Every time the fifth of May rolls around, the Mexican flag flies high and the airwaves fill with advertisements for Mexican beer, but most of the people celebrating Cinco de Mayo are not aware of what they are commemorating.
Walter Fernandez, professor of history at Cerritos College, gave a presentation on the history of Cinco de Mayo and the first Battle of Puebla which took place May 1862.
The presentation this year was held in the Teleconference Center.
Fernandez made the decision to focus on analyzing the military history of the battle of the Mexican and French forces.
He said, “I’m sure [that] by the end of the presentation [the audience] heard more than they wanted to on the military aspect.”
Fernandez also discussed, briefly, why the French were in Mexico to begin with and why there have been Cinco de Mayo celebrations in California since 1862.
The facts were set straight when Fernandez revealed that the war between France and Mexico started because of a debt that Mexico owed France.
Maria Becerra, culinary arts major, said that she attended the event to receive extra credit and to learn about the history.
She stated the most interesting thing she learned was that Mexico was in debt.
Her daughters Maria and Adriana Becerra attended to keep their mother company. They both agreed. “The most interesting thing [we heard] was the fact about the [Mexican Liberal] who didn’t have a gun [because of weapon shortages] so he threw a canon ball [at a French soldier]”.
Fernandez said, “It is important for students, teachers,[…] and journalists to inform people [about Cinco de Mayo].”
Fernandez plans on holding another presentation next Cinco de Mayo, possibly on a different aspect of the history behind the holiday. “I was pleased with the turn out, […] I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was very encouraged by the turnout,” he said of the number of people who attended the presentation.
Previous Cinco de Mayo events Fernandez participated in were shorter and often took place in the Cerritos College Amphitheater.
