It’s never too late to celebrate.
Even though the official holiday was Thursday, different groups across Snohomish County are gearing up to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend.
For some, this event is a way of bringing the Hispanic and American communities together. For people with Me
xican background, the celebration is a way of keeping their heritage alive.
“It’s important, so we don’t lose the roots that come from Mexico,” Everett resident Genaro Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez has lived in the county for 15 years. He emigrated from the state of Jalisco and has a son and
daughter who were born in the United States.
On Wednesday, he was at St. Michael Church in Snohomish watching his teenage kids rehearse for the “Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.”
The celebration is scheduled to start at noon Saturday at the Carnegie Educational Center, 105 Cedar Ave.
The event is the first of its kind in the Snohomish, which has 724 people of Hispanic descent, according to 2010 Census figures. Hispanics are the largest minority in the city, comprising about 8 percent of the total Snohomish population,
The plans in Snohomish include prancing horses, Mariachi music, folkloric dancing and traditional food.
The Snohomish Cinco de Mayo Committee is organizing the event and expects at least 300 people to attend.
“It’s not a big deal in Mexico, but is very much celebrated in the United States,” said Carmen Flores, chairwoman of the committee.
The holiday celebrates Mexico’s victory over invading French forces on May 5, 1862. In Mexico, the event is mostly celebrated with parades and re-enactments, but is a smaller holiday than Independence Day, celebrated Sept. 16, and the Mexican Revolution Day, held on Nov. 20.
On Wednesday, Flores was giving the last rehearsal to six young dancers who are scheduled to perform at the Snohomish event.
One of them was Gonzalez’s son, Genaro Jr., who has never been to Mexico, but enjoys this and other Mexican cultural holidays because they make him aware of his heritage.
It also helps bring the community together, said Genaro, 14.
Snohomish is not the only community celebrating the event or that has seen an increase of its Hispanic population.
According to the Census, there are 64,249 people of Hispanic or Latino background, making them the biggest minority in Snohomish County. The number of Hispanics in the county has more than doubled in the past 10 years. In the 2000 Census, there were only 28,590 people who identified themselves as being Hispanic. That’s an increase of 35,659.
The Census has yet to show the breakdown of how many Hispanics are from Mexico in Snohomish County.
Marysville saw its Hispanic population grow by almost 5,000, but this increase is also due to all the annexations the city had in the same period.
The Census counted 6,178 Hispanics within city limits.
The fifth annual celebration is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. today at Totem Middle School. Its goal is to welcome diversity to the city, organizer Marjorie Serge said.
Americans can also learn by attending the event, she said.
“We hope the white community can learn more about (the Hispanic) culture,” Serge said.
Meanwhile, Familias Unidas, a Latino resource center in Everett, is organizing its ninth Cinco de Mayo celebration at Everett High School starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s a way to celebrate Latino heritage in the United States,” volunteer Trudie McEvoy said about the holiday.
Edmonds Community College had a Cinco de Mayo event Thursday as well.
Trying to prevent losing her Mexican heritage is a reason Maria Camacho likes celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
She emigrated from the Mexican state of Oaxaca to Washington state 11 years ago. She has daughters who are 4 and 11 and said they are bilingual and bicultural.
She is happy that Snohomish is celebrating its first event of this kind.
“I am very proud that my daughters will dance in this Cinco de Mayo celebration,” she said.
For her eldest daughter, Daniela Rodriguez, the holiday is a way to connect with a country she barely remembers and relatives she rarely sees.
“In this day, we usually remember people from Mexico,” she said.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
The day
Cinco de Mayo is more than an excuse to wear sombreros and drink tequila. More information about the holiday:
•The holiday is celebrated to remember the Battle of Puebla — La Batalla de Puebla — between Mexican and French forces on May 5, 1862.
The victory is famous because the Mexican army defeated the French, who were considered to have the world’s most powerful army at the time.
The hero of the battle, Mexican Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, died months later of typhoid fever.
The French had invaded Mexico officially to demand debt repayment after Mexican President Benito Juarez had stopped payments to France and other countries due to lack of money.
The victory was short-lived because the French were successful in taking over the capital. Napoleon III installed Maximilian of Habsburg as Mexican emperor. The occupation lasted until 1867 and Habsburg was executed.
Celebrate
If you want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend, you can go to:
•Marysville: Music, food, soccer and even informational booths, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Totem Middle School, 1605 Seventh St.
Snohomish: A parade of prancing horses begins at noon at Ixtapa Mexican restaurant. The celebration continues at the parking lot of the Carnegie Educational center with Mariachi music, dancing and food. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, 105 Cedar Ave.
Everett: Aztec dancers, Mariachi music, poetry and health tests are all part of the event organized by Familias Unidas. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Everett High School, 2416 Colby Ave.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
