Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2007

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Profile America — Saturday, May 5th. Today’s date in Spanish is “Cinco de Mayo,” and celebrations will be held in many cities across the country. The origin of the day’s observance is the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when Mexican troops — outnumbered three-to-one — defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III. The celebration has evolved from one of military victory to a colorful and vibrant cultural event, both in Mexico and in many cities across the U.S. One of the biggest festivals is being held today and tomorrow in Denver, with 400,000 people expected to enjoy an exciting variety of Latin-flavored music and food. There are more than 26 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S., some 9 percent of the total population. More than 10 million of these live in California. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2007, p. 255, 256
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB07-FFSE.02
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/009726.html