Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is an historical celebration of enormous importance for the Mexican, Mexican American and Chicano communities. This date commemorates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862 near the city of Puebla, Mexico, during the French intervention in Mexico. It was a major Mexican victory, and is commemorated every year.

The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 was one of the few victories of the Mexican people over the occupying French Army. The French Army was led by General Charles Ferdinand Latrille de Lorencez. He believed he could control the whole country with his army. The 33 year old Mexican Commander General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated by the French Army, and the "Batalla de Puebla" represents bravery, patriotism, and a fight for self-determination. After this battle, Napoleon III sent 29,000 additional troops to Mexico. The French eventually overran Puebla, but the legendary battle created a Mexican moral victory. 4,500 Mexican soldiers defeated more than 6,000 French soldiers. From the Mexican side, casualties were 83 dead and 131 wounded. On the French side 462 dead and 300 wounded.

Generally the Cinco de Mayo celebration is a misconception. People in the United States believe that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day. The Independence Day that celebrates Mexico’s freedom from Colonial Spain is on September 16^th.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many cultures regardless of ethnic origins, particularly along the southern Border States. We honor the day as a symbolic representation of Mexican and Chicano pride and as a representation of the syncretism of Mexican and American cultures.