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Historical Ignorance Never Sinks Cinco de Mayo

cinco_closeFolks in the United States like a reason to party. Witness the many non-football fans who nobly sacrifice their Sunday in order to overindulge on food and alcoholic beverages for the Superbowl.

Similarly, people will celebrate Cinco de Mayo without a care about the historical relevance.

In fact, many people believe Cinco de Mayo is the equivalent to the Fourth of July in the United States. Mexico’s Independence Day is actually September 16th, whereas Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862.

“You know it’s not that big a holiday in Mexico, other than in the state of Puebla where the event took place. But we in this country have taken it on as a celebration of diversity and a celebration of freedom and democracy,” said Bill Miranda, CEO, Santa Clarita Valley Latino Chamber of Commerce and co-sponsor of the 2012 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo @ Old Town Newhall event.


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Last year Cinco de Mayo fell on a Thursday and yet the event drew 5,000 attendees. This year May 5, is on a Saturday so Miranda expects and even larger crowd.

Miranda says there was so much excitement and energy last year and it helped expand the profile of the SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce, which has only been around two years.

“We’re focused on Latino-owned businesses because we want to help them, because they tend not to ask for help. They tend to be more in the shadows and we’re trying to pull them out as much as possible,” said Miranda.

Cinco_de_MayoHowever, Miranda says 1/3 of their 125 members are non-Latino business owners. Their meetings are conducted in English so anyone can benefit from the chamber’s message which is to inspire, educate and motivate business owners. In fact, according to Miranda, savvy non-Latino business owners realize the SCV Latino Chamber is the place to grow your business into a new market.

“If you’re looking for a way to tap into the Latino community, the Latino marketplace this is a great place to start,” said Miranda.

The Celebrate Cinco de Mayo @Old Town Newhall event runs from noon to 9 p.m. along Main Street in Old Town Newhall between 6th and 8th streets. A stage will be set up parallel to the work-in-progress Newhall library featuring music for kids in the early afternoon, followed by Folklorico dancers and multi-cultural musical acts into the night.

The family-friendly block party will feature 50 vendors, including a diverse variety of foods booths along with the fare offered by local restaurants.

Below is the entertainment schedule:

1:00 p.m. Bill Miranda & Patsy Ayala, Flag, Prayer, Mayor

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Folklorico Dancer (Community Dance Center)

2:10 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. Nathalia Palis (Music for Kids)

3:00 – 3:35 p.m. Folklorico dancers (Community Dance Center)

3:40 – 4:00 p.m. Ingrid Blanco and Willie Arroyo

4:10 – 4:55 p.m. Eco Norteno

5:05 – 5:50 p.m. Joao Junqueira and Company (Brazilian group)

6:00 – 6:45 p.m. Las Jefas del Corrido

7:20 – 8:05 p.m. Manuel Blancarte (Salsa)

8:05 – 9:00 p.m. DJ Party

For more information on the event, click here:

For a fuller look at the history behind Cinco de Mayo, click here.

Bill Miranda and Patsy Ayala host “Querer es Poder” (Where there’s a Will there’s a Way) on KHTS AM 1220 every third Thursday of the month from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

The program features interviews with members of the SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce and other business owners in the greater Santa Clarita Valley. For more information on their show, click here.

Historical Ignorance Never Sinks Cinco de Mayo

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