Squeals of excitement could be heard over the mariachi band as students, faculty and invited guests took part in a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Marysville campus, Thursday, May 5 from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Red, white and green balloons and flags shone brightly in the sunlight, where rain and gray skies had been predicted.
Many of the hundreds of people in attendance were students of Linda Elementary School who were invited by Yuba College’s Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, otherwise known as MEChA for a fun day of learning, face painting, delicious food and piñatas.
The young students were taken on a tour of the library, where they were introduced to a display honoring the Mexican holiday. Artifacts, pictures and information about important people as well as traditional clothing were also on display.
As the hosts of the event, members of MEChA spent the majority of their time at the event firing up the grills and serving traditional Mexican foods, such as carne asada tacos, nachos and the ever so popular chips and salsa.
The colorful celebration also featured Mexican folk dancing and performers, many of which are Yuba College students, as well as a disk jockey who kept the crowd entertained with various types of music on the steps of the theatre.
The celebrated holiday of Cinco de Mayo, translated The 5th of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not, contrary to popular belief, Mexico’s Independence Day, which occurred on September 16, 1810.
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