Practiced continually in Los Angeles since 1863, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the alliance between Mexico and the United States in defeating the French. Mexican immigrants in California during the American Civil War are credited with being the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the U.S.
The French were aiming to break up the American Union and support the Southern Confederacy, if not for a small and ill-equipped Mexican army that defeated the French at Puebla de Los Angeles. However, the French returned with more troops and captured Mexico City, but the United States returned the favor and helped Mexico expel the French.
While Cinco de Mayo is a major social event in Los Angeles, in Mexico the holiday goes by without much pomp, except in Puebla, the homesite of the original French invasion. What then does Cinco de Mayo mean for the Mexican immigrant communities in Los Angeles?
Rodrigo Rojas describes Cinco de Mayo as an opportunity for citizens and immigrants alike to appreciate Mexican-American heritage, “Cinco de Mayo represents a long-standing relationship between two neighboring countries that share much more than a border.”
Don’t know too much about Mexican-American Culture? Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles can change that. Olvera Street has a lively celebration of Cinco de Mayo festivities every year, starting at noon, and LA Plaza de Artes y Culturas offers Mariachi music, DJ’s spinning Mexican and French music, and Mexican art-themed workshops starting at 4pm.
Cinco de Mayo is an excellent opportunity shed your hesitations about immigrant communites, and instead learn about, and develop an appreciation for Mexican-American culture in Los Angeles that contributes to the diversity and cultural richness of one of the world’s great cities.
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