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General Ignacio Segun Zaragoza- Tejano

Hero of

Cinco de Mayo

Dr. Lino Garca,Jr.

LGarcia@UTPA.Edu

The Cinco de Mayo ( May 5th

., 1862) celebrates the

Benito Jurez Mexican Armys defeat of the French forces at

the Battle of Puebla. It is also celebrated in many areas ofpresent day United States of America where a large

concentration of citizens of Mexican heritage reside. Parades,

fiestas, and speeches are normally the norm for such a

celebration, many times encouraged by business interests and

the population. It does not fall ,however, within the historical

dimensions of the United States since it occurred in 1862 when

the southwestern states were already integrated in the United

States of America.

Some people confuse the Cinco de Mayo with Mxicos

Independence from Spain which occurred on September 16,

1810, and which in fact enjoys an historical connection and

significance to our own history, since at that time many

Hispanics lived and carried on their daily lives in the territory

later to become large part of the United States ( one must

remember that it was not until 1845 that the Spanish

southwest became part of the United States ). That is why in

present day Texas and in other states the now famous

El Grito has become part of its history, honoring also two

skirmishes, one in San Antonio in 1811, and the other at the

Battle of Medina in 1813, that occurred on Texas soil in

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support of this Independence Movement advocated by the

priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla; and in essence also liberating

the Tejano population then living on Texas soil.

The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 took place during one ofMxicos most difficult period. They had just won their

independence from Spain in 1821 and were later involved in

several internal conflicts, and they had just concluded the

USA-Mexican War of 1848. It was no wonder that Mxico was

facing dire financial chaos and ruin as it owed large debts to

France, England, Spain and the United States. When Mxico

out of necessity halted its debt payments, France decided to

invade Mxico; however, knowing of Frances desire forexpansion into Mexican territory, Spain and England decided

to withdraw from these plans. Frances desire was to install its

own ruler, the Archduke Maximilian of Austria and his wife

the Empress Carlota .

The hero of the Cinco de Mayo of 1862 was General

Ignacio Segun Zaragoza, a Tejano, whose family had moved to

the interior of Mxico during his youth, and who had prepared

himself faithfully for his historical role as the savior of Mxico

at that famous battle. He was born in La Baha del Espritu

Santo ( present day Goliad, Texas) on March 29, 1829

which was then known as Coahuila/Tejas after Mxico gained

its independence from Spain in 1821, and the territory of Texas

reverted back to the Mexican Empire. His father was Manuel

G. Zaragoza and his mother was Doa Mara de Jess Segun,

a relative of Don Juan Jos Erasmo Segun , prominent early

Tejanos settlers of Texas. Ignacio Segun Zaragozas fathermoved his family to Monterrey where young Ignacio entered

the seminary, soon discovering that this vocation was not his

call. He then entered the military forces, and in 1850 , a

captain by now, took sides with the liberal forces against

General Antonio de Santa Ana, the President of Mxico who

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had slaughtered many of his own countrymen in his attempt to

gained absolute control of the Mexican Empire. Many

intellectuals as well as military men developed a keen dislike

for General Antonio de Santa Ana. It was within this

historical dimension that young officer Ignacio SegunZaragoza found himself during those tumultuous times. He

soon allied himself with the military forces of Benito Jurez

during the War of the Reform ( 1857-1860), thus advancing his

military career, and setting the stage for his participation in

the now famous Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 against the

French forces that had invaded Mxico at Veracruz .

General Ignacio Segun Zaragoza married Doa Rafaela dePadilla from a prominent family in Monterrey, and this

marriage produced four children, with three of them dying in

infancy. In 1861 Benito Jurez appointed him Minister of War

and Navy but he soon left the ministry to lead the Mexican

forces against the French army at Puebla. It was at this city

and after his wife had passed on , that Tejano General Ignacio

Segun Zaragoza led his troops of around four thousand

Mexican soldiers against an invading French army of eight

thousand soldiers, successfully defeated them with almost one-

thousand of them suffering casualties , and the Mexican Army

only losing around 89 of their men. The Battle of Puebla on

May 5, 1862 was short lived as the French Army soon

withdrew. General Ignacio Segun Zaragoza was soon hailed as

a hero in Mexico City, but when he returned to Puebla he

contacted typhoid fever and died in 1862 at the young age of 33

years old. Soon after President Benito Jurez declared May 5th

( Cinco de Mayo ) as a national holiday, and Tejano GeneralIgnacio Segun Zaragoza as a national hero.

The Cinco de Mayo battle has some eminent significance to

the United States of America because : a.) the French were

defeated at this battle b.) since then no European country has

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attempted to invade America c ). had France won this battle,

they would have helped militarily and financially the

Confederacy Army during the Civil War of 1862, and perhaps

the USA would now be a different country.

It is documented also that the Mexican-American community

in Los Angeles were the first to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo

in California in 1863 with fiestas and parades, but was ignored

in Mexico then. If was after the 1940s when it began to be

eminently celebrated in many parts of the USA also. However,

it was not until 2005 that the USA officially acknowledged it

and permitted its celebration nationwide with parades, and

other events. It is now celebrated in almost twenty-one statessimilar to the celebrations honoring St. Patrick Day,

Oktoberfest, and Bastille Day.

That is why in large parts of Texas we still celebrate the

Cinco de Mayo, as a tribute to a brave Tejano who played

a major role in this Battle of Puebla on Cinco de Mayo ; as a

symbol of solidarity with Mxico, and to honor all

international events that have liberated man-kind everywhere;

one nations fight for justice transcends political boundaries. .

The cities of Goliad and Laredo, Texas both honor this brave

Tejano with a large statue of his presence.

Dr. Lino Garca,Jr. is an 8th

. generation Tejano and holds the

position of Professor of Spanish Literature at UTPA. He can be

reached atLGarcia@UTPA.Edu.

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