In the United States, the date has become aligned with drunken celebration and desecrations of the Spanish language. But few celebrate the true events that lie at the heart of what many Mexicans consider a cornerstone of the Mexican character. Instead, many Americans view it as an opportunity to drink Corona and eat Mexican food, followed by more Corona.
Many might guess that the date commemorates Mexican Independence Day. Nope. You’re about 41 years too late if you guess that. However, what the date celebrates is something just as bloody with implications for the American Civil War. For on May 5, 1862, the Mexican army did the impossible and defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla. At the time, the French army was considered to be the epitome of military prowess under the direction of Napoleon III.
General Ignacio Zaragoza led 4,500 equipment-deprived Mexican soldiers against 6,500 refined French soldiers. In this David versus Goliath battle, General Zaragoza and his soldiers won decisively. The Mexican side suffered 87 casualties, but by virtue of the blood of those soldiers, the Mexican people attained a strong sense of national pride. Uniting against a military titan to emerge victorious strengthened a movement within Mexico pushing for democratic government.
To say that the Mexican people needed this unifying force is an understatement. Leading up to the Battle of Puebla, the Mexican treasury was near bankruptcy after a war with the United States that resulted in Mexico ceding 55 percent of its territory and a civil war between Liberals and Conservatives, those seeking a secular government versus those seeking a government loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. Due to these economic tribulations, President Benito Juarez stated that all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years.
Foreign debtors, including Britain, Spain, and France, sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand payments. President Juarez was able to negotiate the British and the Spanish into a withdrawal. Unfortunately, the same could not be achieved with the French who saw the opportunity to build French influence against the United States in Latin America. Here is where we arrive at the implications of Cinco de Mayo for the United States. If General Zaragoza had fallen at the hands of Napoleon’s forces, the French would have seeked to mobilize the Mexican people, alongside French might, on behalf of the Confederacy. One can only imagine how different the United States would look without those 4,500 Mexicans.
Yet, this history still doesn’t explain why Cinco de Mayo has grown so popularly in the United States. Why not celebrate the 16th of September for Mexico’s independence? This is a day that is actually celebrated by the entire Mexican population, unlike the 5th which is celebrated only by a few major Mexican cities. Celebration within the United States originated in California, specifically Los Angeles. Initially, the Chicano Movement of the 1960s celebrated the day as a way to bring attention to Mexican history and build unity with Americans, particularly as it affected the course of American history. But it wasn’t until the 1980s when beer companies capitalized on the date to market their product. It is safe to say that the marketing worked.
It is an interesting dichotomy every year when cities across the country — some with large Mexican or Mexican-American populations, but many without — decide to celebrate fun celebratory aspects rather than the history of another country. All the while detrimental rhetoric pertaining to Mexicans is spewed by the man sitting in the Oval Office at the White House and the rest of his political party.
The reality of the situation is that most Mexicans and Mexican-Americans don’t care if people celebrate the date. In fact, that is what the fathers and mothers of the Chicano movement wanted: to mitigate racism against Mexicans by celebrating the history our countries share. The point of contention emerges when the date is narrowed to taco bowls and alcohol by authority figures who propelling harmful stereotypes about Mexican people.
