Not Mexican Independence Day: Cinco de Mayo

Every year, as we approach the 5th of May, stores and companies begin to promote Cinco de Mayo in their storefronts and through their advertisements. There are office parties, full of festive decorations, and children at school might have the opportunity to take a swing at a piñata. This splendor is to celebrate a date of significance to Mexicans and Mexican-Americans alike.

While this is not Mexican Independence Day (that is on September 16th), it is a date pivotal to the history of Mexico. In 1861, Mexico was bankrupt, and had outstanding debts to Britain, Spain, France and the U.S. While the Monroe Doctrine warned European nations to avoid intrusion into the affairs of the Americas -- France, England and Spain signed the Covenant of London, where they agreed to send troops to collect on those debts. England and Spain came to peaceful agreements with Mexico, while France prepared to attack.

On May 5th, 1862, the French attacked the city of Puebla, but under the leadership of Texas-born Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, the Mexican Army was triumphant in the battle. It brought the country together and helped create a sense of unity.

Interestingly, the first celebrations of Cinco de Mayo started one year later in California, which had recently become part of the United States. According to a paper published last year by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, as the French continued to attack Mexico, beginning with a subsequent attack on Puebla just one year after the initial attack, Cinco de Mayo brought together the people of California. The date brought together native-born Californios (individuals from the region prior to annexing by the U.S.); recent immigrants from Mexico, as well as Central and South-America; and the new generation of English-speaking American children. Since 1863, Californians have celebrated the fifth of May, and now people across the U.S. recognize the occasion as well. Yet it is virtually ignored in Mexico. From its inception, Cinco de Mayo has been a day for those with Mexican heritage in our country to celebrate our roots, marked with patriotic speeches and celebrations, displaying both U.S. and Mexican flags.

Another important fact to consider is how this battle played into U.S. history, as the Civil War waged on. France, and other European nations, were concerned about the rapid expansion of the United States, and had an interest in staving off U.S. expansion towards the South. Seeing the young nation split into two less powerful and less threatening nations was an ideal vision of Napoleon III, then ruler of France.

While the Covenant of London was being finalized, General Robert E. Lee was winning battles for the Confederacy. Had the French been victorious in that original Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862, they could have continued their influence across the Mexican nation, and would have likely supported the Confederacy in its battle against Union forces. Instead, the French had to regroup their forces and concentrate on their war with Mexico, which was much more united just one year after the first attack. Of course, just fourteen months after the Battle of Puebla, the U.S. Civil War would see a major battle when Union forces claimed victory at Gettysburg and effectively brought a close to the Civil War.

As we attend Cinco de Mayo celebrations, let us take a moment to remember the history behind this event-- significant for its impact on Mexico, its impact on the U.S., and for bringing together those with ties to both countries.

Comments

[cadet]

Muchas Gracias Rep. Baca. Unfortunately most think of Cinco de Mayo as a opportunity for cheap Margarita's ! ie: St. Patricks Day, the Irish dilema of like misinterpretation.

[LindaSherman]

I worked in Japan for many years. As a beer company executive, I ensured that St. Patrick's Day was brought to local bars. I joined the tradition of buying chocolate on Valentine's Day (see http://itsdifferent4girls.com/blog/2008/02/07/no-global-definition-of-valentine’s-day/). Christmas of course enjoys worldwide commercial appreciation but no Christmas trees here except in hotels. Thanksgiving and July 4th are very quietly celebrated by American expats. New Years frivolity is completely non-imported and stubbornly celebrated by a subdued though crowded visit to a temple.

Last year we met with our colleague from Mexico in Los Angeles on September 16th. He was surprised that we had not arranged to attend a Mexican Independence Day celebration of some sort. We were surprised that he had not heard of Cinco de Mayo.

[LeonBNJ]

While in large part the 5th of May in the USA has become a day to push Mexican booze, beer and food, it is also, like St. Patrick's day, an acknowlegment of the significant numbers of Mexican peoples and influences of Mexican culture in the USA, especially in Calif, AZ, CO, NM, Texas. The date acknowleges a major turning point of the Mexicans in their battles with French occupation.
As to the British and French and the CSA, the British did support the CSA to some extent as it was the primary source for cotton for their Victorian era clothmaking industry.

[Serfie]

Why do you insist in telling these outrageous lies?

1. The Battle at Puebla wasn't a turning point for the Mexicans in a positive way. They lost all their battles afterwards and most of Mexico fell under French Occupation.

The Mexicans didn't defeat the French until much later, until after the Civil War and with US support.

2. The British didn't support the confederacy. This is a myth. The confederacy made overtures to the British and French, but they were rejected. British and French diplomats were expelled from the confederacy.

[mamacat]

OK, just talked to some one who grew up in Mexico. She says that Cinco de Mayo is the third most important patriotic holiday. It is observed by schools and banks, but not by most businesses.

The battle of Chapultepec, Sep 13, is another day that is bigger than may 5th. It was the last battle of the "War of American Aggression", in which Mexico lost half its territory to the U..S. Officer cadets in Mexico City tried to hold off the vastly more numerous Americans at Chapultepec Castle. They were the last signifigant Mexican military force, and they refused to surrender until finally it was surrender or die. The woman I talked to is now an American citizen, but one of her ancestors was one of the boy soldiers of the Battle of Chapultepec.

BTW, one post said that the War of 1812 was like a second War of Independence for the U.S. The truth be told, the only reason New England went along with it was because they thought they could invade Canada and take it away from Britain. When the American army invaded Canada, they were soundly defeated by the Canadians, who wanted nothing to do with the United States. Once the remnants of this army straggled back home, there was no reason to continue with the war as far as most of the nation was concerned. The Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty had already been signed and agreed to.

[MajorKong]

The British burned Washington DC in retaliation for our burning of the parliament building in York (now Toronto). They tend to leave that little detail out of the American history textbooks. You see, we were just minding our own business when those mean British came along and burned our capitol...­.

[morbie5]

Hmm, well your forgetting about the fact that the Brits were taking captured american sailors and forcing them into the british navy. Also the Brits were obstructing american trade with France. But your right, its always only americas fault.

[Robert59]

We did take the fight to the British by invading Canada, but most historians agree we weren't trying to annex Canada but to force the British to quit supporting the Indians who we were fighting and to get them to stop seizing our ships and pressing our sailors into the British navy.

Madison and his advisors believed that conquest of Canada would be easy and that economic coercion would force the British to come to terms by cutting off the food supply for their West Indies colonies. Furthermore, possession of Canada would be a valuable bargaining chip. Frontiersmen demanded the seizure of Canada not because they wanted the land, but because the British were thought to be arming the Indians and thereby blocking settlement of the west. [18] As Horsman concludes, "The idea of conquering Canada had been present since at least 1807 as a means of forcing England to change her policy at sea. The conquest of Canada was primarily a means of waging war, not a reason for starting it."[19] Hickey flatly states, "The desire to annex Canada did not bring on the war." [20] Brown (1964) concludes, "The purpose of the Canadian expedition was to serve negotiation not to annex Canada."[2­1] Burt, a leading Canadian scholar, agrees completely, noting that Foster, the British minister to Washington, also rejected the argument that annexation of Canada was a war goal. [22]

[1LTUSMC]

I have been living in Mexico for the past 12 years. Cinco de Mayo isn't that big of a holiday. Schools don't close. Businesses don't close and neither do government offices.

Children's Day is celebrated much more than May 5th.

[For God sake]

Believe it or not, that sarcasm of the captainswife is a true fact. On May we come out of the winter doldrums, (especially in Alaska) what a good excuse to have a fiesta! a biiiiig fiesta and the US people grab the opportunity. You should read a piece I wrote many years ago for the Anchorage Daily News: Arsenio Rey Tejerina + Cinco de Mayo.

You can get it through Google.

[FarOutFish]

In the ‘60’s I covered many a Cinco de Maya parade. It was indeed a celebration of the battle. The celebration after the parade was even more fun, especially after the third shot of Tequila.

[Jazzylady26]

I'm sorry, I don't celebrate that holiday and know nothing about it. When blacks are paid reparations for all that was done to us and our ancestors then I'll celebrate any holiday you deem worthy. It's been hard enough to get holidays to honor blacks in this country, why the hell should I recognize the holiday of some other country?

[jotunloki]

You'll probably get your reparations at the same time native americans are given their land back.

[Jazzylady26]

Deed, don't I know it? Not only did whites steal their lands, they also steal the monies set aside for them and keep them in dire, grinding, never ending poverty, the same as they do us. And of course I am well aware that reparations equal guilt, so it ain't happening. Meanwhile, Mexicans will be granted the right to be here and we had to fight for our rights here. Now, ain't that bitch?

[katch]

Rep Baca does not have a clue as to whether Mexican celebrate. The Mexican people start celebrating this event 2 weeks before the 5th.

Having lived in Various States that border on Mexico. I know this is a huge event. I'm willing to bet Mr Baca doesn't even speak spanish just as my cousins in California say.

[GeoNorth]

It's the fifth of May! Let's party!

[provgrays]

The history lesson is appreciated, but the holiday is just an excuse to drink for those who observe it. Why is it celebrated at all in this country?

Rediculous.

[bushisatraitor]

To be politically correct. I'm not Jewish, but if we're going to have to celebrate "holidays" like this one, then we should be celebrating Yom Kippur and other ones too. Heck, why not celebrate the national holidays of every country? Or is it just Mexicans that the bleeding heart liberals bend over for?

[Robert59]

It has nothing to do with being a liberal. When I was a kid in the Panhandle where Mexican Americans were no more than 10 percent of the population it was celebrated in all the public schools. And if you know the Panhandle you'll understand that part of Texas is conservative and very Republican.

I can't think of a better way to show solidarilty with fellow Americans (as in Norteamericanos). Like us they got tired of being a colony and broke free. We had to do it again in the War of 1812 and Mexico had to do it a second time in the 1860s.

Yom Kippur is a religious holiday so I'm not certain what a Jewish holiday has to do with celebrating a famous battle. And Cinco de Mayo isn't a national holiday so it's not costing the taxpayer a dime.

[duffman209]

The fact that it is seen as just an excuse to drink is not inherent with the celebration. It has been usurped by alcohol companies to sell their product, just like halmark owns valentines day and christmas.

[MajorKong]

Probably for the same reason we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day in the United States.

[bobtr900]

Rep. Baca,
I think Cinco de Mayo is not widely celebrated in Mexico because the people are not yet truly free.
Had Mr. Lopez Obrador been elected prez of Mexico the people would have something to celebrate. He was the best hope for the people of Mexico. Instead Calderon was elected.

Dick Morris, one of the Republican party(Karl Rove) political strategists was sent to Mexico and did the very same thing to Mexico that Rove and the Repub party did to the USA. He/they took the election out of the hands of the Mexican people via theirusual fear and smear tactics and stole the election for Calderon and the Repub party.

The long grinding poverty of the people will just continue. The people are a source of cheap labor for the wealthy of Mexico and of the USA, and thus the Repub party. In the USA some of the Rethugs still actually believe that St. Reagans trickle down economics is working and will continue to work despite the fact that it never worked during the Reagan administration and has never worked.

There is a place for the idea of NAFTA and CAFTA but the way they are currently configured wherein both the Mexican and American people suffer economically is all wrong. Maybe someday...­Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated as Mexican Economic Independance Day.

[shp]

Are you sure you're not talking about the Dick Morris that was an advisor to Bill Clinton? You know, the Democratic Party? Because any other "Dick Morris" never even makes it in the news. Always trying to blame the Repubs for everything .......

[jotunloki]

Dick Morris became a neocon shill after not receiving an appointment he wanted from Bill. In other words, his political beliefs are only expedient, not real.

[YankeeCanuck]

Ignored in Mexico? A few years back I happened to be in Mexico City for Cinco de Mayo.THere i witnessed a gigantic official three-day celebration in the central square or Zocalo.Pre­parations and rehearsals began two days ahead in the evenings.T­here was a religious procession around the zocalo with the bishop -- a mass in the cathedral filled to capacity. On the Cinco de Mayo itself there was a massive parade of many battalions wearing hostoric uniforms of Mexico and all invading forces marching smartly. Then, after they were all assembled in marched an army of campesinos wearing sandals and traditional sombreros, with bandilleros slung across their traditionals white shirts. The area was shut down to traffic for three days, and music and dance events from traditional to modern went on from morning to late evening. Food stalls were plentiful. It was bigger and more colorful than any celebration I've seen in the US, except perhaps for July 4th in Washington. But that only lasts one day.

[apoyo]

It's amazing that Mexico would owe money to Spain after Spain occupied the country, killed the native population thru spread of disease or forced labor in order to steal the country's silver and spirit it away to Spain.

After the Friars force fed Catholicism to the proud people of Mexico who incidentally had a more developed civilization located in the area now known as Mexico City.

[awcbuddy8]

Human sacrifice and cannibalism is more advanced? And if more developed then why is the old Aztec capital sitting at the bottom of a lake?

[duffman209]

Your are judging a past culture by present day morality and ethics. It is not only flawed to do so but why bring it up?

[Paul]

There is a bill in Congress that says the Iraqis should be paying us occupation costs...

[LiberalBuzz]

Yeah we got a lot to be thankful for.

Personally I would've rather seen France take over Mexico. I doubt the French would've supported the South especially about slavery. The French heavily condemned slavery and had no reason to support the South other than a misplaced idea the South was more of an aristocratic system rather than one based upon democratic ideal....w­ell except for slaves.

The British AND the French thought slavery was highly abhorrent and by the time any such possibility might've happened the war had turned into, not just an attempt to keep the Union as one country but because of the slavery issue, which developed as a major issue within months of the start of the Civil War, at which point the French would have backed off because their people would NEVER have supported that issue.

The only reason anyone would believe the French would have become involved was due to the initial reports the South was winning, however within the year that had changed and the French had also seen the light with regards to the slavery issue.

So LONG after they had taken Mexico as a colony the French would have seen which way the wind was blowing.

So NO, to say that they COULD have been involved is stretching the truth to the Nth degee.

Strange how the Mexicans in Mexico don't have this holiday. Maybe they just need better marketing because after all it's a BILLION dollar industry in the U.S.

[Vibrani]

I don't know why this isn't celebrated in Mexico, if it's such a great Mexican victory. In California when I was growing up, it was a very small celebration. Now it's a big deal. Why? Ask most Latinos about what Cinco de Mayo is about, and they don't even know. Why do we celebrate it in Calfornia, when the fight took place in Texas? If it's just about an ethnic holiday, fine. But, let's be realistic about it.

[doodlefarbe]

Vibrani asks, "In California when I was growing up, it was a very small celebration. Now it's a big deal. Why? "

I have just eleven-teen answers for you:

Mother's Day

Father's Day

Grandparents' Day

Birth-Mother's Day

Secretary's Day (or, in PC-speak, "Administrative Professional's Day")

Boss Day, for Pete's Sake

[Insert Desired Rampant Consumerism Here] Day...

[Serfie]

It never ceases to amaze me how Mexican right-wing nationalists, like Rep. Baca have to lie in support of their fascist ideology.

I don't care if you are a right-wing Mexican nationalist, but at least tell the truth in support of your ideology.

Honorable Baca wrote:

"Had the French been victorious in that original Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862, they could have continued their influence across the Mexican nation, and would have likely supported the Confederacy in its battle against Union forces. Instead, the French had to regroup their forces and concentrate on their war with Mexico, which was much more united just one year after the first attack."

I love this contradictory untruthful statement

France defeated Mexico before the end of the US civil war. The battle at Puebla did nothing to stop the French from occupying the rest of Mexico quite quickly after that battle. The French were in Mexico City by the following January.

As for the French supporting the confederacy, that is a total fabrication. There is absolutely no evidence that France would have invaded the US from the confederacy vis a vie Mexico.

Not one European country recognized the succession of the confederacy.

It amazes me how a US Congressman would lie to the public like this.

[randyjet]

It is not a lie. The fact is that the Emperor Maximillian would have been far more secure, and would have consolidated his rule over ALL of Mexico. it is not true of course that the French would have intervened directly, but the same is not true of Mexico under an Emperor.

The only problem I have with the 5th of May is that it should ALSO celebrate what Lincoln and the union forces did in getting the French out of Mexico. Lincoln basically told the French to leave once the Civil war was clearly won, and ordered massive amounts of Union military supplies to be sent to the Mexican rebels and ordered Union Army troops to be ready to move against Maximillian. This not only gave material support to the Mexican people, but gave them a real hope of imminent victory. The guns and the Mexican people did the rest and defeated and executed Maximillian. An outcome that the US was instrumental in bringing about. So I think that part of the celebration should remember that US help as well.

[Serfie]

Dude, you are clueless.

Here are the battles in chronological order:

Although the French army, then considered the most efficient in the world, suffered an initial defeat in the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862 (now the Cinco de Mayo commemoration day) they eventually defeated the Mexican government forces commanded by general Ignacio Zaragoza. The pursuing Mexican army was contained by the French at Orizaba, Veracruz, on 14 June. More French troops arrived on 21 September, and General Bazaine arrived with more reinforcements on 16 October. Tampico, Tamaulipas, was occupied by the army of France on 23 October, with Xalapa, Veracruz, taken peacefully on 12 December.

The French bombarded Veracruz on 15 January 1863. Then, on 16 March, General Forey and the French army began the siege of Puebla.

On 30 April, the French Foreign Legion earned its legendary status in the Battle of Camarón when the small infantry patrol unit led by Capitaine Danjou numbering 62 soldiers and three officers was attacked and besieged by Mexican infantry and cavalry units numbering three battalions, and was forced to make a defense in Hacienda Camarón. Danjou was mortally wounded in the defense of the hacienda, and the last of his men mounted a desperate bayonet attack. They fought to nearly the last man, with three survivors. To this day, 'Camerone Day' is still the most important day of celebration for Legionnaires.