By Liliya Velbovets
Cinco de Mayo is widely misunderstood in the United States as even Mexican descendents are unaware of the origin of the holiday, but for some, this holiday is as good as any other to have a party.
?We don?t celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a big holiday,? said Pamela Lyons, a sophomore, from Queretaro, Mexico. ?Cinco de Mayo is a day of memory about the battle. It is not an Independence day.?
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the 5th of May) is often mistaken for the day of Mexican Independence, which is September 16. Mexico?s Independence Day commemorates the anniversary when revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo Costilla issued a proclamation declaring Mexico independence from Spain in 1810 and is largely celebrated in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo is the day of the Batalla de Puebla ( Battle of Puebla) that took place in 1862 long after independence was proclaimed. During this battle, the vastly outnumbered Mexican army was victorious over the forces of Emperor Napoleon III.
?This holiday is a matter of patriotism,? said Middoni Ramos, a junior, majoring in manufacturing engineering, from Hidalgo, Mexico. ?There are not a lot of battles that we fought and won.?
When French army arrived in Mexico, it was among the best equipped and most highly regarded armies in the world, but was defeated despite an advantage of about 8,000.
Professor of Latin American literature Ted Lyon said this day of victory in the battle became the day of Mexican pride. The triumph of the Mexican army in the Batalla de Puebla is a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism.
The president of the BYU Mexican Student Association, Sergio Martinez, said this is a national Mexican holiday, but it is no bigger than other holidays. He said he doesn?t understand why Americans make such a big deal of Cinco de Mayo.
?This holiday is bigger in America because here we have a lot of immigrants who desire to blend with others,? said Tony Gurule, publisher of Hispanic News. ?Cinco de Mayo is compared to American holidays like Fourth of July or Memorial Day. The celebration of this day helps bring the immigrant community closer.?
Gurule said many businesses like car stores, tire stores, hotels and restaurants celebrate Cinco de Mayo during the whole week of the holiday. At this time they have big sales of their products, games and food to customers.
One of the reasons it is not as celebrated in Mexico is because of the number of Mexican holidays around the 5th of May: Children?s Day April 30, Workers Day May 1 and Mother?s Day May 10.
Lyon compared the holiday in Mexico to the U.S. Battle of Lexington and Concord, or D-Day.
?In United States we haven?t had a holiday for a while,? Lyon said, ?Cinco de Mayo is a colorful and fun way to celebrate a minority holiday.?
More History:
The Mexican triumph proved to be only a temporary setback for the French, who returned to Mexico with a large army and conquered the country in 1863. However, the valor of those who fought the Battle of Puebla bolstered Mexico?s pride and helped to sustain its citizens during the period of French occupation, which ended in 1867. The Mexicans first celebrated Cinco de Mayo under French rule, and they changed the name of the city where their victory occurred to Puebla de Zaragoza after the general of the Battle of Puebla, Ignacio Zaragoza.
History source: Encarta online Encyclopedia www.encarta.msn.com
Some numbers:
25.3 million*
Number of U.S. residents of
Mexican origin in 2003. These
residents constituted 9 percent of
the nation?s total population.
10 million*
Number of foreign-born
residents from Mexico. They
constitute about 3-in-10 people
who were foreign-born.
31%
Percentage of Mexican family
households containing five or
more people. This is the highest
rate of large households among
Latino groups.
12%
Percentage of people of Mexican
heritage who work in managerial
or professional occupations.
* The figure given does not
include people living in group
quarters. Source U.S. Census
Bureau. www.census.gov
