Contrary to a wide misperception in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, nor our National Day. It is, however, a crucial date in Mexican history, and more so this year, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla.
On May 5, 1862, in the city of Puebla, in central Mexico, Mexican soldiers, along with the Zacapoaxtla indigenous people, defended their territory against the French Army of Napoleon III. French troops not only outnumbered Mexican soldiers but were better trained and much better equipped. Yet, the Mexican division, under the command of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated France's armed forces.
For the Mexican people, the Battle of Puebla is a reminder of the struggles that we have overcome, through committed and sustained work, to build an independent Mexico, with justice, peace and prosperity.
The Battle of Puebla is an important holiday in Mexico, and it has also acquired a distinctive place in the United States' collective imagination. It has become an event where the diverse national origins that make up the vibrant Latino community in the U.S. come together to celebrate our shared traditions and values.
Today, through their growing civic participation, 50 million Latinos have rewritten the meaning and importance of Cinco de Mayo as a tradition that has full membership in 21st-century American society. While embracing American history and values, Mexican-Americans and Latinos also bring significant cultural and economic contributions that make the U.S. a more prosperous nation.
Above all, Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the friendship that binds the peoples of the United States and Mexico.
Víctor M. Trevimo is the consul general of Mexico in Phoenix. He has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 1982.
The national holiday in Mexico celebrates that nation's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
About 1,000 French soldiers died in the battle.
English, Spanish and French soldiers invaded Mexico after the country declared a temporary halt to repaying its foreign debt.
It would be another five years until the French were finally driven from Mexico.
The victory remains a symbol of Mexican defiance of foreign domination.
Today, the battlefield, renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, is a park. There is also a nearby museum.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
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