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, Mexico, 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 Mexico. 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 Mexico, 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!
What is Cinco de Mayo?
The quick and easy answer: Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day, but the celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
History of Cinco de Mayo and the US Connection
Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. The victory was viewed as a symbol that demonstrated to the world that Mexico was willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.
Cinco de Mayo’s history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexico-US War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850’s. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. In 1861, the newly elected democratic President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium to suspend their debts for two years, with the promise to start making payments after that period.
The French, Spanish and English would have none of that, so they sent their troops to Mexico to collect their debts. The English and Spanish quickly made deals with Juarez and left. The French had other ideas. Their intention was to 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.
Also 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.
Under the command of Texas-born General Ignacio 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.”
General U.S. 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
“La batalla de Puebla” is not just a battle that took place in Mexico or how the battle helped the Union win. It was more than that, it is a victory of mestizos and Zapotecs against European conquistadors. Napoleon III like most Europeans at that time thought that mestizos and Indians were easy people to conquer against white imperialist Europeans.
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.
The victory at Puebla does have specific meaning to me at least (I can only speak for myself). It is about the emerging mestizaje, the mixed peoples of the Americas, and the recognition that something historic and important happened in Puebla.
So this Mexican holiday not only memorializes a historical event, but a cultural emergence coupled with a history that has taken place in this hemisphere that makes us who we are. That’s something we must not forget.
Given the recent immigration debates here in the US, now is the time when WE as Chicanos should value our traditions. 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!”
With a heritage that continues to go unrecognized, it is critical para La Raza to continue to remember the identity of “I” in historical terms.
[x-posted on ¡Para Justicia y Libertad!]
The description of Cinco de Mayo in a local Santa Fe paper, called it the success of a small group of insurgents over French occupiers. Your description is much more detailed.
It is interesting how different events and the participants are described from various points of view and over time.
I wonder if a hundered years from now Iraqis will have a celebration to honor the people who stood up against the American occupation.
Good question. I also wonder what would be said in our history books. I guess Orwell is correct, “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.”
LOL!!! Needed a good laugh.
But seriously, your description of Cinqo de Mayo was the most complete that I have read since I moved.
Thanks. It’s too bad that more people are not aware of the significance. Unfortunately, Cinco de Mayo has been misused by local tavern owners as a way to sell more Coronas and Dos Equis.
And it is sad because there are no epic tales that can move people to continue the struggle. And the great thing about the internets, the message can be spread a lot faster than before.
XicanoPwr -“Sinko de Mayo” – delicious.
With the above two paragraphs you have placed the May 5th event in a context. Imo, this is very important in considering history and is often forgotten.
For whatever reasons, possibly time constraints, the history of a group gets presented as “factoids.” School kids end up coloring a page of the “famous battle/general” or they are given a “factoid story” followed by surface questions, e.g., “Who was the general?” “Where did this battle take place?”
Also, imo, the desire to share information on one people’s history in the effort to increase pride easily, through the minimal surface presentation of facts, gets turned into a kind of “we’re number one.”
Unfortunately, again imo, what is often overlooked in the emphasis on battles is the human loss and sacrifice. Not only looking at who showed up that day for battle, but what were their lives like then? What did they wear and eat? What music did they make? Where were their families? What inspired them? How many died or were wounded and died?
What about the French? Who were the soldiers? What were their lives like? How did they come to be in the military? How many died? Where were they buried?
Would anyone be surprised to discover the French soldiers were much like the mestizos and Zapotecs?
And there is the ever aware marketer who could turn the whole event into an “historic message” placed on the back of some “product” with a plastic Mexican flag (made in China) inside…sold in April, to take advantage of emerging ethnic pride to sell “product.” (Boran2 noted this as well.)
Deeper questions take time to explore, especially if we want to learn from history, not just about history.
Thanks for your lesson. 🙂
I think that is why my latest writing have been slanted towards a more historical context. Don’t get me wrong, I love exposing the neo-cons and connecting the dots. But lately, I have seen a lot of questions and a lot of sterotyping about the Hispanic culture through out the internets. Some are close but missing an element others are myths and those myths need to debunked, and those that are debunked are on sites that don’t get the traffic to learn the truth, which is why the neo-cons are successful. And who knows, maybe my calling for right now is in spreading the truth. But I do know one thing, it does get read and knowing that, I might have opened the eyes of a history teacher or professor who will then teach it in their class. Or it is read by someone who is interested in knowing their historical past. Who knows, but it is out there to be read and shared.
The knowledge ones history is importance because it reminds people of their accomplishments and contributions that occurred in ages past.
Geezzzz-I got suckered in on the great mayo caper. The older I get the more important history becomes to me and the feeling that if real history was a priority in schools maybe a lot of our problems wouldn’t be repeated.
It becomes more mind boggling to me every day how much history is repressed. I started realizing it during the fight for the ERA amendment to be passed in the late 70’s, early 80’s and found out how much of history involving women was left completely out of building this country. And continues to this day.
Maybe I’m odd but when I hear someone say for instance in talking to a black person-well ‘you’re peoples history’….that drives me nuts…it’s all our history-it’s American history. Why do we have to have all these separate histories?..Womens history, Black History, Mexican-American History, Japanese-American, Gay history, Native American history and so on…I understand the need for these separate histories right now to make people aware of the history and contributions of everyone but why does it have to be this way? Why in the hell can’t it all be integrated together in the history books to tell of the rich and full tapestry that weaves together our history-the good and the bad? Hope I’ve explained myself on this issue but it’s one that is a particular sore spot with me concerning how history is taught in school and how so much is left out.
I understand where you are coming from. And I do understand why it is a soar spot. That was the whole thing about multiculturalism, but neo-cons killed it too. So history continues to left out.