| CINCO DE MAYO, AMERICAN STYLE |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Tuesday, May 02 2006 |
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| Several weeks before "Cinco de Mayo," the marketing machines in the U.S. were going full-throttle, promoting everything from beer to nachos and special restaurant menus for the celebration of that ever-popular Mexican holiday. It's a commemoration that many Americans still confuse with Mexican Independence Day, which is actually Sept. 16.
It never ceases to amaze me what a big deal Cinco de Mayo is in the United States. I think it's great. For a day -- and in some cases, a whole weekend -- the country is enthralled by everything Mexican. There are parades, menudo cook-offs and school festivals. Boys dress up in charro outfits and girls wear white ruffled tops and skirts. Restaurants crank up the Mexican music and whip up guacamole and salsa by the gallon.
On Cinco de Mayo, adults drink beer and tequila -- lots of it. That's why the alcohol industry has so much amor for this special holiday. Reports indicate that the industry spends about $2 billion annually in advertising geared toward the Latino market, a good part of which is for the Cinco de Mayo holiday.
You can't blame them -- the celebration competes with St. Patrick's Day as the holiday with the highest amount of alcohol consumption in the United States. And just like you don't need to be Irish to celebrate St. Patty's, you don't have to be Mexican to celebrate el Cinco.
It is ironic, but Cinco de Mayo is actually celebrated on a much bigger scale in the U.S. than in Mexico itself. South of the border, it's nothing more than a regional holiday, with a few parades here and there. For Americans it has turned into a party day, but for Mexicans and their descendants north of the border it is a day of cultural pride.
So, what do Mexicans celebrate on Cinco de Mayo? Well, here is a brief explanation of what happened on that famous 5th of May, 1862 -- better known as the day of the Battle of Puebla. It was the toughest of times in Mexico; the country had gone through several wars and political takeovers. Along the way, it accumulated heavy debts to countries like Spain, England and France.
The French decided to collect payment by taking over the country. But as troops made their way into Mexico City, they were confronted by a militia composed of some 4,000 machete-wielding Mexican soldiers in the city of Puebla, some 100 miles east of the capital.
Despite the disadvantage, the Mexicans were able to smash the French army even though it was twice their size. Their victory was also significant because the French army had not been defeated in 50 years and had invaded Mexico with the most sophisticated equipment available at the time. The Mexicans won the battle even though they later lost the war and were ultimately taken over by France. But their small victory helped unite the country.
Digging through the information, I came across a version I had never seen before. It implied that the U.S. actually benefited from the Battle of Puebla. French Emperor Napoleon III detested the United States, and by slowing down his army the Mexicans were able to keep Napoleon from supplying the Confederate rebels for another year. That allowed the United States to build the most powerful army in the world, which -- 14 months after the Battle of Puebla -- succeeded in defeating the Confederates at Gettysburg, which helped end the Civil War.
Of course, Mexico benefited from having such a powerful army as neighbors. The U.S. troops eventually helped Mexico expel the French from its territory. Since then, there have been many instances in which the U.S. and Mexico have helped each other out.
No matter how we look at it, with all the ups and downs, the histories of Mexico and the United States are and have been linked for centuries. Hopefully this Cinco de Mayo the two countries can celebrate the positive aspects of Mexican culture with a good plate of nachos, serenaded by a lively mariachi band. |
