A diverse Fifth

Christine Carrillo

The Mexican army’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on

May 5, 1862, is the inspiration for a celebration of Mexican unity

and patriotism, one shared by many Americans.

Cinco de Mayo, a day representative of Mexico’s willingness to

defend itself from foreign intervention, is also a day of cultural

celebration. And UC Irvine students didn’t miss the chance to

celebrate on Monday.

With the red, white and green flag waving, folklorico dancers

dancing and fragrant carne asada cooking, UCI’s Cinco de Mayo

celebration gave students a chance to experience the flavor of Mexico

without having to leave the campus.

“We’re trying to diversify it by having different performances and

we’re trying educate people about the culture,” said Karina Enriquez,

co-chair of the event’s planning committee. “We’re trying to educate

them about the history and the significance of Cinco de Mayo.”

The Cinco de Mayo festivities were organized by the Movimiento

Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, a Chicano student organization, as

part of the college’s Mes de la Raza, a monthlong series of

performances, concerts and panel discussions celebrating Chicano

culture and history.

From the violin to the trumpet, the traditional sounds of mariachi

music bellowed across the UCI campus, intriguing passersby and

entertaining onlookers.

“I think it’s really great because I kind of miss seeing the

Hispanic influence,” said Sarah McCormick, a first-year history

major, who enjoyed the mariachi music the most. “You don’t get much

of it in Irvine.”

Starting off the event with a brief history of Cinco de Mayo and

its significance today, the event, hosted by MEChA and the Cross

Cultural Center, sparked an interest among an ethnically diverse

group of students.

“We’re here at a university to learn about other cultures and to

enrich ourselves,” said Angela Enriquez, a second-year student at

UCI, who made sure to try some of the carne asada. “I think these

events bring everyone closer together.”

In many cases, those students enjoying the festivities were pulled

in between classes and just decided to take it all in.

“It’s a small way, you can get a quick glimpse of a culture,” said

Katherine Kang, a second-year biology major, who was enjoying the

event with a cup of orchata, or rice milk. “I think it’s more for

people that are interested in learning about [the culture]. I think

it’s definitely a good thing.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].