The Battle of Puebla

By By A. Govea alberto@holatexas.us

Battle of May 5, 1862, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico

Or as more commonly known here in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo yahoo. Not to be confused with the sitcom Arrested Development episode that first aired 2003, El Cinco de Cuatro. Which would not surprise me given the lack of knowledge by most about this Mexican Holiday.

Here in the U.S., it is just another excuse to Party y Drink like another St Patrick’s Day. And in fact, most folks in the U.S. credit beer companies as the reason people celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. And they would not be entirely wrong.

Pero, the truth is according to historical reports it was La Raza de California that first started celebrating Cinco de Mayo. It was seen as a win for democracy against European monarchies. Many of which supported the Confederacy in the Civil War, so celebrating victory was seen as support for the Union army.

Much later the Chicano movement celebrated the victory in Puebla as a symbol of Mexican strength and pride. The battle of Puebla became a symbol of winning despite overwhelming odds.

It was not until the 1980s that beer companies saw a chance to sell more products by selling Cinco de Mayo as a reason to party. Then came all the other alcohol companies, including those in Tequila space. Not to mention the Mexican food restaurant folks with the specialty of the day.

 In Mexico and especially in the city of Puebla it celebrates the 1862 May 5 historic battle as a source of pride. The French army landed in Veracruz, and it was to march to Mexico City, but Puebla got in the way. There they met a Mexican army that was led by Tejano born Ignacio Zaragoza which consisted of a mix of volunteers, many just kids and regular army recruits.

The victory by this rag-tag group of brave Mexican citizens was seen as a symbol of resistance all over the world. To this day the city puts on a reenactment of the battle which draws tourists from all over. Puebla has earned it the title of second most visited heritage city in Mexico.

Sadly, this victory did not end the war with France but is still considered a sign of unity and refusal to bow to foreign nations. A lesson that is important to all of us to this day.