Heritage
celebrated
By Justin Diemert
On-line Forty-Niner
 The
sounds of mariachi music, clapping hands
and sizzling asada filled the air at lunchtime
in the University Student Union pool area
Monday.
Cinco de Mayo was the reason for the celebration.
It is a day for the Mexican people to look
back on their heritage and connect with
each other through a common thread.
“[Cinco de Mayo] celebrates the battle against
the French in 1862 where Mexico won,” Jessica
Zaragoza, a sophomore biology student, said.
She is affiliated with one of the groups
who sponsored the event and had just recently
danced in the Kaleidoscope carnival.
The two-hour event featured an authentic
Mariachi band, folklorico dancers and a
solo dance act from president of Mexica,
Lorenzo Uribe. Mexica is a two-year-old
club on campus that is focused on dancing
traditional Latin American dances.
La Raza served carne asada tacos with rice
and beans for $3 and Mexica served authentic
beverages such as Tamarindo and Jamaica
for $1. The event was focused to not only
celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but also served
as a fundraiser for both groups.
“It’s sort of a joint effort between La
Raza and Mexica,” said Mariza Biera, a senior
biology student and treasurer of La Raza.
“Mexica was in charge of the decorations
around the pool and La Raza was in charge
of the food.”
Even though the event was to celebrate the
victory for Mexico, all ethnicities were
present. There were some that felt proud
of their heritage and decided to wear traditional
Mexican attire. People in the audience who
knew the songs joined in for a few songs
and even one student got on stage and grabbed
a microphone to serenade the crowd.
More than a hundred people came to show
support for both clubs on the pool level,
but as students walked to and from class
on the second floor, they couldn’t help
themselves to stop and enjoy the entertainment,
even if it was only for a few minutes.
Cal State Long Beach currently has more
than 5,300 Mexican students in its undergraduate
and graduate programs with an additional
2,000 who claim another type of Hispanic
origin. With such a large population of
Hispanic and Mexican students on its campus,
the Cinco de Mayo celebration provided a
way to show strength and support for Mexico
and the victorious battle fought over 140
years ago that ultimately lead to its independence.
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