TITLE: Commemorating Cinco de Mayo 2011.

SUMMARY: Commemorating Cinco de Mayo 2011.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Texans and many other Americans are joining with our neighbors south of the Rio Grande on May 5, 2011, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday honoring the legendary Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862; and WHEREAS, After chafing under Spanish colonization for several centuries, Mexico declared itself a free and independent nation in 1821, but the transition from colonialism was a difficult one, and the mid-19th century saw the young nation struggling to maintain a stable government; imperial powers in Europe seeking to take advantage of Mexico's troubles and recover some of the rich territory they had lost during recent independence movements joined forces to invade the country in 1861; and WHEREAS, Although England and Spain eventually withdrew, the French army continued its invasion and by 1862 had begun the march inland toward Mexico City; led by the young general Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza, a small, poorly armed Mexican militia countered the well-outfitted French soldiers at Puebla, a town southeast of the capital, and, despite being vastly outnumbered, prevailed and soundly defeated the French army; and WHEREAS, That victory at Puebla on May 5, 1862, was an important event in the history of the Republic of Mexico, for by conquering one of the world's finest military forces the courageous Mexican soldiers struck a blow against imperialism and foreign domination and marked an extraordinary triumph for Mexican independence and pride; and WHEREAS, Today, the anniversary of that famous battle is observed in many U.S. cities as well as in Mexico, but Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Texas are unique because they pay tribute to our shared heritage with Mexico; General Zaragoza, born in Presidio La Bahia near present-day Goliad, Texas, holds a distinctive place in history as a true Tejano, a son of both Texas and Mexico, and his determination to honor and defend "la patria," the homeland, is as inspiring now as it was more than a century ago; and WHEREAS, Cinco de Mayo pays homage to one of the notable events in Mexico's past while celebrating its music, food, art, and cherished traditions, and the annual event has truly become a special part of the rich cultural fabric of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby commemorate Cinco de Mayo, 2011, and encourage its observance around the state. Alonzo Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 80 was adopted by the House on February 24, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House