Cinco de Mayo is a day when many people will drink and dine with friends at a Mexican restaurant, but Ballet Folklórico de las Américas (BFA) brought Mexican dance, garments, and fun to the mall of Stamford Town Center on Sunday.
“Why not?” Diana García, co-director of the Stamford-based BFA dance studio, said. “Let's take the opportunity and let's keep growing the love for Mexico.”
Fellow co-director Paola García is from Colombia. García said she wants to see Latinos united and supporting each other. The dance studio hosts events of various Latin cultures throughout the year to educate and inspire Connecticut’s Latino communities.
“Whenever an opportunity arises to represent our cultures—to continue nurturing our roots among everyone, from the very youngest children to adults who may have forgotten [their roots]—we will seize it to continue strengthening ourselves,” García said.
Latinos of Mexican, Colombian, and Guatemalan descent represented the majority of the attendees at the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Stamford Mall Sunday.
Over the course of four hours, adults sang along to Selena and Jenny Rivera songs. Teen Latinas modeled quinceañera gowns with crowns on their heads, giving a princess wave to the crowd. Toddlers danced in red and yellow Mexican dresses to the music from the Disney movie Coco that is based off the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday.
The event was a display of Mexican tradition and pride, yet it was a far cry from how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and even for many in the U.S.
What happened on Cinco de Mayo
Growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, all Rodolfo Fernández did on Cinco de Mayo was learn about its history in school. Today, Fernández teaches Mexican history as an associate professor in residence and graduate studies director at UConn’s El Instituto.
“I think I remember once in kindergarten, there was a pageant where we would dress up as soldiers, but it's not like we got the day off,” Fernández said. Still, he said everyone in Mexico knows how on Cinco de Mayo, “we defeated the most powerful army in the world.”
The holiday commemorates a battle on May 5, 1862 in the city of Puebla.
Allied with Mexico’s conservative party, the French army was set to take Mexico City and establish Austrian Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico, in hopes that the Mexican people would greet them as liberators.
Instead, the French met their match in the city of Puebla. Their defeat marked a turning point in Mexican identity as a nation, Fernández said.
“It's one thing to not like your government, but it's another thing to see your country being invaded by somebody else,” Fernández said, even for those of the conservative party who wanted to establish a monarchy.
The French took Mexico City almost a year later, so Cinco de Mayo does not mark Mexican independence day, although the two holidays are often confused. Mexico celebrates its independence on Sept. 16.
“Cinco de Mayo was this pivotal moment in which Mexicans really did come together and say, ‘We don't want a king,’” Fernández said.
A toast to liberty and culture
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo celebrations became a way for Mexican Americans to assert identity and culture, Fernández said, especially during times like the civil rights movement. That is, he said, until a more recent age of commercialism.
“By the 1990s, Corona is going to use Cinco de Mayo to market itself very, very aggressively,” Fernández said. “That's where we see the origins of how we celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a holiday for beer and cheap tacos.”
For Fernández, there’s nothing wrong with sharing a round of beers with friends on Cinco de Mayo. However, he said the holiday shouldn’t be stripped of its central message.
“We need to fight for equality. We need to fight for representation in government,” Fernández said. “I think we can do both. I think we can celebrate liberty and drink beer at the same time.”
Fernández said celebrations like the one in Stamford are also a good opportunity for people to support Latino communities by engaging in cultural events and backing Latino-owned businesses.
Pilar Blanco felt that support during the celebration as she watched her quinceañera dresses showcased in the fashion show. She is the owner of Shiny Star Boutique in Stamford Mall.
Blanco said it was a dream to see her dresses on display for a celebration that highlights her Mexican heritage.
“This is such a marvelous memory,” Blanco said. “I come from nothing, and I’ve grown and I’m still growing. One day, I’ll fly.”
