Almighty Dad | A stay at home dad blog

 

I’ve lived in the United States for almost 13 years and I’ve never understood the fascination people here seem to have with Cinco de Mayo.  It is a Mexican holiday, but it’s not a particularly important one. It isn’t Mexican Independence Day (September 16) and it’s not even celebrated in most of the country.  Yet here, inexplicably, it’s a big deal.  I want to know why Cinco de Mayo has turned into a massive excuse to party.  Even more compelling though, why are Mexican immigrants so ignorant about it, and why are white people, who have bought into its relevance hook line and sinker, not opening books to learn something, thereby making them look a little less stupid when they take a shot in the dark at being sensitive to other cultures?

 

What Is 5 de Mayo:

 

It all started when Mexico got his independence from Spain in 1810.  For years, in order to support the new country, Mexico asked for loans from Spain, England and France.  In the early 1860’s Mexico stopped paying its loans (broke).  France decided to take advantage of the situation, as would any self respecting world power, and invaded Mexico to widen its empire (although they were, in fact, using the Treaty of London as a pretext).  France wanted to install the archduke Maximilian of Austria as Mexico’s emperor.   Maximilian, it should be noted, was a relative of Napoleon III.  French forces landed at the port of Veracruz and began their advance to the capital 600 miles to the west.  Puebla lies halfway between Veracruz and Mexico City (it’s a good place for a city to be –  except in 1862).  With French troops approaching from the East and Mexicans pulling together a resistance on short notice (the militia had fought Maximillian in a skirmish on April 28^th of the same year and then turned for Puebla to find a more defendable position), we come to the relevance of May 5^th, specifically May 5^th, 1862.

 

The battle started at 5:00 am, in the hills above Puebla, near the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.  Maximilian had 8,000 soldiers to attack a defended position of 4,000 militiamen led by General Ignacio Zaragoza (if you’re Mexican and you buy things then you’ve seen him – he’s on the 500 peso note).  Zaragoza’s army, thanks to Zaragoza’s knowledge of terrain and defendable positions, beat the French army into retreat.  The French, knowing what was good for them, left Puebla and the country.  Napoleon III didn’t need an invitation to try again though and he came back with more troops less than a year later. This time the French were victorious and conquered Mexico easily.  France’s attempted colonization of Mexico is a different History; but,  Maximilian ruled Mexico (incompetently) for four years and was eventually deposed by Mexico’s president Benito Juarez (with support from the U.S.).

 

The Historical Importance:

 

The relevance of this battle was the fact that such a small, simple and under equipped army defeated a European Power and that it was the last time an oversees country has tried to invade an American country (America meaning The Americas).  To Mexicans (specifically those from Puebla), it doesn’t matter that victory was fleeting; the broader colonial significance is what really matters; it essentially put a stop to colonialism in the Americas.  It’s a matter of pride.  Cinco de Mayo is not a Federal holiday in Mexico and it’s only widely celebrated in Puebla, where the actual battle took place.  The holiday does have broad historical significance, but it would certainly be nice if someone ever bothered to open a history book to at least know why they’re chugging a case of Tecate on Cinco de Mayo, thousands of miles removed from the real celebration.

 

When did it become a big deal in the U.S.?

 

Funny you should ask.  5 de Mayo in the U.S. started in California in the 1960’s (you knew it had to be the 60’s, right).  It seems some students from the University of California wanted to have a Mexican holiday to go along with other ethnic holidays (St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year).  That’s how a bunch of stupid college kids managed to dumb down a whole country on 5 de Mayo.  It has clearly become a big deal since then, particularly in cities with large Mexican populations, even though they have no idea why or what they are really celebrating.  I wonder if these immigrant Mexicans would be upset to know that they got the hippie treatment from a bunch of ignorant college kids who basically ditched history in favor of their misguided sense of knowing what’s right for another culture.  Hmmm, isn’t that why they fought the battle in the first place, 150 years ago?

 

I am from Puebla; I know how important this holiday is for the city and how big and meaningful the celebrations are.  I also know that nobody else in the country cares to celebrate it (as I said before, it’s not even a Federal holiday), and people only know about it because it is taught in school.  I guess the holiday became such a hit in the U.S. because 5 de Mayo sounds a lot like the 4^th of July (even though that’s no excuse for being stupid), and that’s why it is often confused with Mexico’s independence when it’s  not even close.  I wish people were more informed, especially those Mexicans living here who celebrate it.  It would be good for everyone to celebrate the significance of 5 de Mayo, whites, asians, blacks and everybody else who appreciates a good underdog story, but it’s annoying to me to see wanton partying without an ounce of interest in actually knowing what the heck is going on.  It perpetuates the stereotype of Mexicans being ignorant and only interested in a good excuse to get drunk and party, and as a Mexican I find it sad.

 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it.  Cinco de Mayo it is not, I repeat, it is not Mexico’s independence!  Incidentally, it’s a little pathetic that people, thinking they’re celebrating Mexican independence, would even find it acceptable to celebrate a foreign country’s independence here in the US.  We have the 4th of July.

Related posts:

1. Christmas in Mexico