In January 1862, the French army invaded the Mexican state of Puebla. Unable to use the aid of the Civil War-stricken U.S army, the Mexican army rounded up its troops to combat the French independently. They eventually defeated the French on May 5, 1886, now known as Cinco de Mayo.

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not a very widely celebrated holiday, but it is often celebrated within Mexican-American communities.

“Individually [Mexicans] don’t celebrate it, but there are times when the community itself has little parades and stuff,” Felix Roman (10) said. “And other times, [people from] mostly Hispanic neighborhoods, [in Mexico,] actually drive around for a little bit with the Mexican flags in their cars.”

Spanish teacher Diana Moss celebrates Cinco de Mayo by teaching students the history behind the holiday and bringing in piñatas for her classes.

“To me personally, I think it has become in the United States an opportunity to celebrate people of Hispanic background,” she said. “It has become an opportunity for Mexican-Americans to celebrate their roots.”

Many students confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexico’s Independence Day, onSept. 16, which is  more widely celebrated in Mexico than Cinco de Mayo.

“For us Mexicans, September 15th and September 16th is the biggest event because it’s the Independence Day, and then [on] November 20th it’s a civil war [celebration],” catering director Gustavo Parra said. “It’s beautiful. We celebrate as you guys celebrate here. But really, in the school I never learned what’s the big deal Cinco de Mayo is. [It] doesn’t represent a lot for Mexicans.”

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on May 4, 2016.