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Many Americans who celebrate Cinco de Mayo probably have it all wrong. In the U.S. it’s an imported celebration much like St. Patrick’s Day. It’s an excuse for parties and stereotypes. In Mexico, May 5 commemorates the day in 1862 when a small army made up of mostly Indigenous people defeated a French army in the town of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is not a big holiday in Mexico, but it’s widely celebrated in the U.S. We’ll learn more about Cinco de Mayo and how Indigenous people played a role.
Guests:
Dr. Gabriela Spears-Rico (Purépecha) – assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in American Indian Studies
Brenda Nicolás (Zapotec) – Ph.D student in Chicana and Chicano studies at University of California, Los Angeles
Rodrigo Rodriguez (Chicano) – community organizer at the SouthWest Organizing Project
Break Music: Grass Dance (song) Tha Tribe (artist) Warriors In The Mist (album)
