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 obstacles. Cinco de Mayo is a day important 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 from those who are hell bent on keeping Mexico in the dark ages.

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 US – Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming, as well as the whole of California, Nevada, and Utah – 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 planned 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), begun taking countermeasures. President 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.

Although this was just a battle and not the war, “La batalla de Puebla,” instill hope to those who have been ignored. Like the biblical David and Goliath story, the battle comprised of mestizos and Zapotecs, who were often taken for granted and ignored, overcame insurmountable odds and defeated their European conquistadors – a truly defining moment in Latino history.

Napoleon III, like most Europeans at that time, also believed his army could easily defeat the mestizos and indigenous. 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.

Unfortunately, this day has been hijacked by alcohol industry are using today’s holiday as a marketing prop to encourage drinking among Latino and Chicano youth. This advertising assault comes as the majority of Latinos lack access to good education, health care, well-paid jobs, and decent affordable housing.

¡ Ya Basta! Now is the time to reclaim this day as ours and not see it as an opportunity to go out and get drunk on Mexican beer.

Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country in support of immigrant rights and to protest Arizona’s new immigration law that allows police to stop anyone on “reasonable suspicion” they might be undocumented.

Angela Davis once said:

The challenge of the 21st Century is not to demand equal opportunity to participate in the machinery of oppression. Rather, it is to identify and dismantle those structures in which racism continues to be embedded. This is the only way the promise of freedom can be extended to masses of people.

The Obama administration and the Democratic Party are consciously exploiting public anger surrounding the passage of the anti-immigrant bill in Arizona to promote their own right-wing measures.

Last Thursday, top Senate Democrats – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration Charles Schumer, and Senator Robert Menendez – released a plan for an overhaul of immigration that focuses on the further enforcement efforts along the U.S./Mexico border and vast increases in state control of the population.

Despite the obvious fact the proposal will only shift to the right, immigrant-rights leaders (centered around National Immigration Forum, National Council of La Raza, Center for Community Change, and America’s Voice) see this as a “starting point” for real congressional engagement. The proposal by the Democrats is similar to an earlier outline advanced by Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, which Reform Immigration for America (RIFA), the coalition spearheading a national immigration reform campaign, supported.

Of course, those who advocate for immigrant rights have advanced certain arguments to defend against changes in immigration law or increases in enforcement. Advocates have often resorted to quick defenses without opportunity to analyze the implications of some arguments that are commonly employed. For example, some advocates for legalization have argued for a legalization program to help national security, disregarding the possible impact such a “legalization” may have on the civil and human rights of all noncitizens.

Border security is framed as part of a War on Drugs that must be won. There is no serious War on Drugs. Rather, there is violence, nourished by the money to be made from drugs. The Department of Homeland Security has a budget of $42 billion, part of which is aimed at making America safe from Mexico and Mexicans.

Policy problems are socially constructed by various “claims makers” competing to define the problem, and whoever’s definition prevails wins the implementation game. The power of claims-makers can impact our lives both positively and negatively. They can bring to light a great social injustice that needs to be addressed, or they can instill fear in people by making them believe in the proverbial boogieman next door.

The US/Mexican border functions as a drum that both the left and the right like to thump. Discussions of the border come from fears. We seem to prefer slogans and fantasies: free trade, “just say no,” gigantic walls. The border should not be an issue in American life, but rather our window on the world. All our foolish beliefs are refuted here. Free trade is creating the largest human migration on earth.

In reality, our effort to fortify the border not only has failed to stop people from moving to our towns, but has created a gulag of new US prisons. The border now is a bundle of issues: drugs, terrorists, violence spilling across, “illegal aliens,” free-trade economists insisting on open borders, humanitarians calling for no more deaths.

Living on the border can cripple a person’s emotional range. I grow more numb with each passing day. I find myself staring dazed of constant news reports of the recent shootings. But whatever is happening to me is minor compared to what is happening to the Mexican people as their world collapses around them. My grandmother recently told me the brother of her home health care nurse was kidnapped. She says they still trying to find out if he is still alive. After our conversation, we decided to take in a movie. This is what the numbness feels like.

Immigrant-rights leaders argue that “something is better than nothing” argument my be appealing, but when we gamble and play with this strategy, we may win a round or two but in the end the house always wins.

It is unconscionable that twelve million people – children, elders, workers, homemakers – in the United States of America are left defenseless and persecuted for simply existing. However, a majority of them live in the border states. Their rush to reach a bipartisan accord on immigration legislation will only create deep divisions within the immigrant community and leave millions of undocumented immigrants in the shadows.

That is what the May Day march so powerful. We are marching and saying we will not play your game. 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!”

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 often mistaken for México’s Independence Day, here in the US. México’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16 because it was day that Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in the small town of Dolores, in the state of Guanajuato, rang the church bell and made the call to retaliate against the Spanish. Every year at midnight on September 15, Mexicans led by the president of México shout the Grito, honoring the crucial and impulsive action that was the catalyst for the country’s bloody struggle for independence from Spain.

Cinco de Mayo is 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.

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”, which settled the war with fifteen million dollars in payment for the annexed lands.

Much like todays war in Iraq, many felt that the war with México was an “unjust war.” Freshman House member and future President Abraham Lincoln. He spoke against the war and 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.”

Like Iraq today, 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 landowners 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) was already taking countermeasures. President 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.

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 Latinas/as. The significance of the Battle is not about who won or lost, nor is it about a battle that took place in Mexico or how it indirectly helped the Union win, it is about respect. It is respect for those, the mestizos and Zapotecs, who were often taken for granted, ignored and without any resources other than their patriotism, which has helped defined a moment in Latino history.

The victory at Puebla does have specific meaning to me because it is about putting a spotlight on my heritage as a mestizo and how we took part in shaping the course of history for both Mexico and the US. Even though I am born in the United States and have nothing to do with Mexico, I cannot ignore my Mexican familial roots and their role in Mexican history, as I also cannot ignore my American familial roots and their role in shaping the US.

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 “[tag]Batalla de Puebla[/tag]” ([tag]Battle of Puebla[/tag]) 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 [tag]Benito Juarez[/tag] 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!”