Why is Cinco de Mayo So Important for Americans?
Aside from the fact that a large percentage of the population is American, a lot of Americans fought in the Battle of Puebla, the battle that the Mexicans won to get rid of the French occupation after the Mexican Civil War.
A lot of Mexican-Americans (along with people of non-Mexican descent) like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Maybe it’s the American love for celebration (like St. Patrick’s Day), or maybe it’s the fact that the American melting pot is accepting of many different cultures – including the Mexican Culture. This makes it appropriate for us to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with our Mexican friends!
In addition to its importance in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is significant to all Americans because it marks the last time that any foreign power has acted the aggressor on North American soil. The Union forces that rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City. It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows? In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America. Mexicans, y
