Cinco de Mayo celebration!!!

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

May 5, 2023 – Cinco de Mayo, Mexican holiday of remembrance, is being celebrated on Friday May 5th, marking its 161st anniversary.

The holiday commemorates the victory of Mexicans living in Puebla, Los Angeles, over the French in 1863, (the Battle of Puebla), during the second French intervention. The battle took place on May 5, hence the day of celebration.

During the battle, the Mexican army, outmanned and led by Ignacio Zaragoza, a 33-year-old Texan from Goliad, triumphed over the invading French forces in Puebla de Los Angeles.

The French troops retreated, an indication of the nation’s strength and resilience to defend its sovereignty against a powerful foreign nation.

However, despite the true significance of Cinco de Mayo, David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the University of California Los Angeles, said the original reason and history for its celebration are lost.

The holiday in the United States is in essence, a party-filled celebration of Mexican-American culture, the largest event in Los Angeles.