Photo of David Hayes-Bautista courtesy of the UCLA Latin American Institute.
UCLA’S David Hayes-Bautista discusses significance of American holiday
As the 150th anniversary of the first Cinco de Mayo approaches, David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine at UCLA, will talk on the history behind this American holiday at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, at the Loma Pelona Conference Center at UCSB.
It is free and open to the public.
Although Cinco de Mayo commemorates an event in Mexican history –– El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla) –– the holiday was created and first celebrated by Latinos living in California,the university reported in a media release.
“Cinco de Mayo is important to California because it was invented here,” said Hayes-Bautista, whose book, “El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition,” is forthcoming from UC Press. “It provides a collective identity for all Latinos, whether they were born here in California, or immigrated from Mexico, Central America, or South America.”
The first Cinco de Mayo celebration recognized the Mexican army’s defeat of invading French troops in the town of Puebla on May 5, 1862, Hayes-Bautista said. Overjoyed that freedom and democracy had won a victory over forces of slavery and oligarchy, Latinos in California celebrated with fireworks, patriotic songs, and impromptu speeches.
Hayes-Bautista is the only U.S. citizen to serve as a member of Mexico’s Commission for the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. He was sworn in by President Felipe Calderón. The commission is charged with organizing commemorations of the first Cinco de Mayo throughout Mexico and the U.S. Hayes-Bautista’s talk is part of the Cinco de Mayo University Speaking Tour.
For more information, call Andrea Estrada at 805-893-4290.