by Daniel Nardini

Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May), a holiday proclaimed by then Mexican President Benito Juarez of the Mexican army’s victory over French invaders at the First Battle of Puebla in 1862, is not only a national holiday in Mexico but a growing major celebration in the United States wherever there are large communities of Mexican Americans. In Mexico, the holiday is celebrated in every state and especially in the State of Puebla where the victory over the French occurred. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in 150 locations, and especially in cities like Chicago, Portland and Denver and in the State of California. Huge festivals, parades, and concerts are held in many parts of the United States to remember this Mexican victory. Cinco de Mayo has a special place of celebration in California where it was observed as far back as the 1860’s not long after the First Battle of Puebla by the many Mexicans who lived in that state. Many Mexicans in California would help to contribute to the free Mexican government of Benito Juarez when Mexico was under French occupation, and a number of Mexicans from California and around the United States would go to fight for Juarez against the French until Mexico became a free country again in 1867.