Increasingly, those seeking to make money off of us, especially if we are of Mexican origin, are resorting to using our holidays and days of celebration to do so. El Cinco de Mayo is a great example of how prostituted this holiday has become. We, the people of Mexican origin, celebrate it for various reasons. It was a definitive battle won by an inferior grouping of Mexican patriots under the command of a very young officer with limited command experience and a heavy heart and mind. His wife had just died of typhoid, and his children were about to die also from that virus running rampant across México as he rode toward Puebla to face the enemy. His name was Ignacio Zaragoza from Goliad, Tejas. Yes, Tejas when it was Mexican Tejas. After the Gringos took Tejas and made it the Republic of Texas, many Mexican families had to flee among them the Zaragoza’s. They lost everything generations of Zaragoza’s had acquired to blood hungry White thieves. Once they crossed the Rio Grande at Matamoros they felt safe and that their new home. His father was a solider but die in battle when the US invaded Mexico in 1846. Both him and his bother Elodio, ended up joining the Mexican military. Ignacio had a major drawback, he needed to wear glasses. He was 24 years of age. War helps those in lower rank ascend as their superiors get killed or are promoted. Ignacio became a sergeant then captain in rapid succession. Now, he could afford a wife and married Rafaela Padilla de la Garza of Monterrey. He missed the wedding because he was sent off to battle. His brother Elodio stood in for him to continue with the wedding date.

This was a time when Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had returned to Mexico and sought to make himself president again. The military superiors of Zaragoza opposed Santa Anna. Ignacio was sent to battle Santa Anna’s troops. He was victorious in both battles and made the rank of colonel. Benito Juarez had emerged as the man to lead México. During the battle of Siliao against conservatives his superiors were killed, He was promoted to General of the Liberal faction behind Jaurez; the youngest general in all of México. Zaragoza helped defeat the remaining conservatives and went to Veracruz to escort Juarez back into Mexico City to accept their surrender. Benito Juarez with his Liberal Party assumed the presidency  of  México as of January 7, 1862.

The year prior, Spain, England and France met in London and signed a pact to invade México to collect monies owed them. France claimed they were owed $7 million dollars. In December 1861, the French sent General Octaviano Brim into Veracruz, México to collect the debt from custom duties paid by those bringing goods into México. It was not enough so Napoleon III upped his ante and decided to invade and take all of the country.  Despite the US not going along, Napoleon was convinced that the Civil War raging inside the US would prevent any intervention by the US. Napoleon III sent the Comte Du Lorencez, General Charles Ferdinand Letrille with 6,000 well equipped soldiers to take the country. Marching from Veracruz to Puebla, General Latrille, some 400 miles, he lost about 1/3^rd of his men to typhoid. So, did Zaragoza. As mentioned, above, while getting to Puebla he learned of the loss of his wife and two sons, Ignacio and Estanislado. Nevertheless, Ignacio after surveying the land and scouting the French army in an incited attack on them at Orizaba, decided on defending from the hill top leading to Puebla. The French would have to fight going uphill almost making their cannons useless and exposing themselves in order to advance. Zaragoza on the other hand could see all the movements of the enemy and shoot at will. Moreover, it was raining on the 5 de Mayo making it impossible for the French to stay dry, including their power to load their rifles. They also slipped and slide while trying to avoid being shot by Mexicans which actually made it easier to shoot and kill them.  When Latrille realized he was losing too many men, he ordered a retreat to Orizaba. Once there he sent word to Napoleon III that he needed more men. He would resume the invasion the following year. And he did. That is how Maximilliano and Carlota became the Emperor and Empress of Mexico for a brief period. Juarez had to relocate north to the border with the US at the place called then, el paso al norte. It is now named Juarez in the state of Chihuahua across from El Paso, Texas. The Juarez troops were able to capture and execute Maximiliano.

An elated Juarez summoned Zaragoza to Mexico City to proclaim him a hero. Zaragoza went and was estatic to be able to see his only surviving child, Rafaela. Upon return to Puebla, Zaragoza also became ill from the typhoid epidemic. He died at the age of 33.
Because of this unique but brief history, Mexican origin people celebrate this battle. Offense is taken when they see advertisements renaming the holiday el Drinko De Mayo, making it a beer bust. Others make clothing with the same logo  and adding the José Guadalupe Posada character of La Calavera Catrina. Thousands of Mexican origin people converge on parks for a cook out and fiesta with family but only after fending off the many vendors waiting at the entrance to such venues to sign them up for credit cards, gambling sites, souvenirs of the Catrinas and the tee-shirts with Drinko de Mayo.

Let’s protest by boycotting such companies and products. Let’s protest the lack of true history presentations on el Cinco de Mayo and the life of Ignacio Zaragoza. If anyone does not know or the school teachers where you kids attend school do not know, tell them to read my two bilingual books on the subject. The first one you should buy and read to your kids who cannot yet read is a picture book for that purpose: The Hero of the Cinco de Mayo, Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. The other book, also bilingual, is titled Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, My Story of Cinco de Mayo. Both are available at your favorite book store if you ask them for it and via the publisher Houston’s Arte Publico Press or my webpage: joseangelgutierrezbooks.com/