100 million practitioners by the end of the decade, according to official estimates at the time.

In July 1999, the ruling Chinese Communist Party, fearing that Falun Gong’s popularity threatened the regime’s power, launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the practice. Since then, many have suffered arbitrary detention, forced labor, torture, and even death from forced organ harvesting.

Yang Li, coordinator of the Falun Gong waist drum team, told The Epoch Times that many Falun Gong practitioners were forced to leave China because of the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the spiritual practice.

“We participate in this parade to celebrate the freedoms and rights protected by American society,” Yang said. “The United States should never accept the influence of communism.”

Veterans and Youth Reflect on Values

Martha Magana, community chairperson for the local Scouting America program, marched with dozens of elementary school students.

“I’m incredibly proud that these American children are able to participate in today’s patriotic parade,” she told The Epoch Times.

As the mother of three children, Magana said she hopes they will remember the event for years to come and take pride in having participated in celebrating the nation’s founding.

Paulie Saville, a local leader of the United States Submarine Veterans who served from 1981 to 1994, said the event reminded him why generations of Americans have served their country.

“The reason we made those sacrifices was to defend the country that gave people so many opportunities—freedom for all,” Saville told The Epoch Times. “I’m happy to see that those values still mean so much to people today.”