In different ways that correspond to political, historical, social and economic contexts, it is the celebration in the United States of the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican general Ignacio Zaragoza and his army of 2,000 men defeated the powerful French army of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Historically, for Mexico it meant the resistance and defense of its national territory against the French invasion.
However, in the end the French ended up invading Mexico for the second time, and the so-called Second Empire of Mexico was led by Maximilian of Habsburg, who was offered the crown.
One of the objectives of the French intervention in Mexico was to counteract the influence of the United States on the nations of Latin America by considering it as a nascent power, which little by little was expanding territorially.
The United States Civil War (1861-1865) was the opportunity expected by Napoleon III to begin his invasion of Mexico, a nation that would serve as a bridge to expand French rule over Latin America.
“I believe that the triumph of the Mexican army in 1862 is now reinterpreted and resignified in the United States when people of Mexican origin find themselves in this country, when they become a racial minority and when they have suffered a series of vicissitudes such as racism “, the usual discrimination and segregation in the south of the country that was applied to people of Mexican origin,” said Professor Gaspar Rivera Salgado, director of the Center for Mexican Studies at UCLA.
The French wanted to expel President Benito Juárez, “El Benemérito de las Américas” and the government of Veracruz, from the government.
At dawn on May 5, 1862, 2,000 Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French soldiers in Puebla, and Mexico achieved victory over the then most powerful army in the world.
Later, President Juárez declared that day a national holiday, although the Mexican victory did not prevent the invasion of the country.
Five years later, on June 19, 1867, Maximilian I, the Austro-Hungarian emperor, was shot on the Cerro de las Campanas, in Querétaro, alongside his conservative generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía.
“The French army was big and powerful,” said Abraham Ordaz, an employee at the La Noche Buena restaurant in Placita Olvera.
“If Mexico had not won the war, the French could have expanded their domains towards the United States,” added the man born in León, Guanajuato.
The Battle of Puebla also played a role in the American Civil War. With the French defeated and abandoning North America, the pro-slavery Southern Confederate fighters were unable to use the French as allies to win the war.
“We must celebrate the triumphs of Mexico, but I think that Cinco de Mayo has taken a much less political, less historical turn, and it is simply a celebration where the excuse is to drink beer, get drunk and celebrate in a very traditional way.” lightly, without really knowing the historical context,” said Professor Rivera Salgado.
“That is the debate – he added – and currently there are celebrations, even supported by beer companies and businesses, that have nothing to do with this history of the struggle of a people to defend their national sovereignty, or to create spaces for that the community of Mexican origin knows its own history and culture.”
“Covered in glory”
For Juan José Gutiérrez, director of the Coalition for Full Immigrant Rights, the Cinco de Mayo celebration, first of all, must be historic.
“At a crucial moment in the history of Mexico and the United States, the arms of Mexico and the people were covered in glory under the mantle of Mexican-American general Ignacio Zaragoza, born in San Antonio, Texas.”
Zaragoza commanded the Mexican armed forces, many of them irregular forces consisting of Zacapoaxtla indigenous people who, with machetes in hand, among other more formal weapons, defeated what was, at that time, the most powerful army in the world.
Gutiérrez also lamented the commercialism of the Cinco de Mayo celebration in the United States, because, according to him, the historical perspective is erased and it is commented lightly and without further context, “and it becomes a commercial orgy to promote beers and all kinds of liquors.”
Ignorance of history
Indeed, the lack of knowledge about the Cinco de Mayo celebration among several people interviewed by La Opinión in Placita Olvera was evident.
“I know that something happened on Cinco de Mayo in Mexico,” said Mayra Delgado, who helped her mother sell Mexican crafts.
“I think it was a fight or the war in Texas,” said Jesús Cruz, a Mexican-American tourist of Oaxacan origin who lives in Santa María, in California’s Central Valley.
“The French lost the war because they had no food and they even had to eat the cactus, thorns and all,” was the comment of Victoria Navarrete, 87 years old, originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco. “But Mexico’s victory was something great for history.”
“I think that, on Cinco de Mayo, Mexico fought against Spain. My family just celebrates with a party and beer because we are Mexican,” said Gabriella Hernández, a student at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.
“You can’t lose tradition; Cinco de Mayo is a special date for us Mexicans,” said Margarita Pech, a Yucatecan woman, in charge of the “Casa Rodríguez” store, in Placita Olvera. “I only know that on that day a battle was won.”
For its part,
Jackie Hadnot, an African-American artist and wood carver, went to a craft stand to buy two Mexican flags, which he placed above an Aztec eagle shield.
“People should know their roots, their culture and learn more about their history,” said the artist. “I do not sell my art, but I would like it to permanently inspire young generations, artists, writers and those who have the duty to know their own history.”
Wrestling in Costa Mesa
With a Lucha Libre theme and under the sponsorship of beer, mezcal and tequila companies, a ring will be installed in the city of Costa Mesa where the gold belt will be competed for.
From 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm the public will have the opportunity to see Wrestling gladiators such as Kiss Jr., Kiss Tercero, Zyra, Reyna Maya Hit-Girl, Diego in action in the Mercado González ring. Valens, Alex Gracia, El Fatal, Super Boy 2, Boa Silva, Sweet Robin, Astarix, Mack Wilkes.
“We thought that an event of this nature would be something very fun for people,” Joshua González, director of operations for the Northgate Market supermarket chain, told La Opinión.
González added that the relationship with the Battle of Puebla “is that, here in the United States, many people celebrate Cinco de Mayo a lot, they have fun and go out, and we wanted to share something very Mexican like wrestling; something that many don’t know about and we thought it would be nice to bring a little joy to our community.”