TrainingBriefs® Embracing Other Cultures: Cinco de Mayo

Understanding and embracing other cultures is a key part of creating an inclusive workplace free of bias and stereotypes. This course provides an overview of the Mexican holiday - Cinco de Mayo. People outside Mexico often mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than a half century before the Battle of Puebla.

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). It’s also known as Battle of Puebla Day.

While a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican American populations.