With mariachi music in full swing, the Oxnard College Associated Students hosted a Cinco de Mayo festival on May 4.
The celebration, which was held in the Student Lounge, included a mariachi band and the Ballet Folklorico Mestizo de Oxnard College. The party observed not only the Mexican victory over the French in the 1862 war, but also the Mexican culture.
“Cinco de Mayo- it’s a celebration of freedom against oppression,” said festival coordinator and OCAS Senator John Garcia. “To me, it’s a way of celebrating the human spirit saying ‘I’m free and war is not always the solution.'”
On May 5th, 1862 during the French-Mexican War, the weak Mexican army defeated the French’s grand army in “The Battle of Puebla.” The victory came to represent unity in the Mexican people.
The Ballet Folklorico group and the mariachi band was joined by traditional food and frink provided by the Associated Student Gvernment. Children attending the event also learned of Hispanic culuture, play with Mexican flags and break a piniata for the candy inside.
Although acknowledged as a Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo has a much larger presence in the United States than in its country of origin, according to the Mexican consular website.
Students recognized the significance of the day in America, however, including Eunice Guillen, as well as the fact that Oxnard College’s Hispanic culture pulls even more weight on Cinco de Mayo.
“Over here, it’s a cultural thing,” said the 19-year-old criminal justice major. “Most of our community is Hispanic and when you see the mariachi and the Folklorico, you have a sense of pride for your campus.”
Garcia, a returning student, also coordinated the event just as an end-of-the-year gathering.
“I wanted to celebrate my cultural, my heritage and I wanted to just give thanks to Oxnard College as a whole,” said Garcia.
