Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo, and while most people鈥檚 observances are centered around food and drink, an expert in Mexican culture told 草莓传媒 it鈥檚 important to remember the true origins of the holiday. She added, however, that you’re not necessarily doing it wrong.
Ix-Nic Iruegas, the executive director of the Mexican Cultural Institute, said Cinco de Mayo began as a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in 1862, in which Mexican forces stopped the advance of the mighty French army toward Mexico City during the Second French Intervention in Mexico.
鈥漌e celebrate the victory of the Mexican army over the French army, which at the time was the most impressive and able army in the world,鈥� Iruegas said.
The Mexicans eventually lost that war. Still, Iruegas said, the battle was important for morale 鈥渁nd also for the solidification of the Mexican nationality, of the idea of being Mexican.鈥� It was an early example of Mexicans from various areas 鈥渃oming together of Mexicans as a nation to fight a foreign enemy.鈥�
The battle was commemorated immediately in Mexico, naturally, but also in California. The American Civil War was in full swing at the time, and Napoleon III, leader of the French forces, 鈥渨as on the side of the Confederacy,鈥� Iruegas said.
California had joined the U.S. with a Constitution that abolished slavery and included unprecedented rights for women, and so were 鈥渙n the side of the United States, and against the Confederacy.鈥�
Thus, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in California were of course keeping an eye on the war, 鈥渁nd albeit late, they did find out about the defeat of the French army by the Mexican army, and they celebrated that.鈥�
Iruegas said the word 鈥渃elebration鈥� isn鈥檛 exactly right for Cinco de Mayo 鈥� in Mexico, at least. 鈥淚n Mexico, it’s a holiday; we observe it. We’re taught about it in school. In Puebla, they have a parade, a military parade, and so on. But we don’t celebrate it.鈥�
鈥淲e don’t get together on that day,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e don’t eat with family; we don鈥檛 drink on that day, particularly.鈥� That鈥檚 more of an Independence Day (Sept. 15) thing, she explained. 鈥淐elebrating it is actually an American idea 鈥� a Mexican-American idea.鈥�
That said, she stressed that the original Californian response means you鈥檙e not doing it wrong.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no 鈥榓uthentically鈥� about this. Because the original Cinco de Mayo celebration in the States is the authentic Cinco de Mayo celebration as well.鈥�
鈥淚 rather think about it as a bi-national celebration,鈥� Iruegas said. 鈥淩ather than saying 鈥榊ou鈥檙e not doing it right,鈥� 鈥� I would just applaud the fact that there is a Cinco de Mayo, and use that opportunity to communicate with people what it is about, and to recognize the contributions of Mexican-Americans and Hispanics.鈥�
草莓传媒’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
