In a quirky historical twist, two celebratory days in the first week of May (Dia del Trabajo and Cinco de Mayo) had their origins in the United States and Mexico respectively, but are today more widely observed in the other country.
May 1, International Workers’ Day or May Day, originated in response to the Haymarket Massacre of 1886 in Chicago, where workers fought for the establishment of protection measures – namely an eight-hour workday.
But subsequent U.S. administrations were uneasy with the day’s association with communists and anarchist groups, so in 1894 President Grover Cleveland rushed legislation through Congress making Labor Day (September 1) the national holiday for workers. This occurred just six days after the resolution of the Pullman Strike, when employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company put down their tools in response to reductions in wages during an economic slump.
Without the backing of major labor unions, efforts to switch Labor Day with May 1 have always failed. A few far left groups have tried to keep the tradition alive, and in 2012 the Occupy Wall Street movement called for a “general strike” in a bid to resurrect the day’s significance.
Mexico, in keeping with more than 80 countries worldwide, marks Dia del Trabajo with a paid day off and marches and rallies in most urban centers. Depending on the political climate, some groups may use the day to express their grievances.
While Mexico acknowledges the origins of the day to the Chicago massacre, this country’s strongest historical remembrance on May 1 is the Cananea Mine Strike of 1906, in which 22 miners died in riots after they stopped work demanding parity of pay with their U.S. colleagues, as well as vastly improved working conditions.
Unbeknownst to many Americans (even those of Mexican descent), Cinco de Mayo (May 5) marks the unlikely defeat in Puebla in 1862 of the army of Napoleon III, at the service of Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, by forces led by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza.
Mexicans rejoiced in this historic military victory, and none more so than those working in mines in California. So overjoyed were they at the news of Mexico’s defeat of the French that they spontaneously fired off rifles shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches.
This annual May 5 holiday became a source of pride for Mexicans in the United States – it grew further with the rise of the Chicano movement in the 1940s and 50s – but began to lose much of its significance south of the border, save for the city of Puebla, where it is celebrated with fireworks and a reenactment of the clash between Mexican and French troops.
Today, Cinco de Mayo festivities in the United States are characterized by parades, patriotic speeches and picnics, along with the prominent display of both the Mexican and U.S. flags. And its appeal has extended to the entire Latino community, and even the rest of the country.