It is also known as the great mayonnaise mess, serious.

Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, México, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to México. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of México, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Fooled ya!

Cinco de Mayo is not México’s Independence Day, but the celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, over the French expeditionary forces in the “Batalla de Puebla” (Battle of Puebla) on May 5, 1862. On that morning, history was written that continues to serve as a reminder that with patriotism, valor and pride, one will overcome any and all obstacles. Cinco de Mayo is a day of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. The victory was viewed as a symbol that proved to the world that national sovereignty would not be compromised. Especially those from imperialist states hell bent on world conquest.

Cinco de Mayo’s history has its roots in the French Occupation of México. The historical background leading to French intervention took shape in the aftermath of the Mexico-US War of 1846-48. As a result, México lost two-thirds of its territory to the north what is now known as the southwest region of the United States. The “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo” settled the war with fifteen million dollars in payment for the annexed lands. It was not only bloody but it was even considered to be an “unjust war” by freshman House member, future President Abraham Lincoln. He spoke out against the war, which he accused President James Polk’s motive as a desire for “military glory - that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood.” In his speech to Congress, Lincoln said:

“God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just.”

Both Former President Adams and Lincoln, worked together in 1848 as members of the House of Representatives, to expose the fraud of the US war against Mexico. Former President John Quincy Adams described the war as a southern expedition to find “bigger pens to cram with slaves.”

With this war, México entered a period of national crisis during the 1850s. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left México devastated and bankrupt. In 1861, the newly elected democratic President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium to defer their debts for two years, with the commitment to start making payments after that period.

On October 31, 1861, Queen Isabella II of Spain, Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Emperor Napoleón III of the Second French Empire refused the request, so they sent their troops to México to collect their debts. The English and Spanish quickly made deals with Juarez and left. The French had other ideas. A month after the Spanish and British withdrawal, France brought 4,500 troops and began marching inland on its war of occupation. Their intention was to dispose of the Mexican Constitutional Government and create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III, who also detested the growing power in the US because Napoleon III believed that the US would eventually become a power in and of itself if left unchallenged. At that time the US had already entered into the American Civil War (1861–1865). Not may people realize, Napoleon III came very close to officially recognizing the Confederacy and was driven by a desire to keep the Union split. All through 1862, Napoleon III entertained Confederate diplomats, raising hopes that he would unilaterally recognize the Confederacy. Napoleon III also had plans to impose a monarchical government upon the nations of Central and South America. By doing this, France would have been able to provide raw materials and trade for the European nations as well as put the US in check.

Napoleon III had help by the plutocratic and conservative land owners of Mexico who feared loss of land and political power to the newly elected constitutional government of Benito Juárez. In 1862, Napoleon III began to advance by sending his army of the Second French Empire into Mexico. Napoleon III planed to seat Maximilian I, a Hapsburg prince, as Emperor of the new Mexican empire. The French Army had never lost a battle in 50 years, and with this belief they invaded Mexico. The French Army was equipment with modern weaponry and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. Historians believe the French established the monarchy, especially since the US was already in its own Civil War.

At this time, President Juárez (a full blooded Zapotec Indian, and a lawyer who had studied to become a priest), was already taking countermeasures. Presidente Juárez commanded General Ignacio Zaragoza to block the advance of the French Army at the fortified hills of Loreto and Guadalupe by the city of Puebla. Under the command of General Zaragoza, the Mexicans awaited with 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians. On May 5, 1862, General Zaragoza beat back repeated French assaults and ended up defeating the French army in Puebla, which is now known as the “Batalla de Puebla.” Before the day was over, more than a thousand French soldiers were dead.

General US Grant told President Lincoln in 1865 that the Civil War would not have been over if the French continued to stay in Mexico. The 1962 Mexican victory did contribute to the Union victory in our Civil War. If not, Napoleon III would have continued to supply weapons to the Confederate Army, and American history would have been different.

The French defeat by Mexicans on the 5th of May kept the French from supplying the rebel Confederacy with massive cannonry and munitions. Superior Union numbers and soldiery combined with a lack of cannon and munitions to defeat the Confederate Army of General Robert E. Lee at the four-day July 1863 battle of Gettysburg. This Pennsylvania battle assured the total defeat of the Southern rebels and the continued existence of the United States of America.

Once the Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln turned his attention and American resources to help Mexico throw out the French Army. He personally ordered General Sheridan to Texas to help the Mexicans.

Why Cino de Mayo Matters
“Cinco de Mayo” is often mistaken for México’s Independence Day. However, “El Grito de Dolores” was a proclamation calling for México’s independence from Spain on September 16 in the year 1810 by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato. México gained its independence from Spain after 11 years of armed struggle in the year of 1821. México’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 15. However, in México, as well in the United States, the festivities extend to September 16 with a parade. The importance Cinco de Mayo” is not that it only memorializes a historical event, but it is a cultural emergence coupled with a history that has taken place that defines who we are as Latin@s y Xican@s. That’s something we must not forget.

Even though the won battle and not the war, “La batalla de Puebla,” is not just a battle that took place in Mexico or how the battle helped the Union win, it is more than that, it is about the true David and Goliath story, which comprised of mestizos and Zapotecs who were often taken for granted, ignored and without any more elements other than their patriotism and defeated their European conquistadors - a truly defining moment in Latino history. Napoleon III like most Europeans at that time also thought that mestizos and indigenous could easily be conquerable against a mighty white imperialist European Army. After the battle was won, General Ignacio Zaragoza, through the Méxican War Ministry gave the following message: “The National arms are covered with glory! I can affirm with pride that at no moment the Méxican soldiers did not turn their backs to the enemy.”

The victory at Puebla does have specific meaning to me and I can only speak for myself. It is more than just recognizing that a historic event occurred in Puebla, it is about a moment in Latino history that warrants reflection on this day. It is about putting a spotlight on our heritage as a mestizaje in which we took part in shaping the course of history for both México and the US. We cannot deny that General Ignacio Zaragoza was a Tejano and how under his command prevented a certain chain of events. What if he didn’t win and Napolean III has his way? What would our world look like if the Confederacy have won the Civil War? What would Central and South America be like now? Because these events never took place, we are lucky we don’t need to ponder these questions. However, our heritage continues to go unrecognized, it is critical para La Raza to continue to remember not only for our identity in historical terms, but to know how we helped shaped the world.

Mexican philosopher and educator José Vasconcelos said that an epic drama is beginning to unfold in the Americas for the recognition that the indigenous people of the Americas and the Spanish were becoming “la raza cósmica“

Las circunstancias actuales favorecen, en consecuencia, el desarrollo de las relaciones sexuales internacionales, lo que presta apoyo inesperado a la tesis que, a falta de nombre mejor, titulé: de la Raza Cósmica futura.

This also included other Europeans, Arabs, and Africans, todos somos primos, hence the expression “la raza de bronce,” the bronze race.

Given the recent events that occurred at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, the massive round-ups that are occurring here in the US, the deaths that are occurring en la frontera, and the thousands on immigrants (documented and the undocumented) who are imprisoned in our concentration camps, now is the time when WE as La Raza and reclaim this day as ours and not see it as an opportunity to go out and get drunk on Mexican beer. In our time of darkness, we can look to this event to serve as a beacon of hope to unite our community. Each and every person expects hope - is waiting for hope, is hoping for hope. With the uncertainty of the future, too much is at stake now. And now more than ever, we should stand together in solidarity and proudly say “Nosotros estamos aqui—don’t count us out!”

Technorati Tags: Batalla de Puebla, Battle of Puebla, Benito Juarez

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Related posts

• Reconquista!: A Nativists Creation (11)
• Mexican Invasion Revisited (7)
• Keepers of the Gate In the Land of Lost Hope (3)
• Fortress America - Operation Gatekeeper (1)
• Columbus Day: The Contradictions of The Columbus Celebration (7)

Tags: Battle of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo, ICE, Immigration, Mexico, Raza |  Print This Post |
functional