Cinco de Mayo: You might be surprised how long it's been celebrated in the U.S.
Published in News & Features
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.
It is not observed as a national holiday in Mexico, but schools in Puebla, where the battle took place, are closed for the day.
Mexico’s Independence Day is Sept. 16.
A report published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture said the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the U.S., started in California in 1863 in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico.
Time magazine reports that the modern U.S. observance came into fashion in the 1940s during the rise of the Chicano Movement.
The Chicano Movement concentrated on issues such as restoration of land grants, farm workers’ rights and education.
Several leaders were Cesar Chavez, Reies Tijerina and Rodolfo Gonzales.
“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures,” Chavez said.
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo picked up a lot of momentum in the 1980s when tequila and beer companies began to promote it.
The Mexican victory did not last long.
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