Cinco de Mayo: You might be surprised how long it’s been celebrated in the U.S.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.
It is not observed as a national holiday in Mexico, but schools in Puebla, where the battle took place, are closed for the day.
Mexico’s Independence Day is Sept. 16.
A report published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture said the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the U.S., started in California in 1863 in response to the resistance to French rule in