Cinco De Mayo 2012: The Mexican Holiday's Link To Slavery, Black Civil Rights

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Here's what Cinco de Mayo has become in the U.S.: a celebration of all things Mexican, from mariachi music to sombreros, marked by schools, politicians and companies selling everything from beans to beer.

And here's what Cinco de Mayo is not, despite all the signs in bar windows inviting revelers to drink: It's not Mexico's Independence Day, and it's barely marked in Mexico, except in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is rooted in a complicated and short-lived 1862 military victory over the French.

But don't let that spoil the party.

In Houston, ballet folklorico dancers will ring in Cinco de Mayo by stomping to traditional Mexican music in a city park. New York City will close parts of Spanish Harlem and Queens for street fairs as Mexican flags flap from apartment fire escapes and car antennas. Albuquerque honors the day with a Mariachi concert and free cab rides for those who show their love for Mexico with a little too much Dos Equis XX or tequila. Even West Des Moines, Iowa, has an all-day festival with Mexican food, artwork and live music.

The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most are unaware of its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for blacks.

Often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (that's Sept. 16), Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla between the victorious ragtag army of largely Mexican Indian soldiers against the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Mexican Americans, during the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, adopted the holiday for its David vs. Goliath storyline as motivation for civil rights struggles in Texas and California.

Over the years, the holiday has been adopted by beer companies as a way to penetrate the growing Latino market, even as the historical origins of the holiday remain largely forgotten.

David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine and health services at UCLA and author of the newly released "El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition," said the holiday's history in the U.S. goes back to the Gold Rush when thousands of immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America came to California during the Civil War.

According to Spanish-language newspapers at the time, this first group of multinational Latinos on U.S. soil identified with the Union Army's fight against the Confederacy and often wrote pieces about the evils of slavery. Hayes-Bautista said these Latino immigrants were concerned about the Union's lack of progress and Napoleon III's interests in helping the South.

"It wasn't until the news came about the Battle of Puebla that they got the good news they wanted," said Hayes-Bautista. "Since Napoleon III was linked to the Confederacy, they saw the victory as the first sign that their side could win."

They didn't, of course, at least not for a few years. French forces took over Mexico after the Battle of Puebla, and installed Habsburg Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico. He was captured by Mexican forces five years later and put to death.

But in the years that followed, Latinos in California and the U.S. Northwest celebrated Cinco de Mayo with parades of people dressed in Civil War uniforms and gave speeches about the significance of the Battle of Puebla in the larger struggle for abolition, said Hayes-Bautista.

The Cinco de Mayo-Civil War link remained until the Mexican Revolution, which sparked another wave of Mexican immigration to the U.S. Those immigrants had no connection to Cinco de Mayo – except that U.S. Latinos celebrated it.

"That's when it became about David vs. Goliath, Indians beating a European force, and it took on a new meaning," said Hayes-Bautista. "The Civil War ties disappeared."

The date received another jolt during World War II during the U.S. government's "Good Neighborhood Policy" aimed at building good relationships with Mexico and during the Chicano Movement, when Mexican American activists adopted the day to reinforce civil rights demands. Two police beatings of Cinco de Mayo revelers – one in Houston in 1978 and the other in Washington DC in 1991 – resulted in riots and sparked protests and calls for reforms from Latino advocates.

The holiday spread outside of the American Southwest as more Latinos moved to new areas around the country. Alyssa Gutierrez, 35, a teacher who is originally from Robstown, Texas but now lives in New York's Harlem neighborhood, said Cinco de Mayo was barely noticed when she moved to New York in 1998. "Now there are Mexican restaurants on almost every block and all do something on Cinco de Mayo, usually around a boxing match," said Gutierrez.

Jody Agius Vallejo, a sociology professor at the University of Southern California and author of "Barrios to Burbs: The Making of the Mexican-American Middle Class," said Cinco de Mayo is now used by assimilated Mexican Americans as an easy way for them to showcase their ethnic identity.

"It's very similar to how Irish-Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day," said Vallejo. "One way they can honor their ethnicity is to celebrate this day, even when most don't know why."

But not all buy in. "To others," she added, "this holiday is kind of viewed as a joke because they feel it's their culture that is being appropriated and exploited."

Hayes-Bautista said because the theme and focus around Cinco de Mayo has transformed a number of times, it won't be surprising if it changes again.

"No one has owned Cinco de Mayo," said Hayes-Bautista. "And no one ever will."

___

Comments

[UWorlds1]

04:50 PM on 05/05/2012

It's amazing how white people have let Hispanics take over. In their quest to keep black people down Hispanics have taken over the country. I guess it's what you call Karma.

[pms22275]

08:29 AM on 05/05/2012

Get over it- either go out and celebrate or don't - just like everyone becoming Irish on St Patty's Day and they are a smaller minority than either the Mexicans or Blacks that are complaining

[carlwebb]

11:23 PM on 05/05/2012

Irish outnumber Mexicans:

A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Roughly another 3.5 million (or about another 1.2% of Americans) identified more specifically with Scotch-Irish ancestry. The Irish diaspora population in the United States is roughly 6 times the modern population of Ireland.

As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry.

The only self-reported ancestral group larger than Irish Americans is German Americans. The Irish are widely dispersed in terms of geography, and demographics. Irish American political leaders have played a major role in local and national politics since before the American Revolutionary War: eight Irish Americans signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and 22 American Presidents, from Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama, have been at least partly of Irish ancestry.

[pms22275]

08:28 AM on 05/06/2012

thanks for the info- I know Cincinnati has a huge Irish and German population did not know the percentage- but like I said - everyone becomes Irish on St Patty's day- for those making CInco a race thing or other than anonther made up Holiday- Mothers Day, Valentine Day, Sweetest Day- etc a reason for the card, floral and candy companies money great examples- love my mom but dont need a holiday to remind me all she has done for me

[smp65]

09:07 AM on 05/04/2012

I love Mexico and most things Mexican....except for the violence, drug cartels and dentistas.
Really..I've had so many wonderful times in Mexico, a beautiful country, lovely people, good food and interesting history. it's sad that poverty and corruption rule.

[Rob Paterson1]

02:28 AM on 05/04/2012

good article loved it,.

[hjo4]

11:46 AM on 05/03/2012

Stop the bullchit and lying Mexicans did not help fight for Civil Rights for Blacks or anything of the sort. Mexico and Mexicans have little to no respect for American Blacks. From the hateful an racist cartoons, television shows and other offensive items that portray Blacks in negative light to former President Vincent Fox who said Mexican illegal aliens do they work "that even Blacks won't do. He never apologized and he refused to accept the invitation to come to Harlem and see Black folks working. Don't try to snow us, many posters are knowledgeable about the hatred Latinos harbor for Black people, look at how they treat their own Black Latinos, that tells how they really feel.

[Jetwash]

02:08 PM on 05/03/2012

Generalize much? Let's remember which countries abolished slavery first and which country was the very last to do so in the world. USA.

[hjo4]

02:47 PM on 05/03/2012

Let's remember that Every Latin American country treat their own Black citizens as Second class (if that good),they have an inherit racism against Blacks,many deny their own African roots. It wouldn't be wise for you to open that door. See below

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/

[Tonna]

02:58 PM on 05/03/2012

Cuba abolished slavery in 1886, therefore, the US was not the last country to do so.

[whyalltheanger]

02:45 PM on 05/03/2012

Thanks for not drinking the Huffpost koolaid!

[inthedesert]

09:57 AM on 05/03/2012

How can the celebration of the ending of a war between Mexico and France have anything to do with the struggles of blacks in America to achieve rights? Wow..to me this is a big "stretch" of the imagination of the author. The effort to connect Mexicans, esp illegal immigrants, and that of the black experience in America during slavery times is ludicrous. Blacks were brought here against their wills and then forced to fight for their rights for hundreds of years. Illegals from Mexico come here of their own volition, violation our immigration laws and begin demanding rights immediately. No comparison between the two groups.

[Jetwash]

02:13 PM on 05/03/2012

Right. Because when US companies invade Mexican markets and destroy subsistence farmers from making a living except working up north there is no connection. The only connection is the connection of justice which ties all peoples together if they have been exploited and used, whether by a government that sought free labor in slaves or corporations which seek cheap labor in unauthorized immigration or illegal immigration. The "chains" of bondage differ greatly, but the injustice is there for both systems. Have you seen a tobacco field in North Carolina lately? When black Americans join together with Hispanic immigrants they will find unity in their respective exploitation and marginalized treatment by American society and this is what so many people fear.

[Rev-Ariel Asriel]

06:17 AM on 05/03/2012

I love Mexican People! I love the Mexican Family culture! I love Mexican archicture (spanish style houses etc. and the color" and I love Mexican Food. I don't drink on Cinco De Mayo! I enjoy the music and culture that's celebrated.

[mm6403]

04:24 AM on 05/03/2012

Well after reading the posts, seems media did it again. Way to turn something people don't think of as racial into something racial. Can't wait for xmas to be analized.
For all you bringing race card to this great day, get out more!
For those talking about the celebrating and not even thinking about racism in connection to this great celebration, cheers!

[MyNameIsJames]

08:42 AM on 05/03/2012

What is wrong with knowing its original history? Why should it be a secret?

[Jetwash]

02:18 PM on 05/03/2012

White people no longer believe in race as a subject. They are tired of it, even if it means ignoring history.

[WinslowWong]

06:08 PM on 05/03/2012

Well if learning about Cinco de Mayo is what you're interested in, the first thing I'd do is forget I read this article. With such glaring inaccuracies as placing the California gold rush during the Civil War, the author's claim that it wasn't adopted by the Chicano movement until the '70's, then claims their use of it during WWII and using reference of clashes in '78 and '91 for legitimacy of his claim (I stopped reading at that point), coupled with his almost derogatory portrait of the festivities in celebration, is ample proof the truth of Cinco de Mayo's history is not to be found in this article.

[frankwalters]

02:52 AM on 05/03/2012

Thanks for the info...I 'm African American and I've always enjoyed celebrating with my Latino brothers and sisters! Now that I am more informed on the origin of Cinco de Mayo, I am over joyed, but not surprised! Back in the day Blacks and Latinos par-taid to the same music, appreciated our differences and had some real good times together! So, for those of us that know "The Truth" we ain't trippin'! For the rest o' ya'll that ain't wit it...Get a life! HAPPY CINCO de MAYO! IT'S FOR US ALL!!! Ecclesiastes 3:12 and John 8:32 look em' up, you'll feel better (-:

[Deotha Woodburn]

09:27 AM on 05/03/2012

yeah whatever. now blacks have to be sub servant in our own country to latinos. the latinos have stolen employment from blacks whose, fore fathers and mothers fought, spilled their blood for, and died for.today latinos, benefit a great portion of afro-americans anti-poverty social programs ie, model cities, affirmative action,higher education,homeownerships, small businesses etc, that was acquired during the civil rights movement, and the black power movement, this ain't got nothing to do with no "partaid". today is about our survival,,and about right and wrong, and making it on your own, likes BLACKS. you are a disgrace to our forefathers, and foremothers that was lynched, tarred and feathered, sprayed down with fire hoses, attacked by vicious dogs, our children being bombed while they worshiped, etc, etc, etc,. don't quote the bible, and you are the one that needs to get a life.a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[Gaaltero]

11:33 AM on 05/03/2012

What in heavens are you babbling about?

[Jetwash]

02:20 PM on 05/03/2012

African Americans comprise 15 percent of the population. Latinos now comprise 16 percent. Wouldn't it be better to view these numbers as 31 percent like my brother Frank? Unity. Black and Brown.

[UWorlds1]

04:36 PM on 05/05/2012

Cinco de mayo has nothing to do the the civil rights struggle. If you believe that you know nothng about YOUR history. Learn your own history (which is American History) before believing some made-up story.

[frankwalters]

02:17 AM on 05/03/2012

I am African American and I've always enjoyed celedrating with my Latin brothers and sisters! Back in the day, before some of us got tricked into believing that Blacks and Latins were adversaries, we always got along...We par-taid together to the same music, appreciated our differences and sho' nuff had some good times together! Now, that I've been more informed on the origin of Cinco de Mayo...I'am over joyed but not surprised, because, for those of us that know "The Truth"...We ain't trippin'! The rest o' ya'll who ain't wit' it...Get A life! HAPPY CINCO de MAYO TO US ALL!!! Thanks for the info.

[Rev-Ariel Asriel]

06:13 AM on 05/03/2012

You are so right! I grew up in the 70's and I experienced oneness with our Mexican Brothers adn Sisters!

[Whyalwaysme]

07:22 AM on 05/03/2012

you didn't fav his comment, why?

[King7David]

11:31 PM on 05/02/2012

Appropriated and exploited, and that's the truth.

[randyjet]

11:05 PM on 05/02/2012

The writer is correct about there being a link with the US Civil War. Indeed as it became clear the Union was winning the war, Pres. Lincoln ordered the US forces in south Texas to ship 20,000 rifles and ammunition to Juarez; forces. He also sent a severe note to France stating that any further French support for Maximillian would be stopped by the US Navy. The French decided not to have a confrontation with the US Navy and cut loose from Maximillian, which led to his defeat and execution.

So Cinco de Mayo is just as much a part of US history as it is Mexican. It was the first setback for the reactionary forces since there had been nothing but disasters for the Union up to that time.

[LeRoy Carter]

10:34 PM on 05/03/2012

My great great grandfather and two great great uncles were among the several all-black regiments (then known as US Colored Troops) who were sent to guard the Mexican-American border at the end of the Civil War (April 1865). While the white union army soldiers celebrated the victory of the Civil War by marching in Washington, D.C., the black soldiers were dispatched to areas along the Rio Grande as a show of strength against Emperor Maximilian and the French who thought they could establish an empire in Mexico. Thanks to the boldness of the black soldiers (my great great grandfather and uncles included), the French backed down and the Mexicans were able to determine their own destiny, which now includes the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. It's so good to have documentation and set the record straight. I have my ancestors' military records and the record of their participation in helping to guarantee the freedom of Mexicans. LeRoy C.

[randyjet]

11:55 PM on 05/03/2012

As a Vietnam era veteran, I can appreciate the sacrifices that your ancestors made. In fact, the Buffalo Soldiers were the best in the US Army and proved themselves better than their white counterparts in most areas. Black Jack Pershing got his name and reputation based on the achievements of those soldiers.

If one recalls the time that 5 May 1862 happened in the Civil War, there was not much for the forces of freedom to celebrate. Grant had just won the battle at Shiloh, but at such a cost, it was a pyhrric victory that stunned more than it elated the Union. Thus it was welcome news that the Mexicans had defeated the French.

[LeRoy Carter]

01:12 PM on 06/19/2012

LET’S CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH!
The celebration of JUNETEENTH began in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. JUNETEENTH is one of the oldest celebrations of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the slaves were free. This happened two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, it had very little impact on the slaves in Texas because Texas was a very powerful part of the Confederacy. The small number of Union troops in Texas could not enforce the new Executive Order. But with the surrender of the Confederacy in April 1865, the Union army had business to take care of in Texas (more specifically with the French in Mexico). Herein was the problem: during the war between the American States, the French emperor Napoleon III extended his European empire into Mexico, by setting up one of his relatives, Maximilian I, as emperor of Mexico. Taking advantage of the fact that the American government was busily occupied with saving its own integrity and nation, Napoleon III had the audacity to take over the Mexican government and establish his puppet empire there. The presence of French troops overwhelmed the Mexican people, as Maximilian I violated the previously U.S. enforced Monroe Doctrine.

[vergoton]

09:08 PM on 05/02/2012

Who cares...................just bring the brewskies............................

[guavass]

11:52 PM on 05/02/2012

i care

[Whyalwaysme]

07:23 AM on 05/03/2012

Your right, WHO CARES

[jamnjer29]

09:07 PM on 05/02/2012

Cut the BS.........just another reason to party.

[vergoton]

08:54 PM on 05/02/2012

The only reason that Mexico "won" is because, the French were horrible sick to their stomach and had to comeback to Veracruz port.................other stories are taught in elementary school in Mexico but, when you read in college the truth comes out...............just saying

[guavass]

11:54 PM on 05/02/2012

who's truth ?

[Robert SF]

03:17 AM on 05/03/2012

Big deal. Every country throws gauze over its historical lense.

[vergoton]

10:24 AM on 05/03/2012

Indeed, there is not a single country that has made dumb choices