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The Story of Cinco de Mayo

Fri, 09/04/2009 - 19:53 | Virginia Johnson
in

Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day-- that's September 16. Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May, celebrates an incredible victory by native Mexican soldiers over the imperialist French who tried to rule them way back in 1862.
The French wanted to collect their debts from Mexico and, rather than making a deal with Mexican government, decided to put into power a new French emperor, Maximilian. Most native Mexicans were furious.

The Mexican leader, General Zaragosa, ordered Colonel Diaz to attack the flanks of the French army with his excellent cavalry. The French chased them, and were defeated. Those French forces that remained were ordered to attack. They charged through mud, a thunderstorm, and a stampede of cattle stirred up by Native Americans armed only with machetes. They, too, were defeated. This victory for Zaragosa and his men, at two to one odds, was not only important to the Mexicans, but also to the United States. The French were planning to supply the Confederate Army. With the French influence gone from Mexico, the South lost its chance to rebuild. Union forces continued to grow stronger, and ultimately the South was defeated in 1865. The Union reinforced the Mexican Army immediately after Zaragosa's victory, and the American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico City.

Cinco de Mayo is a time to celebrate the friendship between Mexico and the United States. Across the United States, Cinco de Mayo parties give everyone a chance to learn more about Hispanic culture.

Learning More in the Library

 The Boy Who Could Do Anything & Other Mexican Folk Tales. Brenner, Anita.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.0972 Br

Includes twenty-four Mexican folktales dealing with ancient wisdom, everyday life, magic, and the legendary character Tepozton.

Cinco de Mayo.
Juvenile Videos 3.9426 C57
Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexico's military victory over the French in 1862. This video investigates the holiday's history, and observes preparations being made to make the occasion festive, highlighted by the sounds of a Mexican mariachi band.

Cooking the Mexican Way. Coronado, Rosa.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 641.597 Co
Try your hand at traditional Mexican recipes. This book has clear directions and includes interesting bits about Mexican culture.

Fiesta! Cinco de Mayo. Behrens, June.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 394.2 BE
Describes the commemoration of the victory of the Mexican army over the French army on May 5, 1862, a victory which signaled the end of foreign invasions of North America.

The Latino Holiday Book: From Cinco de Mayo to Dia de los Muertos-- The Celebrations and Traditions of Hispanic-Americans. Menard, Valerie.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 394.26 Me
Celebrate the Hispanic way all year long! The Latino Holiday Book has a lot of history to offer as well as suggestions for celebrations. Includes some traditional recipes.

Look What We've Brought You from Mexico: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories, and Other Cultural Activities from Mexican-Americans. Shalant, Phyllis.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 917.2 Sh
Introduces Mexican culture using crafts, recipes, games, and folktales.

Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo. MacMillan, Dianne M.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 394.26 Ma
Provides background on the people and events that are commemorated on two important Mexican holidays, Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo, and describes how these holidays are celebrated.

Cinco de Mayo on the Web

Cinco de Mayo: A Celebration of Mexican Heritage
http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/cinco
Articles from World Book Encyclopedia tell about the history of Mexico, modern life and culture in Mexico, and Hispanic Americans. This page links out for more Cinco de Mayo sites.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/cinco/
Link to the history of Cinco de Mayo and discover some fun party games, coloring pages, and recipes to try. Download Spanish games for both the Macintosh and Windows.

Mexico for Kids
http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/index_kids.html
This web page is just for kids and comes to us from Mexico. Listen to traditional music and enjoy music, stories, traditions, and information on native (indigenous) people who still live in Mexico.