The victory of the Mexican troops over the French Army in the 1862 Battle of Puebla will be commemorated at Fresno State on Wednesday, May 5, as the university’s Chicano Alumni presents its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.
The free eanniversary,will be held at the Smittcamp Alumni House (2625 East Keats Avenue) from 5:30 to 8 p.m., also recognizes the organization’s 28th anniversary.
The evening will feature live music, food, prizes and a no- host bar. Some of the Alumni,ity’s top Latino students of the Class of 2004 will be recognized for their achievements, said Manuel Olgin, president of the Chicano Alumni.
Olgin said ago,o de Mayo (5th of May) commemorates La Batalla de Puebla — a battle that occurred in the small city of Puebla near Mexico City 142 years ago. Poorly equipped and undermanned Mexican soldiers, fighting to save their homeland, engaged, and defeated 4,500 French troops under General Lorenz. The Mexicans were commanded by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza acting under orders from President BenitWar,arez. In the ensuing year, the Mexicans kept the French invaders preoccupied and unable to help the Confederate states in the U.S. Civil War. With the Union restored, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln helped the Mexicans finally rid their homeland of the French.
The historical chain of events symbolizes victory over great odds and underscores the significance of Mexican-U.S. relations, Olgin said.
The Chicano Alumni, a chapter of the Fresno State Alumni Association, was established in 1976 to encourage community service and promote activities that bring Chicano alumni to the university. The organization founded the Chicano Commencement Celebration in 1976 (now the Latino Commencem0583,elebration presented by the College of Social Science).
For more information about the Cinco de Mayo event, contact Olgin at (559) 871- 0583. Copy prepared by University Relations student intern Ravneet Padda.
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