Latino Voices Lecture at Sonoma County Museum
The Sonoma County Museum hosted a talk last night by Dr. David Hayes Bautista, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine, UCLA. The lecture covered changes in Latino society during the Gold Rush, the American Civil War and the French Intervention in Mexico, from 1849 to 1867. Reporter Ruth Gonzalez attended the event and said that one of the highlights of the lecture was Dr. Bautista’s insights into the Cinco de Mayo holiday. Here is her report:
... Dr. Bautista explained that Cinco de Mayo is an American holiday created by Latinos in California and celebrated for very good reason. In 1861, Napolean III sent Maximilian to invade Mexico and one of the aims was to re-institute slavery. At that time, Mexico had already abolished slavery and the United States was embroiled in the Civil War. So, for awhile, the fight against slavery was raging on both sides of the border. And, for some time, it appeared that the fight would be lost on both fronts. Spanish language newspapers allowed the Latino community to follow the French incursion closely while local newspapers allowed them to follow the battles of the Civil War. And week after week, both the English and Spanish language newspapers reported loss after loss. That is until the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1962.
During that battle, a small army led by a Texan, Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French who were at the time the most powerful militant force in the world. This was the first win for freedom and democracy on either front, and Latinos rejoiced. The victory at Puebla gave them hope and pride. Not only that, it also boosted moral for all those fighting against slavery in the United States. If it hadn't been for the Battle of Puebla, the Civil War may have turned out very differently.
The 150-year anniversary of the Battle of Puebla will take place on May 5, 2012. Dr. Bautista, who is currently in negotiations to make a documentary about the milestone event, hopes that we use the next three years to inform our children about the real reason behind the celebration so that the 150th anniversary can be especially memorable.
Other highlights from Dr. Bautista’s lecture last night included:
- The California State Constitution is bilingual.
- Bicultural Latinos were a result of the Gold Rush. Mexicans were expert miners because Mexico had been mining gold for hundreds of years. A popular Gold Rush saying was "Follow the Mexicans."
- The Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated consecutively in California for 147 years.
Comments
Finally some excellent writing!!