Why -Cinco de Mayo?

To All To Whom These Presents Shall Come, GREETINGS:

I have a close friend from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and every
year, near Cinco de Mayo, we both wonder at how this (somewhat
obscure) Mexican Holiday, became a cause célèbre in the United States.
The Mexican victory at Puebla over the French is not, as my Mexican
friend explains it, a major Mex holiday. So I ask if anyone here knows
how Cinco de Mayo became something for Americans to celebrate?

Also, post a red - green - white recipe, if you have one.

On May 4, 11:44*am, Secret_Ingredient <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


The illegal alien invasion began in 1972 when Mexican capitalists
pulled their money out of Mexican investments and put it into Swiss
bank accounts, declaring
no confidence in Mexico's economy.

Millions of Mexicans and central Americans began migrating north.
Marketing agencies recognized the "clout" of the expanding market
amongst Mexican customers and the department store and grocery chains
latched onto Cinco de Mayo as an opportunity to move a lot of clothing
and groceries.

The beer companies recognized Cinco de Mayo as a chance to sell a lot
of beer to White college kids partying in April and May.

Mexicans were the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, 150 years ago.

When Texas gained its independence from Mexico, the Mexicans who chose
to remain there did not want to return to Mexico and they did not want
to "lose" their
mestizo culture either.

So they celebrated two "fiestas patrias", Mexican Independence day on
September 16th and Cinco de Mayo. The Mexican consulate and the
Comision Honorifica Mexicana would organize the fiestas patrias.

However, Mexicans living in Texas gradually became a separate people
who never planned to return to Mexico and they wanted Cinco de Mayo to
be a celebration of Chicano barrio culture as it was in the 1950's and
1960's.

About 1978, Mexicans in Houston told the Mexican consulate that they
wanted their Cinco de Mayo celebration to be about *themselves* and
their "struggle against oppression" against "police brutality".

Mexicans living in America are not really that much into dressing like
charros and doing the Mexican hat dance and listening to mariachi
music. Those aspects of Mexican culture are less important than
lowering a Chevy and putting chrome wheels on it.

So, Saturday's revival of the traditional Cinco de Mayo celebration in
Visalia, California included a car hopping contest and display of
customized "low rider" cars and there were a lot of tattooed Mexicans
who dressed like gang bangers making themselves very visible.

Cinco de Mayo in Visalia was more like a car club meeting than a
celebration of an obscure 19th century event in Mexico.

Mexicans who attended the Porterville, California Cinco de Mayo
parades for the last two years have complained that they just weren't
the same as they had been in past years and one Mexican woman
suggested that the traditional Mexican culture was "going down".

I haven't heard anything about the Santa Barbara Cinco de Mayo
fesitivities yet, beyond a comment that "low riders" from other
barrios were coming to Santa Barbara.

A lot of the American party animals had been talking about boycotting
the celebration because of the rise in violent Mexican gang activities
on State Street, the typical party venue for wealthy college kids.

"Secret_Ingredient" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...
To All To Whom These Presents Shall Come, GREETINGS:

I have a close friend from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and every
year, near Cinco de Mayo, we both wonder at how this (somewhat
obscure) Mexican Holiday, became a cause célèbre in the United States.
The Mexican victory at Puebla over the French is not, as my Mexican
friend explains it, a major Mex holiday. So I ask if anyone here knows
how Cinco de Mayo became something for Americans to celebrate?

Also, post a red - green - white recipe, if you have one.

Do you really think Americans or Mexicans in the US need a special excuse to
PARTY?

Dimitri

Secret_Ingredient wrote:

There is some historical opinion that the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862,
was historically important to the United States as well as Mexico. Some
historians believe it might be MORE historically significant to US
history than Mexican history.

The French, Spanish and English had come to Mexico supposedly to collect
debts. The Spanish and English quickly did so and left. The French had
more ambitious plans...annex Mexico, support and supply the Confederate
Army to ultimately divide and destroy the United States. The
underestimated Mexicans kept the French pre-occupied long enough for the
Union Army to defeat the Confederates and preserve the Union. With the
Civil War over, the U.S. sent its support south with supplies, arms and
men to help the Mexicans defeat the French and win their independence.

I'd say it's appropriate here in the U.S. to offer a toast to the
Mexican victory at Puebla and join in the celebration...unless,
perhaps, one would prefer The South had won. :-)


Fish tacos are traditional Cinco de Mayo fare at our house. This year
it'll be lightly seared tuna steak sliced thin, shredded cabbage and
grilled green chiles served on soft fried corn tortillas splashed with
a generous dollop of spicy yogurt/mayo white sauce.

Mmmmmm, mmmm...good stuff!

Rich

On May 4, 8:02*pm, Rich <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


When have you ever been to a Cinco de Mayo drunkfest where the homies
lifted a
Corona and said anything about Puebla?

In the USA, Cinco de Mayo is like a secular Christmas or Easter
celebration in which the reason for the holiday has been completely
forgotten.

"?" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...
On May 4, 11:44 am, Secret_Ingredient <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


The illegal alien invasion began in 1972 when Mexican capitalists
pulled their money out of Mexican investments and put it into Swiss
bank accounts, declaring
no confidence in Mexico's economy.


Always the white pride, class warrior revisionist huh, Booger?

€ wrote:

Never. I don't go to Cinco de Mayo drunkfests. On Cinco de Mayo, my
family and I enjoy a meal of Mexican inspired foods...and, we understand
the significance of the Battle of Puebla with regard to both U.S. and
Mexican history.


Not at our house, and not by me...

Rich

On Tue, 5 May 2009 09:20:12 -0700, "gunner" <[Only registered users can see links. ]>
wrote:

sounds to me like its dead on.

"Roughrider50" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...

so thats 2 for dinner, is it?