Today In History: Cinco de Mayo
Not to be confused with Mexico's Independence Day on September 16th, Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is an annual celebration that marks the country's victory over the French at the Battle of the Puebla in 1862. General Ignacio Zaragoza and his smaller militia defeated the French forces, though a second battle in Puebla would lead to the occupation of Mexico City and stronger control by the French. It was not until 1866 that Napoleon Bonaparte would announce the withdrawal of France from Mexico, while the United States, refusing to be neutral, motivated for the unconditional surrender of Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo has become a popular celebration in the United States, particularly California, in recognition of Mexican culture, cuisine, and history. Today military parades, games, carnivals, music (especially Mariachi bands), fancy dress, dancing, food , and fireworks are enjoyed, particularly among Mexican American communities throughout America.
New Mexico, the fifth largest of the fifty states with over 2 million residents, was admitted to the Union in 1912, then becoming the 47th state. Sharing borders with Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora, New Mexico was previously part of Mexico until the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) which resulted from the Union's annexation of Texas in 1845.
The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- Munoz, S. (1980, May 04). Cinco de Mayo: Looking Beyond the Margaritas. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
- Hernandez, G. (1990, May 05). Cinco de Mayo: Lost in translation?: Celebration: Latino Leaders Fear That the Historical Significance Of the Day Is Sometimes Lost Amid All the Hoopla. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
- Weinstein, S. (1992, Apr 25). Cinco de Mayo Celebration On Tap. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
- Leovy, J., & Valencia, C. (1993, May 06). Students Recall Chavez for Cinco de Mayo. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)2
- Phong, L. (1993, May 02). Mexico Rises Again: Cinco de Mayo Festivities Highlight History, Culture. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995)
- Cinco de Mayo: Oh, My, Oh, My-O! (1995, May 03). Michigan Chronicle (1939-2010)
- Cinco de Mayo: Remembering Mexico's Victory Over the French. (1996, May 05). Los Angeles Times (1996-)
- Cobo-Hanlon, L. (1997, May 01). Fiesta Grande: Cinco de Mayo Might Be a Minor Mexican Holiday But It's a Major One Here. The Parades, Concerts, Dancing and Family Fun Cross Cultural Boundaries. Los Angeles Times (1996-)
- Haynes, K. A. (1997, May 06). Cinco de Mayo Event Offers History Lesson. Los Angeles Times (1996-)
- Ames, L. (2000, Apr 30). Pinatas and More at Cinco de Mayo Celebration. New York Times (1923-)
Tips:
- Bullard, Lisa, and Holli Conger. Marco’s Cinco de Mayo. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2012. e-book
- El Cinco de Mayo; an Exhibit Commemorating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Victory over the French by the Mexican Army Led by Ignacio Zaragoza, May 5, 1862. Texas: University of Texas. Library. Latin American Collection, 1962. e-book
- Gleisner, Jenna Lee. We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Spring. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Cherry Lake Publishing, 2014. e-book
- Hall, Margaret. Cinco de Mayo. North Mankato, Minn: Rourke Pub., 2011. e-book
- Hayes-Bautista, David. El Cinco de Mayo : An American Tradition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2012. e-book
Images:
- Dancers in a Colorful Dress, by Martin Vorel, Courtesy of Libreshot
- Cinco de Mayo, 1901 poster: El Cinco de Mayo de 1862 y el Sitio de Puebla, by Heriberto Frias, Courtesy Picryl
Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check additional Cafe News postings on the library blog.
