Cinco de Mayo: American history as well

Welcome to Cinco de Mayo 101. For today’s history lesson -- which will not include step-by-step instructions on how to make the ultimate taco; watch the Today show for that -- we’ll learn actual history.

Some of you may ask, “Why is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in the U.S.?” After all, it is a Mexican holiday. But more than that, it’s also a part of U.S. history, which I will explain later.

Others of you may also ask, “Why has Cinco de Mayo become a bigger deal today in the United States than in Mexico?”

My answer to the latter question is easy and it starts with a capital B. Can you say Budweiser? Yes, we can give thanks to American beer companies like Budweiser, and let’s include Heineken now, too, for commercializing this otherwise justifiable Mexican-American and I would say, American holiday, too.

If we look beyond the beers and margaritas and the network morning show specials with segments like “Let’s celebrate Cinco de Mayo by making a piñata,” there’s a real history lesson here that should make us all proud.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. That would be on Sept. 16, more popularly known as El Diez y Seis de Septiembre, when Mexico won independence from Spain in 1810.

Cinco de Mayo is on the fifth of May and commemorates an 1862 battle in which a small Mexican Army defeated French troops in Puebla, Mexico, which is about 100 miles east of Mexico City.

So why should we care?

We should care because Mexico overcame Napoleon and his army on this historic fifth of May. According to Geni Flores, who teaches a class in Teaching Multicultural History of the Southwest at Eastern New Mexico University, “This event benefited the U.S. because Napoleon planned to take Mexico and then help the southern U.S. defeat the northern U.S. and ultimately take over the United States for France.”

Under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragosa, who, by the way, was born in Texas, this small army defeated the French troops in a town called Goliad, troops which greatly out-numbered and out-equipped the poor Mexican troops.

I feel Cinco de Mayo is just as much an American holiday as St. Patrick’s Day, which originated in Ireland. In fact, TV late-night host Jay Leno refers to Cinco de Mayo as a St. Patrick’s Day for Hispanics. But again, my point is that it is not just a Mexican holiday or even a Mexican American holiday, but an American celebration as well.

Cinco de Mayo was made popular in the United States during the Chicano Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, 100 years after the Battle at Puebla.

Today Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in cities throughout the United States.

I don’t want to rain on anyone’s fiesta, but remember that while Cinco de Mayo may be a good excuse to don a sombrero, play a little mariachi music and enjoy a taco and festive Mexican entertainment, it is not all about that,  nor should it be all about getting drunk as some would have you believe.

I resent the way liquor companies try to capitalize on this holiday and emphasize the “fiesta” aspect rather than the “historical” aspect.

They could use a good lesson in history.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Helena Rodriguez is a columnist for Freedom New Mexico. She can be reached at:

helena_rodriguez@link.freedom.com