TM
TM
© 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
BETTY DEBNAM – Founder and Editor at Large
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Mexican-Americans’ May 5 Celebration
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
What Is Cinco de Mayo?
A
B
C
D
A. _______________
B. _______________
C. _______________
D. _______________
Cinco de Mayo is a
popular holiday in
U.S. states that
border Mexico. Can
you write the names
of the states that
border Mexico on the
map?
Answers:
A. California,
B. Arizona, C. New
Mexico, D. Texas.
Next week,
many people in
America who
have Mexican
ancestry will
celebrate
Cinco de Mayo
(the 5th of
May). Some
people think Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s
independence day, much like our Fourth of
July. But Mexico gained its independence
from Spain on Sept. 16, 1821.
The Battle of Puebla
Cinco de Mayo honors a Mexican
victory over the French army almost 150
years ago, in 1862.
After Mexico gained independence
from Spain, the government needed a lot
of help from other countries. Other wars,
including the Mexican-American War,
had hurt the economy, or money
systems, of Mexico.
Mexico borrowed money from Spain,
England and France. Soon, those
countries wanted to be repaid.
All three countries decided to invade
Mexico. They sent their armies to
Veracruz, a city on the Gulf of Mexico.
However, soon after their ships landed,
the leaders of England and Spain called
their troops home. French emperor
Napoleon III went ahead with his plan to
conquer, or take control of, Mexico.
An uneven fight
When about 6,000 French troops
reached two forts near the town of
Puebla, they met a much smaller force of
just 2,000 Mexicans. But the Mexican
fighters pushed the French into retreat,
or made them move back. The Battle of
Puebla stopped the French army from
taking over the capital, Mexico City.
The French eventually did win,
but they ruled Mexico for only about
three years.
Benito Juarez (behNEE-toh HWAHR-ehz)
was Mexico’s leader
during the Battle of
Puebla. He is known
for his great courage
and honesty.
American help
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was
worried about the French invasion of
Mexico, but he was busy with the Civil
War. He was afraid that if he helped the
Mexican government, the French would
help the southern U.S. states with the
Civil War.
After the Civil War ended, American
troops helped Mexico
defeat France.
An important battle
The Battle of Puebla
has become a symbol to
the Mexican people of
their toughness,
independence and
bravery.
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
A Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
This year, Cinco de Mayo will be on a
lunes (Monday). Will you have a fiesta
(party)? The Mini Page offers some
ideas for having fun and enjoying
Mexican customs, or traditions.
Eat Mexican foods
Hit a piñata
photo courtesy of The Mexican Folkloric Dance
Company of Chicago; www.mexfoldanco.org
Mexican food is popular among many
Americans, and many Mexican
restaurants celebrate Cinco de Mayo
with special dishes and music.
Tortillas (tor-TEE-yahs) are flatbreads
Have a Mexican hat dance
At many Cinco de Mayo parties, you’ll made of corn or flour. Chilies are peppers
find a mariachi band. These musicians that can range from mild to very spicy.
may play trumpets, violins and guitars. They’re included in many Mexican
You’ll need:
You may be able to find mariachi music foods, including salsa and meat dishes.
• a large paper bag
Avocados are used to make
on the radio or on a CD.
• markers, tissue paper, streamers, other
guacamole (wock-a-MOLE-ay), a
decorations
smooth green dip for chips.
• wrapped candy
Fresh tomatoes are used to make
• stapler
• paper punch
delicious salsa, or sauce.
The Mexican hat dance actually came from
Spain. A man dances around a woman,
pretending to try to win her love. He throws
his hat to the ground. When she accepts
him, she steps onto the edge of his sombrero,
or hat, and dances around its edges.
Look in your newspaper for notices about
Cinco de Mayo celebrations in your area.
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
Mini Spy ...
Make Mini Page guacamole
You’ll need:
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 teaspoons onion, grated
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
What to do:
1. Slice avocado in half. Remove pit.
2. Scoop out pulp. Place in a large bowl. Mash
with a fork.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 2.
You’ll need an adult’s help with this recipe.
TM
Mini Spy and her friends are enjoying a Mexican hat
dance. See if you can find: • man in the moon
• word MINI
• cat • ant
• fish
• lips
• tooth
• paper clip
• number 6
• shoe
• snake
• olive
• a long piece of string
What to do:
1. Decorate the bag with markers, paint,
tissue paper, streamers and other brightly
colored decorations.
2. Fill the bag half full with candy.
3. Fold the open end of the bag over and
staple it closed.
4. Punch two holes in the folded end of the
bag about 3 inches in from each edge.
5. Tie the string through the two holes and
hang your piñata from a tree or a doorway.
Blindfold a friend and spin him or her around.
Then have your friend try to hit the piñata
with a stick or bat. Take turns trying to hit the
bag. When the bag breaks, share the candy!
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
Brown
TRY ’N
Basset ws
The Ned’s
FIND
Houn
Words that remind us of Cinco de Mayo are hidden in the block below.
Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used
twice. See if you can find: MAY, CINCO, BATTLE, JUAREZ, VERACRUZ,
CELEBRATION, SOMBRERO, TORTILLA, FOOD, GUACAMOLE, PINATA,
LOS ANGELES, FIESTA, SPANISH, CHIHUAHUA, DANCE, MARIACHI,
FUN, MUSIC.
S O M B R E R O K F I E S T A
TM
LET’S HAVE
A FIESTA!
Cinco de Mayo
I
H
C
A
I
R
A
M
W
S
E
M
A
Y
U
F
B
P
L
W
K
S
U
C
R
A
O
C
I
N
C
O
S
N
M
C
V
M
Z
N
E
I
A
V
E
E
X
O
L
S
C
H
R
B
A
I
E
H
A
A
A
F
T
T
G
N
U
G
C
O
A
A
N
J
G
M
R
O
N
R
A
D
L
T
U
D
I
B
S
Q
I
P
Z
J
P
E
O
L
E
C
N
A
D
L
L
X
B
A
T
T
L
E
U
H
A
U
H
I
H
C
TM
Go dot to dot and color this Cinco de Mayo party favorite!
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Roll-Up Tortilla Snacks
You’ll need:
• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup light sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) container tomato salsa sauce (divided)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 (12-ounce) package tortillas
What to do:
1. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, 2 tablespoons salsa, lemon juice and spices.
2. Spread mixture evenly over 12 tortillas and roll up each into a long
cylinder.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Remove when chilled and cut each tortilla into 3 sections.
5. Serve with remaining salsa as a dip. Makes 36 snacks.
*You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
© 2007 Disney Channel
Meet Moises Arias
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
®
Moises Arias stars as Rico in the Disney
Channel series “Hannah Montana.”
Moises, 14, was born in New York City and
grew up in Atlanta. He and his brother,
Mateo, took acting lessons when they were
kids.
He and his brother competed in an acting
and modeling competition in Los Angeles and
were signed by a talent agency. His family
moved to Los Angeles so the brothers could pursue their acting careers.
Moises got a spot in a commercial. Then he got roles on TV shows,
including “The Suite Life of Zach & Cody.” He got a role in the movie
“Nacho Libre.” He just finished acting in the Disney Channel movie
“Dadnapped.” He has also acted in plays and has appeared in several
music videos.
In his free time, Moises loves to skateboard.from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
Standards Spotlight:
What Is Cinco de Mayo?
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each week
we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer activities that will
help your students reach them.
This week’s standards:
• Students understand the characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on the
Earth’s surface. (Geography: Human Systems)
• Students understand how historic events, people, places and situations contribute to our
understanding of the past. (Social Studies: Time, Continuity and Change)
Activities:
1. Draw a large plate on a piece of paper. Cut out newspaper words and pictures for Mexican foods.
Paste the foods on your plate. Put a star by your favorite food.
2. Plan a Cinco de Mayo party. Use the newspaper to find food you would serve at your party, the
entertainment you would hire and three people you would invite. Explain your choices.
3. Use a colored marker to circle examples of Mexico-U.S. connections in the newspaper. Look for
names of people or places, arts or entertainment opportunities, sporting events, and government
relations between the United States and Mexico.
4. See if you could organize a mariachi band. Look in the classified ads of the newspaper to find
trumpets, violins and guitars for sale. Look for a place where you could take music lessons to learn
to play the instruments. Finally, see if you can find any ads for musicians.
5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about Benito Juarez. Use these questions to
guide your research: Who was Juarez? What was his childhood like? How did he become the leader
of Mexico? What did he do for the people of Mexico? Why is he honored? Write a paragraph
discussing your findings.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
TM
All the following jokes have something in common.
Can you guess the common theme or category?
Dan: What is a chicken’s favorite
vegetable?
Denise: Eggplant!
Darrell: What do you call a lima bean’s favorite
hat?
Dawn: A lima beanie!
Doug: How many peas in a pod?
Dina: There is only one “p” in pod!
from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate
photo courtesy Newsed Community Development Corp.
Cinco de Mayo in the U.S.
Gulf of
Mexico
Mexican Territory
1835-1846
When the Mexican-American War
ended 160 years ago, the United States
gained a large amount of southern and
western territory in North America.
Many Mexicans lived in this area.
Most of these people stayed in the
U.S. and became the first MexicanAmericans.
A modern holiday
The Battle of Puebla is still
celebrated in the Mexican state of
Puebla, but
for most
Mexicans it
is not an
important
holiday.
However,
MexicanAmericans
in many U.S. cities and towns observe
the holiday to show pride in their
heritage and to honor their attachments
to both Mexico and the United States.
Cinco de Mayo celebrations are held
in many U.S. cities, mostly in states
bordering Mexico and where many
Mexican-American people live.
Next week, The Mini Page suggests
celebrating Mother’s Day by helping Mom
plant a vegetable garden.
Mexican flag
Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles Chihuahua!
Look at the map on this page. Los
Angeles was once a part of Alta
California in Mexico. The city was
settled about 230 years ago, when
Mexico was still a colony of Spain.
Today, more Mexicans and MexicanAmericans live in Los Angeles than in
any other city in the United States.
There are many Cinco de Mayo
parties in Los Angeles on the 5th of
May, but the largest one takes place on
Olvera Street in one of the oldest parts
of the city.
In Chandler,
Ariz., Cinco de
Mayo festivities
include a
chihuahua parade
and races. A king
and queen of the
chihuahuas are
crowned.
The chihuahua (chee-WAH-wah),
named for a state in Mexico, is the
smallest breed of dogs. It was developed
more than 500 years ago in Mexico.
Mexico’s influence in the United States
The United States is home to about
28 million people of Mexican ancestry.
The states with the most people from
Mexico are California and Texas.
Many cities in these and other states
have Spanish names:
• Los Angeles (Calif.) = the angels
• San Antonio (Texas) = St. Anthony
• San Francisco (Calif.) = St. Francis
• Las Vegas (Nev.) = the plains
• El Paso (Texas) = the passage
The Mini Page Staff
Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large
Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor
Lucy Lien - Associate Editor
Wendy Daley - Artist
In some cities and towns, signs in
public places are now printed in
English and
Spanish. Many
American kids
start to learn
Spanish in
elementary school.
Does your
newspaper have a
Spanish edition? Some papers publish
in Spanish at least one day a week.
Some of your favorite TV shows may
have Spanish characters or be
broadcast on Spanish networks.
photo by David Shankbone
The first Mexican-Americans
A little girl dances
during Cinco de
Mayo festivities in
Denver.
Denver has one of
the largest Cinco de
Mayo celebrations in
the United States.