Feliz Día de la Batalla de Puebla!
Before you all go out to your Cinco de Mayo fiestas, I wanted to get real real with y’all for a quick minute.
First, if you have no idea what Cinco de Mayo is or why we even began celebrating it here in the United States, then…
Put
That
Margarita
Down
Now.
And read.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over the French forces of Napoleon III on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla.
Today, Cinco de Mayo has become more of an American holiday than a Mexican one. It’s been big in the United States since Mexican Americans raised awareness for it in the 1960s.
You see, Napoleon III was supporting the Confederacy. When the news of the Battle of Puebla reached Latinos living in what is now California, it invigorated them. Spanish-speaking cavalries (mostly Mexican American) were organized to fight alongside Union forces and, many historians say, this had a big an role in the Union’s victory in the US Civil War.
This caused Mexican Americans to raise awareness also due to the fact that many Mexican Americans helped fight and helped win the Battle of Puebla. And, in the 1960s, Mexican Americans also began their own civil rights movement and wanted to bring to light just how much their contributions in the Civil War and beyond had changed the course of American history for the better.
A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.
As for me, I am soooo proud of my Mexican roots and I will take any opportunity I can to showcase and celebrate Mexican culture and history.
Have a fun and safe Cinco de Mayo everyone!
How do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Does your family or group of friends have an annual “Cinco” tradition?
