What was originally meant to be a Cinco de Mayo theme fundraiser for the SAFE Club ended up becoming an entire celebration, when other clubs decided joining in would be beneficial for everyone.
Students were welcomed to school on Thursday, May 5 by a festival full of clubs, music, food and performances in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
The celebration took place at Falcon Square and lasted throughout the afternoon with plenty of time for students to participate in the festivities.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory over French invaders in the 1862 Battle of Puebla and is celebrated in Mexican communities in both Mexico and in the United States.
With the help of ASCC, the clubs joined together to turn a fundraiser idea into an entire event that not only offers entertainment, but brings light to a dominant culture on campus.
According to Alan Rodriguez, president of the SAFE Club, there is a misconception in what Cinco de Mayo really celebrates and that this event is meant to bring light to that.
“It’s a misconception of it being a Mexican Independence Day[…] I’m Mexican and my mom is from Puebla so I’m really in touch with this event and its history.
“A lot of Americans think it’s a form of Independence Day for Mexico. I just wanted to show everybody that there is a lot of Mexican culture that thrives here at Cerritos,” Rodriguez said.
The clubs were selling traditional Mexican candy, snacks and drinks with MeCHA performing traditional Folkloric dances in the center of it all.
A crowd of watchers roared as the dancers got ready in the colorful and exotic attire.
MeCHA adviser, Alex Lopez, says that the students of MeCHA want to give back to the community by sharing their culture.
“These are not just celebrations in one part of the world, this has ties to many different countries[…] This makes me feel happy, to be able to share it with other groups and to have the support of faculty and other students,” Lopez said.
Lopez mentioned that people should continue to honor their traditions from where ever they come from.
The event was able to bring a lot of students from different areas together as many members of the community joined in.
Every time a new song came on, the students in line for tacos would cheer and begin to dance again.
Marlene Estrada, member of MeCHA, believed the event went well and that it offered a lot of visibility to the clubs on campus.
“There’s a lot of people walking by [and] seeing who we are and asking who MeCHA is. A lot of people don’t know who we are, but it’s great that they’re asking questions,” She said.
Estrada thinks students should be more involved and that students shouldn’t feel ashamed to be who they are.
“La gente unida jama sera vencida,” she added.
People united will never be defeated.
