About Cinco de mayo
Cinco
de mayo is celebrated on the 5th of May. Contrary to what many
people believe, Cinco de mayo is not Mexico's independence day
from Spain. Rather, it's a remembrance of a David and Goliath-like
fight. In 1862, as the French invasion of Mexico began, Mexican
General Ignacio Zaragoza's force of 4,000 soldiers defeated twice
as many French soldiers in the Battle of Puebla. The French occupation
would continue until 1866. But the Mexican soldiers' courage
and determination inspired Mexican Americans. Even back then,
historians say, California's Mexican Americans celebrated the
win. Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, Chicanos involved in the
civil rights movement related the Cinco de mayo story to their
quest for respect in the United States. They identified with
the Mexican Indian and mestizo (people of Mexican Indian and
European descent) soldiers' triumph over European conquest attempts.
Chicano activists publicized it and made it a popular holiday
in the United States. Today, it's become much like St. Patrick's
Day. You don't have to be Mexican to celebrate it.
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