Cinco de Mayo Info

The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico. So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas. Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. His name was Maximilian; his wife, Carolota. Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War. The French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy -- as European countries traditionally did. Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans awaited. Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns. The Mexican Army was less stylish. General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes. When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away. The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War. Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City. It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?

In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America. Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862. VIVA! el CINCO DE MAYO!!

Cinco De Mayo is a new addition to the pantheon of North American holidays, and since there seems to be a recent tie-in with beer promotions, we did a little reading on the historical background. Cinco De Mayo, which translates as "The Fifth Of May," commemorates a Mexican victory over a French army at the Battle Of Puebla in 1862. According to Mexican tourism officials, it is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla. However, it is now also celebrated in other parts of the country. In the year 1862, Mexico was in turmoil. The country had gained independence from Spain in 1821, and the young country had already fought a losing war with the United States (What we call the Mexican War of 1846-1848). This defeat was followed by a period of unrest and civil war, which severely damaged the Mexican economy. Mexico found itself deep in debt to several European nations, including Spain, England and France. These countries occupied Vera Cruz, demanding payment. France's Emperor Napoleon III decided to go a step further, and collect the debt by making Mexico into a French colony. The U.S. was locked in its own Civil War, so the field was clear for (mis)adventure. A French force of about 6,000 infantry and dragoons (heavy cavalry) began to march toward Mexico City. Their advance was uncontested until they reached the village of Puebla. There Napoleon's expedition met its latter-day Waterloo. Two forts defended the town, garrisoned by about 2,500 men under General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin. These troops were a mix of Mexican Army and local militia units. Although poorly armed, they were well entrenched, and refused a French demand for surrender. The superior French force made several assaults, losing over 1,000 men, but failed to carry the city. Harassment by Mexican cavalry eventually forced the French to retreat in some disorder. This defeat did not sit well with Napoleon III, and he dispatched a much larger force the following year. These troops roundly defeated the Mexican army, occupied Mexico City, and installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico. He reigned until 1867, and here another beer industry parallel inserts itself. Harry Schuhmacher, publisher of Beer Business Daily claims that his family ranch, located near San Antonio, TX, was once the summer home of Emperor Maximilian. Historical evidence for this is sketchy, but Harry will be happy to regale you with this story at any time. Maximilian's carefree days at the Schuhmacher ranch were cut tragically short in 1867, when he was deposed and executed in a popular uprising.

Observed by

Mexican people People of Mexican ancestry

Type Date

multinational May 5

Regional celebration in Mexico of battle victory. Celebration in the United States of Mexican American culture and experiences.

Observances

Food, music, folkloric dancing

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico.[1][2] The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Segun.[3][4] The Battle was significant for at least two reasons. First, while outnumbered almost two-to-one, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years. [5] Second, because this would be "the last time that an army from another continent invaded the Americas." [6] While significant, however, Cinco de Mayo is not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico.[7][8] While Cinco de Mayo has limited or no significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. [9] However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day.[10] Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16 (diecisis de septiembre in Spanish),[11] which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. [12]

[edit] History
In 1861, Mexico ceased making interest payments to its main creditors. In response, in late 1861, France (and other European countries) attacked Mexico to try to force payment of this debt. France decided that it would try to take over and occupy Mexico. France was successful at first in its invasion; however, on May 5, 1862, at the city of Puebla, Mexican forces were able to defeat an attack by the larger French army. In this Battle of Puebla, the Mexicans were led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Segun. Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French advance on Mexico City; a year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico on the throne of Mexico. The French, under U.S. pressure, eventually withdrew in 1866-1867. Maximilian was executed by President Benito Juarez, five years after the Battle of Puebla.=]

[edit] History of observance

According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on the people of the world that day first started in California in the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico.[13] The 2007 paper notes that "The holiday, which has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, is virtually ignored in Mexico."[13]

[edit] Observances [edit] Mexico

The holiday of Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday in Mexico. There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country.[14] For the most part the celebrations combine food, music, and dancing. In Mexico City, like the rest of the Mexican capitals, all the young men who serve the military services pledge allegiance to the Mexican national flag and the institutions that it represents. [citation needed]

[edit] United States .

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico.[13][15][16][17] The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Virgen de Guadalupe, and from prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, including Csar Chvez.[18] To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate pupils about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Examples include ballet folklrico and mariachi demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Angeles, near Olvera Street. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on beverages, [19] foods, and music.[20][21]

[edit] Elsewhere
Events tied to Cinco de Mayo also occur outside Mexico and the United States. For example, a sky-diving club near Vancouver in Canada holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event.[22] In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition.[23] As far away as the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean, revelers are encouraged to drink Mexican beer on May 5th.[24]

Emperor Maximilian I born July 6, 1832, Vienna, Austria died June 19, 1867, near Quertaro, Mex.) Archduke of Austria and emperor of Mexico (1864 67). The younger brother of Francis Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, he served in the Austrian navy and as governor-general of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. He accepted the offer of the Mexican throne, naively believing that the Mexicans had voted him their king. In fact, the offer was a scheme between Mexican conservatives, who wanted to overthrow Pres. Benito Jurez, and Napoleon III, who wanted to collect a debt from Mexico and had imperialist ambitions there. Intending to rule with paternal benevolence, Maximilian upheld Jurez's reforms,

to the fury of the conservatives. The end of the American Civil War allowed the U.S. to intervene on Jurez's behalf; French forces that had been supporting Maximilian left at the request of the U.S., and Jurez's army retook Mexico City. Refusing to abdicate, Maximilian was defeated and executed.

Ignacio Zaragoza Segun

Ignacio Segun Zaragoza's statue proudly stands in the oldest Plaza in Laredo, looking out on the street named in his honor. Even if you do not know him from history, you are probably aware of the result of his short, and oftentimes tragic life, Cinco de Mayo. On the 5th of May, 1862 General Zaragoza, leading a smaller and more poorly equipped force caused a vastly superior French force to retreat after what is now known as the Battle of Puebla. His life took the path from young boy studying for the priesthood, to national hero, but was also filled with personal tragedy. He married Rafaela Padilla, to whom three sons and a daughter were born, with all three sons dying in their infancy. It was while he was serving a Minister of War that a typhoid epidemic swept through central Mexico, and among its victims was Zaragoza's wife. Zaragoza, in his grief plunged whole heartedly into government work for consolation. Then the French forces of Napoleon III invaded Mexico, and Zaragoza, resigning his position in the government, took charge of the troops fighting the French. In his first battle against the French at Acultzingo on April 28, 1862, where he was forced to withdraw. Yet he learned from what had happened, and when the French prepared to attack his forces once more, he took a favorable defensive position outside of the city of Puebla, where with an army the French should have easily defeated, he rested the French attacks, and when the French retreated it was the turning point in the war, as the people realized that they could defeat the French. It was while visiting his sick and injured soldiers shortly after his famous victory, that General Zaragoza contracted typhus, of which he died a short time later at the age of 33. His was a brief life, a life that started in what at the time was the Presidio de la Baha del Espritu Santo in what was then the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, now the city of Goliad, Texas, in the United States. Today, in many parts of the the Untied Srates, Cinco de Mayo is a time to go to a Mexican restaurant, having being quite commericialized. Yet in a way the roots of that celebration do indeed begin in the United States, where this great man's life began.

******************************************************** Emiliano Zapata Born August 8, 1879, in Anenecuilco, Morelos. Was a mediero (sharecropper) and horse trainer. Conscripted into the army for seven years attaining the rank of sergeant. As president of the village council, he campaigned for the restoration of village lands confiscated by hacendados. His slogan was "Tierra y Libertad." Zapata sided with Madero. Between 1910 and 1919, Zapata continued his fight for land and liberty, rebelling against anyone who interfered with his Plan of Ayala which called for the seizure of all foreign owned land, all land taken from villages, confiscation of one-third of all land held by "friendly" hacendados and full confiscation of land owned by persons opposed to the Plan of Ayala. On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a meeting with one of Carranza's generals who wanted to "switch sides." The meeting was a trap, and Zapata was killed as he arrived at the meeting.

Selena Quintania
Selena Quintanilla-Prez (April 16, 1971 March 31, 1995), best known as Selena, was an American singer who has been called "The Queen of Tejano music".[2] The youngest child of a Mexican couple, Selena released her first album at the age of twelve. She won Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards and landed a recording contract with EMI a few years later. Her fame grew throughout the early 1990s, especially in Spanish-speaking countries.

Selena attained further notability in North America after she was murdered at the age of 23 by Yolanda Saldvar, the president of her fan club. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday "Selena Day" in Texas.[3] Warner Brothers made a film based on her life starring Jennifer Lopez in 1997. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue (Mirador de la Flor in Corpus Christi, Texas), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week.

Selena Quintanilla Perez (April 16, 1971 - March 31, 1995) was a Mexican-American singer who is regarded as one of the
biggest stars of the Tejano genre of music. She was born in Lake Jackson, Texas and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she began her musical career. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., was a singer with the original Los Dinos from 1957-1972, and nurtured the burgeoning musical talent of his children. Selena, her brother Abe III (bass), and their sister, Suzette (drums), were a second generation of Los Dinos. Its other two members who started in the band were Ricky Vela on keyboards and Roger Garcia on guitar.

Selena made her first public appearance at her father's Mexican restaurant in Lake Jackson at eight and recorded her first record at nine. Throughout her adolescence Selena was constantly on tour. She completed her education via correspondence courses. The singer signed with Capitol EMI in 1989, and released several albums with that label, including 1994's wildly popular 'Amor Prohibido'. Chris Perez replaced Roger Garcia as guitar player. A romance budded between Perez and Selena, and the two married on April 2, 1992. Even as Selena's career skyrocketed she remained very close to her family, choosing to live next door to them in Corpus Christi. Selena holds the record of drawing the biggest concert crowd in the history of the Houston Astrodome, for her February 1995 performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The greatest irony in Selena's musical career is that she became a star singing in her second language. Her first language was English, not Spanish. Aside from her singing, Selena was an avid clothing designer. Boutique shops with the Selena name opened in Corpus Christi and San Antonio in 199X. She also dabbled in acting, making a cameo in the Johnny Depp film 'Don Juan de Marco'. A woman named Yolanda Saldivar worked her way into the singer's inner circle, becoming president of Selena's fan club and manager of the boutiques. In 1995 the Quintanillas found out Saldivar had embezzled money from these ventures and decided to fire her. Selena agreed to meet Saldivar at a Corpus Christi Days Inn on the morning of March 31, 1995 in order to retrieve paperwork for tax purposes. At the motel an argument ensued over the embezzlement and Saldivar shot the singer once in the back. Selena died within hours at a local hospital. Selena's death shocked and saddened Tejano fans in Latino communities throughout the United States and in Mexico. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in the singer's honor. That summer her album 'Dreaming of You', a combination of Spanish language hits and new English language tracks, debuted at #1 on the Billboard music charts in the US. In October of 1995 a Houston jury convicted Saldivar of murder and sentenced her to life in prison, with parole eligibility in thirty years. There is a museum to honor Selena's memory and a bronze life-sized statue of her on Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi. In 1997, Jennifer Lopez played Selena in the movie of the same name. The movie became the basis in which Lopez rose to superstardom.

Pancho Villa
Born Doroteo Arango in San Juan del Ro, Durango, in 1877 (1879 according to some sources), the man most of the world knew as Pancho Villa spent much of his life in Durango until, at age 16, he killed a man who had raped his younger sister. Little record exists of the next four or five years of his life, during which time he changed his name to Francisco Villa to evade the law. By the time he was 20, Villa had moved northward to Chihuahua, working on and off as a miner in Parral while selling stolen cattle in Chihuahua (official government biographies list his occupation then as "wholesale meat-seller"). In 1899 he returned to mining, this time in Santa Eulalia near Chihuahua, but he soon tired of the laborer's life and added bank robbery to cattle rustling and murder on the list of crimes for which he was wanted by the Daz government. Villa's Robin Hood story began after he established himself and his bandit followers in the sierras in 1900. Officially, the years 1900-09 are "unaccounted for," but it was during this period that he became a legendary hero to the poor for skillfully evading the Porfiriato's oppressive rurales. In 1910 Villa and his men came down from the hills to join Francisco I. Madero's revolutionary forces, thereby making a historical transition from bandidos to revolucionarios. The charismatic figure was able to recruit an army of thousands, including a substantial number of Americans, some of whom were made captains in the Divisin del Norte. Villa even created one squadron made up entirely of Americans under the leadership of Capt. Tracey Richardson, a man who apparently fought with many different insurgent armies around the world at that time. Following Madero's short-lived victory and assassination, Villa remained in command of his Divisin del Norte army in resistance--along with Coahuila's Venustiano Carranza and Sonora's Alvaro Obregn-against the 1913-14 Victoriano Huerta dictatorship. Around this time Villa also became something of a folk hero in the U.S, and Hollywood filmmakers as well as U.S. newspaper photographers flocked to Northern Mexico to record his battle exploits--many of which were staged for the benefit of the cameras. Villa's forces were based in Chihuahua, where Villa ruled over northern Mexico like a medieval warlord. Villa financed his army by stealing from the endless cattle herds in northern Mexico and selling beeves north of the border, where he found plenty of U.S. merchants willing to sell him guns and ammunition. Faced with a stagnant economy, he issued his own money; if merchants refused to take it, they risked being shot. Executions, which Villa often ordered on a whim, were usually left to his friend Rodolfo Fierro, best known by his nickname "El Carnicero" ("the Butcher"). In true Robin Hood style, he broke up the vast land holdings of local hacendados and parceled them out to the widows and orphans of his fallen soldiers. During fiestas the mustachioed legend would dance all night with female camp followers, although he didn't drink. When Emiliano Zapata insisted Villa join him in a toast when their two armies met outside Mexico City in December 1914, Villa gagged on a swig of brandy. He was an avid swimmer and would run to stay in shape. According to one of Villa's last surviving widows, he officially married 26 times. A split among the revolutionary leaders soon pitted Villa against Obregn and Carranza. When the U.S. government came out openly in support of the Carranza presidency, Villa retaliated by raiding U.S border

towns, most notably Columbus, New Mexico. On the U.S. side of the border, Villa's image plummeted while many in Mexico saw Villa as an avenger of decades of yanqui oppression. Despite his popularity, the combined forces of Carranza and Obregn defeated the Villistas in one battle after another After two U.S. Army "punitive expeditions" into Mexico in 1916 and 1919 failed to route Villa, the Mexican government accepted his surrender and retired Villa on a general's salary to Canutillo, Durango. In 1923 he was assassinated while returning from bank business in Parral, Chihuahua. Today Villa is remembered with pride by most Mexicans for having led the most important military campaigns of the constitutionalist revolution, in which his troops were victorious as far south as Zacatecas and Mexico City, east as far as Tampico, and west as far as Casas Grandes. Because of Villa's Columbus escapade and subsequent evasion of U.S. troops, he is also often cited as the only foreign military personage ever to have "successfully" invaded continental U.S. territory. When speaking with Mexicans-especially norteos--about Villa, don't underestimate the respect his name still garners in Mexico.

Jorge Ramos
Jorge Ramos (born approx. 1960) is a Mexican born television reporter who is the anchor of Univision's news show Noticias Univision. Ramos was a journalist in his native Mexico and immigrated to the United States, going through the hardships of many recent immigrants. He eventually attended the University of California Los Angeles where he furthered his journalistic activities. Ramos, who joined the News program in 1985 and Univision a short time before that, has interviewed multiple world leaders, including Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, Vicente Fox, Hugo Chvez, Ernesto Samper, Ernesto Zedillo and many others. He has also been reporting from many places when historic events happen, including Kuwait for the Gulf War, New York, where he reported live from Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and Mexico City, where he covered one of John Paul II's visits. Ramos has also authored various books, including one where he spoke of his experiences during war and while interviewing Presidents. At the news show, he works alongside Maria Elena Salinas.

Ramos returned to Kuwait to cover the 2003 Iraq war.

Born in Mexico City on March 16, 1958, Ramos loved athletics in boyhood and enjoyed track and field with a Mexican team until a back injury ended his participation. Still competitive, he turned to soccer and tennis as hobbies. According to an article in Mas, in high school, Ramos summarized his aims in a twosentence comprehensive life plan: "There are men who struggle for one day and achieve a goal; there are men who struggle for many years and are very brave; and then there are men who struggle all of their lives and are indispensable. I wish to become one of the latter." When he returned to Mexico for a tenth year high school reunion, his classmates reminded him how rapidly he fulfilled the prophecy.

Ramos gave up on his home-land at age 24 when he was reporting news for Televisa, Mexico's largest media conglomerate. When editors tagged his third story on a social issue for rewriting according to station

policy, Ramos became angry with Mexico's censorship. The face-off that followed was a defining moment in his professional career. To find true freedom of speech, he sold his guitar and Volkswagen beetle and emigrated alone to the West Coast of the United States in 1983. Ramos enrolled at University of California Los Angeles; he earned his way by waiting tables and making change at a restaurant.

A year after Ramos's arrival in California, media magnate Jaime Davila hired him to report the news at KMEX-Channel 14 in Los Angeles, an affiliate station of the Spanish International Network (now called Univisin). By 1986 Ramos had moved on to Miami, Florida, to deliver the morning news and an interview segment called Mundo Latino (Latin World). Within months, he advanced to anchor evening news for Noticiero Univisin. The promotion made him one of the youngest national TV anchors in American media history.