Puebla, Mexico, Coors Beer and why we have Cinco de Mayo

(OK -- the Coors Beer part is a stretch, but writers to the left are known for rubber-banding as much as they can get by with.)

Puebla, Mexico postal, code 72582.

Capital of the state of Puebla, established in 1531 by Spanish conquerors of Mexico, in an area known as Cuetlaxcoapan, “where snakes change their skin.” (According to Wikipedia.)

Puebla is southeast of Mexico City. It is the fourth largest city in Mexico. The nearby municipality of Cuautlancingo has the world’s largest Volkswagen factory outside Germany.

As municipal seat, the city of Puebla governs 482 other communities. By the 2005 census, Puebla’s population was 1.485 million.

On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces under Gen. Ignacio Zaragosa defeated a French army contingent, making Cinco de Mayo an official holiday in the city. The French took the city the next year and did not leave until 1866.

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo celebrations began in Texas, since Gen. Zaragosa was born in Texas.

“Cinco de Mayo began in Texas as a source of cultural pride. On May 5th, 1867 in San Ignacio, Texas, they first celebrated General Ignacio Zaragosa’s victory and other border towns picked up the tradition.”

http://www.ourmexico.com/mexican-pride-cinco-de-mayo/

The Coors Beer theory:

“The growth of celebrations in the United States was initially triggered by a lawsuit from LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, several decades ago, against Coors beer company. The settlement included the brewer's backing of Cinco de Mayo festivities in the U.S., but competing companies like Miller and Anheuser-Busch were not about to let Coors grab the Hispanic market to itself, and the race was on.”

‘Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico’

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3408-cinco-de-mayo-celebrations-in-mexico

And: “In 1985 the National Council of La Raza, the American GI Forum, and later the League of United Latin Americans Citizens signed an agreement with the Coors Brewing Company to stop the long-standing boycott of Coors Beer in exchange for more than $350 million in donations to Latino organizations. That is when alcohol sales first started to overshadow the pride of the people. When Coors and the Latino organizations began cozying up to one another they both saw a gleam in each other’s eye. Not wanting to be left behind, Anheuser-Busch and Miller soon followed suit and now the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) (among others) receive lots of money from the alcohol industry. Sure, the money does some good things. Budweiser gives millions of dollars in donations to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Coors provides money for videos and literacy classes for Mexican immigrants, and Miller sponsors the Mexican National Soccer Team and various educational programs.”

http://mexicobob.blogspot.com/2010/05/cinco-de-drinko-revisited.html

All of which shows: (1) companies – US and foreign – are always ready to make another peso from anything; and, (2) bloggers like Mexico Bob are always ready to throw a douche of ice water on any historical event and muddy the waters.