Cultural Events Newsletter - May 2006

DBH Cultural Event
Newsletter
Ed: Minette O’Bryan
May is Asian/Pacific Islander
Heritage Month
MAY 2006
http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/nho/nhoyear.asp
http://www.diversityresources.com/intranet/resources/inde
x_alpha.htm
http://users.crocker.com/~amedpub/rc21d/2006Cal/may_s.
htm#1
http://www.a2zgorge.info/calendar/historyevents/may.html
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/may.htm
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/may.html
http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/2006.htm
http://www.dom.com/about/education/culture/may.jsp
http://library.osu.edu/sites/ehs/diversity/may.html
http://casnov1.cas.muohio.edu/cawc/religious_info.html
http://www.iassw.org/calendar.htm
http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/lookup.php?mode=dat
e
http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/importantdates/religiousdat
es.htm
http://www.haitiwebs.com/tourhaiti/todo2.shtml
http://www.k12tlc.org/calendar/sample05.htm
http://www.va.gov/dmeeo/calendar/napahm.htm
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a time to
celebrate the achievements of Asian American men & women
who've made a difference. Many people think Asian Pacific
Americans are one single group, but they are really made up of
more than 24 ethnic groups, that speak different languages &
have their own rich history. Some of these ethnic groups
include the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Hawaiian,
Vietnamese, Cambodian, & Filipino people.
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month began in 1979 as
Asian Heritage Week, established by congressional
proclamation. From then until 1993, the period for recognizing
Asian/Pacific Americans was created by congressional
proclamation each year. President George Bush, on October
23, 1992, signed legislation into law that made May of each
year Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. For more
information, contact the Asian/Pacific American Heritage
Council at 703-354-5036. This year 's theme for the National
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month for 2006 is: "Freedom
for All - A Nation We Call Our Own."
Origins of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/asianhistory1.html
Asian-Pacific-Islander Heritage Month: Stories from Across
the Seas, Books:
www.calacademy.org/research/library/biodiv/storytime/may02
.htm
More Info: http://www.hmsdc.com/
http://www.crayola.com/calendar/detail.cfm?event_id=187&ye
ar=2003
http://www.rochesterasianhistory.org/index.php?page=apah
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/asia/
http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/05may/asianmonth.htm
Some Noteworthy Americans of Asian or Pacific Island
Heritage
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/asiabio.htm
Architects
Maya Lin Vietnam Memorial designer
Ieoh Ming Pei, Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate,
1983
Pei Buildings
Artists & Entertainers
Toshiko Akiyoshi Pianist; Jazz conductor with Toshiko
Akioyshi Jazz Orchestra
Han-Na Chang Cellist
Sarah Chang Violinist.
Connie Chung Television reporter
Kyung-Wha Chung Violinist
Sessue Hayakawa (1889-1973) Actor/ producer/writer.
Ang Lee Movie Director
Chris Lee Founder Chris Lee Productions
K. W. Lee Journalist
Cho-Liang (Jimmy) Lin Violinist
Felicia Lowe Producer/Director
Yo Yo Ma Cellist; Winner of 1998 Best Classical
Album Grammy Award
Haing Ngor Actor
Dustin Nguyen Actor
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Yoko Ono Artist; musician; author
Seiji Ozawa Symphony conductor
Beulah Quo Actress
Keanu Reeves Actor
Phil Rhee Actor/producer.
Peter Shiao Film producer
James Shigeta Actor
Kamiyama Sojin (1891-1954) Actor.
Shoji Tabuchi Violinist; country western star in
Branson, MO.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Actor
Renee Tajima-Pe-a Filmmaker
Tamlyn Tomita Actress
Garrett Wang Actor
Wayne Wang Film director, producer
Anna May Wong (1905-1961) Actress.
James Wong Television writer
Victor Wong Actor.
Jessica Yu Filmmaker
Athletes
Michael Chang Tennis
Amy Chow Gymnast. Article
Amy Feng 1996 U. S. Olympics table tennis team
Catherine Fox Olympic Gold Medallist: swimming
Kevin Han 1996 Olympics U. S. badminton team
Kyoko Ina U. S. Figure Skating Pairs Champion
Duke Kahanmoku Olympic Gold Medallist. Swimming
Paul Kariya NHL Hockey player
Tommy Kono Olympic Gold Medallist. Weight lifting
Michelle Kwan Figure skater. World Champion
Nhi Lan Le Olympic Festival in fencing; member 1996
Olympic team
Jeanette Lee World pocket billiards champion
Sammy Lee Olympic Gold Medallist-Diving ’48-’52.
Greg Louganis Olympic Gold Medallist. Diving
Roger Mar U. S. Olympic team. Rapid-fire Pistol
John McNally Gold medallist, Pan Am Games. Men's
Rapid-fire Pistol
Jim Vo Parque U. S. Olympic Teams, Baseball
Erika Von Heiland U. S. Olympic team, Badminton
Wei Wang 1996 U. S. Olympics table tennis team
Peter Westbrook U. S. Olympic Team, Men's Sabre
Tiger Woods Golfer. Winner, 1997 Masters
Kristi Yamaguchi Figure skating. Olympic Gold
Medalist
Brian Yee Gymnastics
Lily Yip U. S. Olympic Team, Table Tennis
Felicia Zimmerman Junior World Cup Gold Medal;
Women's Foil
David Zhuang 1996 U. S. Olympic table tennis team
Business People
Pauline Lo Alker CEO, Network Peripherals
Susan Au Allen Lawyer, Panelist on PBS "To the
Contrary"
Daniel Chang President/CEO AEM, Inc.
Gareth Chang Board of Directors, Apple Corp; Former
Chairman, STAR TV
Ken Fong Founder of Clontech.
Prabhat Goyal Chief Financial Officer, Network
Associates
Benjamin Huang Founder, Winn, Inc.
Ji Li Jiang Founder/president East West Exchange,
childen's book author
Kim Brothers (Harry Hyung-soon Kim, Charles Ho
Kim) Businessmen; invented the "Sun Grand" nectarine
James Kuo Biotech venture capitalist.
Hanae Mori Founder of Hanae Mori International
Angela E. Oh Attorney; public speaker; member Los
Angeles City Human Relations Commission
Scott D. Oki Retired senior vice-president for sales &
marketing, Microsoft.
Srivats Sampath President, CEO, McAfee.com
Ashok Trivedi Co-Chairman/President, Mastech Corp.
Sunil Wadhwani Co-Chairman/CEO, Mastech Corp.
An Wang Scientist; founder of Wang Laboratories
Charles B. Wang Founder/CEO Computer Associates,
Inc.
Robert Wang Chairman of Kistler Aerospace
Unni Warrier President/CEO, CyberMedia
Jerry Yang Co-founder of Yahoo
Henry C. Yuen Presiden/CEO Gemstar
Educators
Gary Y. Okihiro Director, Asian American Studies,
Columbia University; ed. Journal of Asian American
Studies
Kathryn Au Assoc. Prof. of Education, University of
Hawaii
Gordon Chang Associate Professor of History, Stanford
Yen Le Espiritu Professor of Ethnic Studies Dept., UC,
San Diego; ed. of Journal of Asian American Studies
Lilly Wong Fillmore Professor;
Stanford; Education in Language,
Literacy & Culture
Lane Ryo Hirabayashi Professor of
Anthropology, UC Berkeley
Ahn Chang Ho Father of Korean
Independence Movement
Dorinne Kondo Professor of
Anthropology, USC
Alan Liu Professor of English; UC,
Santa Barbara. Developer of Voice of the
Shuttle
John M. Liu Associate Professor in
Social Sciences, UC, Irvine. Ed. of Journal of Asian
American Studies.
Kent A. Ono Associate Professor, American & Asian
American Studies, UC, Davis
David Palumbo-Liu Associate Professor of
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Comparative Literature, Stanford
Mary Lee Shon Social worker; author
In Government
Daniel K. Akaka Senator. Hawaii
Julia Chang Bloch Former Ambassador to Nepal; Vice
President, BankAmerica
March Fong Eu Former California Secretary of State;
Appointed U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia, 1994
Eni F. H. Faleomavaega American Samoa's Delegate to
the House of Representatives
Maria Haley Director & board member, Export-Import
Bank of the U.S.
S. I. Hayakawa (1906-1992) Former U. S. Senator.
California; educator
Daniel K. Inouye Senator. Hawaii
Congressman Ray LaHood House of
Representatives, Illinois
Bill Lann Lee Lawyer; Acting Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights Enforcement;
Department of Justice
Ginger Lew Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small
Business Administration
Gary Locke Governor, Washington State
Robert Matsui House of Representatives. California
Norman Y. Mineta U.S. Secretary of Commerce; 1st
Asian-American Cabinet member; Former Congressman.
California
Patsy Mink Congresswoman; Hawaii – 2nd District
George Mitchell Former Senator, Maine
Irene Natividad Chair, National Commission for
Working Women; panelist, PBS To The Contrary
Angela Oh Presidential Appointee. Initiative on Race
Commission
Patricia Fukuda Saiki Former Member, U. S. House of
Representatives, Hawaii
Donna E. Shalala Secretary, U.S. Dept. Health &
Human Services
John Sununu Congressman, New Hampshire
Authors
Jose Aruego Children's book illustrator
Haeme Balgassi Children's book author
Carlos Bulosan Author
Frank Chin Author
Phoebe Eng Author, lecturer
Sui-Sin Far (Edith Maude Eaton)
Le Ly Hayslip
Yumi Heo
David Henry Hwang Playwright
C. Kadohata (Cynthia Kadohata) Author
Elaine Kim Professor; author
Maxine Hong Kingston
Jessica Saiki Author
Jade Wong Snow
Betty Lee Sung Professor; author.
Amy Tan
Grant Ujifusa Editor with Michael Barone of The
Almanac of American Politics 1998
Abraham Verghese Physician; teacher; author
Belle Yang Author and painter
In the Military
DefenseLINK News: 22 ASian Americans Inducted
Into Hall of Heroes Medal of Honor presented to 22
WWII Vets; 20 were members of the Japanese American
100th Infantry Battalion or 442nd Regimental
Combat Team; One served with the 7th Infantry Division
& one with the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry
Division
World War II: New Roles for Minorities The 442nd
Infantry Regiment; bravery of Second Lt. Daniel K.
Inouye
100th Infantry Battalion/442 Regimental Combat Team
Traveling exhibit from Nikkei Heritage Org.
U. S. Army. 442nd Regimental Combat Team Most
decorated military unit in U. S. history. WW II
Susan Ahn Cuddy Navy's 1st woman gunnery officer
Lt. Alfred Naifeh Navy & Marine Corps. Medal;
destroyer escort Naifeh named in his honor
Colonel Young Oak Kim 1st Asian American to
command a battalion in combat
Congressional Medal of Honor. Sadao S. Munemori
Ellison Onizuka Mission Specialist; Challenger Crew
General Eric Shinseki General; Chief of Staff, U. S.
Army.
Major General Edward Soriano Major General U. S.
Army; Commanding General, 7th Infantry Division
Scientists, Mathematicians
Shiing-shen Chern Mathematician & educator
Subramanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995) Nobel
Laureate in Physics. 1983
Steven Chu Nobel Laureate in Physics. 1997
David Ho Aids researcher
Har Gobind Khorana Nobel Laureate in Medicine. 1968
Tsuing-Dao Lee Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics. 1957
Yuan T. Lee Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. 1986
Chang-Lin Tien NEC Distinguished Professor of
Engineering; former Chancellor of UC Berkeley
Samuel C. C. Ting Nobel Laureate in Physics. 1976
Tuan Vo-Dinh Inventor. Optical Diagnostic Equipment
An Wang (1920-1990) Inventor. Principles of Magnetic
Core Memory
Flossie Wong-Staal Molecular biologist; AIDS Medical
researcher
Chien-Shiung Wu Inventor. Devices for Radiationdetection & Radioactive-decay Wavelength Separation.
Recently inducted into National Women's Hall of Fame
Chen Ning Yang Nobel Laureate in Physics. 1957
Hopi Kachina Dances. During late spring & early summer,
long lines of aboriginal Kachina Dancers, representing many
spirit-powers, perform dances in Hopi pueblos. Dates of
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observance vary according to community.
http://www.geocities.com/tearofthemoon79/kachinas.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/hopi.html
National Military Appreciation
Month. This important month
remembers, recognizes & appreciates all
military personnel; the women & men
who have served throughout our history
& all who now serve in uniform including
their families; as well as those Americans
who have given their lives in defense of
our freedoms we all enjoy today.
http://www.nmam.org/
A nationwide program launched by the
Department of Defense that recognizes
citizens' support for military men &
women & communicates that support to
members of the Armed Forces at home &
abroad:
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/index.aspx
This site is intended as a place to remember & honor American
service members lost in Afghanistan & Iraq:
http://www.legacy.com/Soldiers.asp
National Older Americans Month. Established by
presidential proclamation (JFK designated May “Senior
Citizens Month” in April 1963 & in 1980 Jimmy Carter
designated May “Older Americans Month”) to honor the
contributions of older Americans to society. Theme for 2005
will be “Celebrate Long-Term Living” Materials are available
for downloading: Administration on Aging: Washington, DC
20201. (202) 619- 0724
www.aoa.gov
Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to
acknowledge the contributions of past & current older persons
to our country, in particular those who defended our country.
Every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation
during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation
pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities.
Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country
through ceremonies, events, fairs & other such activities.
National Mental Health Month. This years theme:
“MIND Your Health.” National Mental Health Association
& National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare:
2001 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311.
(800)969-6642 http://www.nmha.org/may/index.cfm
National Teacher Appreciation Month.
National Physical Fitness & Sports Month.
May 1
Mary Harris Jones "Mother Jones" (1830-1930): IrishAmerican. Labor leader from 1871 until her death in 1930.
http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/majones.htm
May Day (Labor Day): International. In many countries
the 1st day of May is celebrated as a spring festival, a time to
celebrate the rebirth of life after winter. Some May Day
customs can be traced back to ancient observances. The
tradition of dancing around a pole hung with ribbons probably
had its origin in the tree worship of the Celtic Druids, & the
custom of filling baskets with flowers is derived from the
ancient Romans’ practice of gathering spring flowers on the
festival of Floralia. May Day later took on another meaning: In
1884, the Federation of Organized Trades & Labor Unions of
the United States & Canada drafted a resolution in support of
an 8-hour working day to begin on May 1, 1886, & called for a
general strike to achieve that goal. This strike led to the
infamous Haymarket Affair in Chicago on May 4, 1886. On
that day an anarchist labor rally was held in Haymarket Square
to protest the police killing of strikers at a factory the day
before. When the police tried to disperse the rally, someone
threw a bomb that killed several policemen, & a riot ensued.
Despite a lack of evidence, 8 of Chicago’s leading anarchists
were charged with conspiracy to murder—4 were hanged, 1
committed suicide in prison, & the remaining 3 were later
pardoned. The Haymarket Affair was a pivotal event in the
history of the labor movement, leading to a crackdown on
labor organizations & a splintering of the Knights of Labor, the
strongest U.S. labor organization, which was eventually
supplanted by the American Federation of Labor. In 1889, an
international Socialist congress convened in Paris & voted to
support the U.S. labor movement’s demands, choosing May 1,
1890 as a day of demonstration in support of an 8-hour
working day. Many countries now celebrate May Day,
sometimes called Labor Day, as an official holiday honoring
working people. The U.S. & Canada, however, celebrate Labor
Day in September. www.mayweek.ab.ca
www3.kumc.edu/diversity/other/mayday.html
Lei Day: Hawaii.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/hawaii.htm
http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/mayday.html
Vappu Day: Finland. National Holiday, celebrates spring
& begins on April 30th.
Loyalty Day:US. Provides an opportunity to recognize
those who demonstrate their commitment to our country
through service & sacrifice.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/05/2002050220.html
Beltaine: Pagan & Wiccan. Beltaine falls opposite
Samhain on the Wheel of the Year & celebrates the beginning
of summer. Customs for celebrating Beltaine vary from
country to country, however, 1 of the rituals most familiar to
people in the U.S. is dancing around a May Pole & doing the
Morris Dance, the English name for May Day dances. It is a
Celtic festival which signals the beginning of the bright half of
the year. Beltane may be translated as "fires of Bel" or
"brilliant fire" & is name after the god Belenus. The festival
begins on Beltane Eve with 2 bonfires started from 9 different
woods. Domestic animals & people pass between the bonfires
to eliminate disease & misfortune. In the days before
electricity, the bonfire was used to light brands which
rekindled lights throughout households in the village. Ancient
Beltane festivals customarily included sexuality, dancing
around the maypole, & singing. Modern pagan celebrations
include maypole dances & jumping the cauldron for fertility
purposes. Fertility in this sense is extended beyond
reproduction & includes fertility of imagination & other
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similar concepts.
http://www.magicwicca.com/wicca/beltaine.htm
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/Beltane.html
Santa Cruzan Day: Philippines. Filipinos consider this the
1st day of spring. It commemorates the corresponding day in
the 4th century A.D. when St. Helena, the mother of Emperor
Constantine of Rome, found the holy cross on which Jesus was
crucified.
May 2
Satyajit Ray (1921–1992): Indian. Filmmaker. Ray's films
depicting the lives of ordinary people
in his native Bengal brought him
international recognition as 1 of the
great creators in the medium. He was
involved in every aspect of the
filmmaking process; in addition to
writing & directing each film, he
sometimes wrote the musical score, designed the sets, & even
operated the camera. His best-known work is a trilogy (Pather
Pachali, Aparajito, & The World of Apu) tracing the life of a
single character, the young boy Apu, from his village through
his education & migration to the city.
Theodor Herzl (1860-1904): Jewish Austrian. Political
leader, founder of the World Zionist Movement, which helped
establish the Israeli nation.
Yom HaZikaron (Soldiers Memorial Day): Israel.
Originally designated to commemorate the fallen soldiers in
the Israeli Defense Forces, Yom Hazikaron, observed on the
day before Independence Day, now commemorates all those
Israelis who have given their lives in the struggle for their
country’s independence. This is a solemn day of remembrance,
when families visit loved ones’ graves bringing flowers &
poems. In the evening & again the next morning, air raid sirens
sound, whereupon all Israelis stand & observe 2 minutes of
silence. The date of observance varies according to the lunar
calendar. http://www.zipple.com/holidays/yomhazikaron.shtml
Dos de May: Spain.
May 3
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day: US. The
ADAA is a proud co-sponsor of this national event. For more
information about registered screening sites near you, or to
host a screening site as a health care professional, call toll free
(888) 442-2022. Freedom From Fear: 308 Seaview Avenue,
Staten Island, NY 10305. (718) 351-1717
www.freedomfromfear.org
World Press Freedom Day: International.
Septima Clark (1898–1987): African American. Teacher
& civil rights activist. Septima Clark played a vital role in the
civil rights movement as the chief organizer of freedom
schools that taught thousands of Black people throughout the
South to read & helped them register to vote.
Paul G. Hearne (1950?–1998): American. Activist for the
disabled. Mr. Hearne was a founder or officer of virtually
every national organization devoted to the disabled. He started
the 1st legal services office for the disabled, ran the 1st job
placement agency for the disabled, served as director of the
National Council on Disability, & was influential in writing
the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. He also
helped to start & run the Dole Foundation for Employment of
People with Disabilities, the Association of People with
Disabilities, & the Disabilities Study Group. Born with a
debilitating disorder that limited his growth to 4 feet tall &
caused him to spend his childhood in body casts & traction
until he was 15, Hearne finally was able to enroll in a new
school for the disabled, the Human Resources Center in
Albertson, New York.
Golda Meir (1898–1978): Jewish Israeli. Prime minister.
Born in Kiev in Ukraine, came to the U.S. as a child & grew
up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She immigrated to Palestine at
the age of 19. In 1969 she became Israel's 4th prime minister.
Constitution Day (Kempo Kinen Bi): Japan. This holiday
celebrates the establishment of the current constitution in 1947.
Constitution Day: Poland. This holiday commemorates the
passage in 1791 of Poland's 1st constitution, which was the 2nd
written constitution in the world after that of the U.S. & the 1st
in Europe. It provided for the separation of powers between the
executive (the king & his ministers), the legislative (the Sejm),
& the judicial branches of government. Although the
constitution was hailed throughout the West as a triumph for
progressive forces, it was suppressed in 1792 by the invading
army of Catherine II of Russia, who saw the movement toward
democracy across her western border as a threat to her own
absolute rule.
Fiesta de las Cruces: Peru.
Yom Ha'atzma'ut (Independence Day): Israel. This
holiday marks the establishment of the independent state of
Israel & its provisional government on May 14, 1948. The date
varies according to the lunar calendar.
May 4
Keith Haring (1959–1990): Gay. Pop artist. Haring created
a wide variety of public art, such as subway drawings of
animals & human images & murals, including the 1st mural in
a schoolyard on New York City's Lower East Side & a mural
on the Berlin Wall. He also created designs for performances
& for Swatch watches. In 1987, he used his art to support
campaigns for AIDS awareness & created the Keith Haring
Foundation to contribute to a wide variety of social concerns.
Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846–1916): Polish. Writer.
Sienkiewicz's best-known works are his historical novels,
which include Quo Vadis? set in Rome in the early Christian
era, & a trilogy depicting the Poles' struggles against foreign
invaders in the 17th century. He won the Nobel Prize for
literature in 1905.
Kokumin-no-kyujitsu (Holiday for a Nation): Japan.
Also called "Between Day," this is a national holiday & part of
Golden Week when many Japanese take paid time off.
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Youth Day: People's Republic of China. Public holiday.
National Day of Prayer: US.
May 5
Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman) (1864-1922):
American. Journalist, women's rights advocate, she
courageously wrote of divorce, insanity, mashers, factory
conditions, poverty, & capital punishment at a time when it
was dangerous to call attention to such subjects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly
Karl Marx (1818-1883): Jewish German. Economist,
philosopher & revolutionary, his writings developed modern
socialism & communism.
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html
Children's Day (Kodomo No Hi): Japan. Formerly known
as Tango No Sekku or Boys' Day, Formerly celebrated only
for boys, this holiday now includes girls. Children's Day is
celebrated by attaching wind socks in the shape of carp to
poles. The carp symbolizes perseverance, power, & strength. A
special meal including a rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo
leaves is served.
Children's Day (Tano): Korea. This holiday is celebrated
as a day of rest from work. Wrestling matches are held, boys
wrestle & girls compete in swinging contests. Swinging
contests are also held in which girls use swings hung from high
branches of trees to see who can swing with the widest arc.
Cinco de Mayo: Mexico. Mexicans &
Mexican Americans celebrate the
triumph of Mexican forces over the
French army in Mexico on May 5, 1862.
Although Mexico did not immediately
become independent, this day marks the
crucial step in freedom from foreign
intervention. Typical celebrations are
fiestas with mariachi bands, fireworks, &
re-enactments of the battle. Mexican
communities in Texas and other parts of the U.S. celebrate
enthusiastically, seeing this day as a time to reaffirm their
national identity. Festival decorations are often green, white, &
red, the colors of the flag.
http://www.mexonline.com/cinco.htm
http://www.web-holidays.com/demayo/
FOOD AND DRINK
In Texas & parts of the southwest, popular Mexican dishes
such as salsa cruda, sopa de tortillas, quesadillas, & black
beans comprise Cinco de Mayo menus. As at all Mexican
festivals, tamales play a starring role.
The 5th of May is celebrated in the U.S. among the MexicanAmerican population, especially in California, Arizona, New
Mexico & Texas. Various Mexican-American societies use the
celebrations to commemorate the overthrow of the Mexican
Imperial Monarchy headed by Maximilian of Austria. The
Imperial Monarchy was imposed from 1864 to 1867 on
Mexico by Napoleon III, Emperor of France (nephew of
Napoleon Bonaparte) & the Mexican conservatives "Club de
Notables".
The 5 de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday. The battlefield
is now a park in Puebla with a statue of General Zaragoza
riding horseback. One of the forts is a war museum with a
display of hundreds of toy soldiers set up to show what had
happened that day. But it is in the United States of America
where the celebration is more festive consisting of parades,
music, folklore, dances & food. These festivities are mainly
fund raising events & for solidarity among the MexicanAmericans.
Los mexicano-americanos celebran el 5 de mayo,
especialmente en los estados de California, Arizona, Nuevo
México y Texas. Los habitantes de estos estados tuvieron una
participación muy importante y contribuyeron al
derrocamiento del Imperio de Maximiliano de Habsburgo (de
Austria). La Monarquía Imperial fue impuesta desde 1864
hasta 1867 en México por Napoleón III Emperador de Francia
(sobrino de Napoleón Bonaparte) y por el grupo conservador
mexicano del "Club de Notables".
El 5 de mayo es una fiesta nacional mexicana. El campo de
batalla es ahora un parque en Puebla con la estatua del General
Zaragoza montado a caballo. Uno de los fuertes es ahora un
museo de historia que describe a escala con soldados de
juguete lo ocurrido durante la Batalla de Puebla. Pero es en los
Estados Unidos de América donde se celebra de una forma
más festiva con desfiles, música, bailes folclóricos y comida.
Estas festividades son para recaudar fondos para obras
benéficas y como demonstración de la solidaridad que existe
entre los mexicano-norteamericanos.
http://www.nacnet.org/assunta/spa5may.htm
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors &
The San Bernrardino County Hispanic
Employees Alliance Invite you to participate in a
Cinco de Mayo Celebration:
Place: San Bernardino County Government Center, 385 N.
Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino, CA.
Time: 5:00p.m. to 8:30p.m.
Date: Thursday, May 4th, 2006
Tickets: Advance-$8. At the door-$10. Please call:
Rafael Cruz
909-383-2909
Josefina Acosta
909-383-2753
Tootsie Garcia
909-386-2937
Martha Guillén Morgan
760-243-8270
Coronation Day: Thailand. Public holiday.
Liberation Day: Netherlands. This day marks the end of
the World War II Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1945.
May 6
National Nurses Week: US. Celebrated May 6-12 each yr.
Martin Delany (1812–1885): African American.
Physician & anthropologist. Trained as a natural scientist &
physician, Delany became an advocate for the abolition of
slavery & the emigration of free Negroes to Africa.
Amadeo Giannini (1870–1949): Italian American.
Banker. One of the most creative & successful financiers of the
early 20th century, Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in San
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Francisco as a bank for small businessmen. His innovations,
which included branch banking & home mortgages with
monthly payments, brought him tremendous success, & when
he resigned as chairman of the board in 1945, his bank,
renamed Bank of America, was the largest commercial bank in
the world. Giannini also founded Transamerica Corporation,
one of the nation's largest business conglomerates.
Edwin H. Land (1909–1991): Jewish American. Inventor.
Land invented the "Land Camera," later called the Polaroid.
His Polaroid Company became one of the major enterprises in
the creation & production of photographic cameras &
processes.
Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941): Indian. Writer &
composer. A prolific & versatile writer in the Bengali
language, Tagore wrote poems, plays, & stories that won a
worldwide readership & brought him the Nobel Prize for
literature in 1913. (This date for celebrating his birthday is
based on the Bengali calendar.)
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): Jewish Austrian. Physician
& psychoanalyst, considered to be the father of modern
psychoanalysis.
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882: U.S. This federal law
prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the U.S. &
denied Chinese residents the right to become citizens.
Extended in 1892 & made permanent in 1902, the law
remained in effect until 1943.
National SAFE KIDS Week 6th –
13th: US. National SAFE KIDS
Campaign:
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1707. (202)
662-0600 www.safekids.org
Astronomy Day: US.
Hidirellez Festival: Turkey. In the folk calendar used by
the people, the year used to be divided into 2: The period
between May 6 - November 8 was summer, called the “Days
of Hızır”, & the period between November 8 - May 6 was
winter, called the “Days of Kasım”. May 6 thus represents the
end of winter & the start of the warm days of summer, a cause
for celebration.
May 7
Teacher Appreciation Week 7th-13th: US. 2005
theme: "Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools."
http://www.nea.org/teacherday/index.html
Royal Ploughing Ceremony: Thailand. This ceremony,
designed to give an auspicious beginning to the new planting
season, originally was a pure Brahmanic rite.
First postage stamp depicting a Native American was
issued today in 1907, showing the likeness of Pocahontas.
(Kindness)
May 8
National Student Nurses Day: US. As of 1998, May 8 was
designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated
annually.
World Red Cross Day & Red Crescent Day.
http://www.redcross.org/news/in/measles/030502WRChistory.html
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811): Mexican.
Political & military leader. A village priest who helped lead
the insurgency against Mexico's Spanish rulers in 1810–1811,
Father Hidalgo is best known for ringing the church bell that
signaled the beginning of the rebellion. As a revolutionary
leader he freed slaves in areas under the control of his army &
advocated redistribution of land from Spanish owners to poor
Indians & mestizos. On January 17, 1811, after early military
successes, his army was defeated by a Spanish force. Stripped
of his priestly orders by the Church, he was tried by a Spanish
military court & executed by a firing squad.
Victory Day, WWII: France. This holiday commemorates
the defeat of the German army in Europe in 1945.
Parents Day: Korea. On this day children are to show
respect & love for their parents, is a combination of Mother’s
Day & Father’s Day.
May 9
National Teacher Day: US. A time for honoring teachers &
recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.
https://www.nea.org/teacherday/index.html
National Childhood Depression Awareness Day: US.
Mental disorders in children are just as real, common &
treatable as they are in adults. Left untreated, children's mental
health disorders can lead to problems at home, trouble in
school & in the community, substance abuse & even suicide.
In fact, depression affects as many as one in every 33
children & 1 in 8 adolescents, according to the federal Center
for Mental Health Services.
http://www.nmha.org/may/CDAD/index.cfm
John Brown (1800-1859): American. Abolitionist, led the
raid on Harper's Ferry 1859.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)
Victory Day: Russia, Ukraine. This day commemorates
the victory of the Allies over Nazi Germany ending World War
II in Europe in 1945. This day also honors the 20 million
Soviet people who died during the war.
Mother's Day: Italy & Belarus.
Victory & Peace Day: Armenia.
May 10
National School Nurse Day: US. Is celebrated on the
Wednesday within National Nurses Week each year.
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (1837–1921):
African American. Soldier & legislator. Born free, Pinchback
joined the Union Army during the Civil War & raised a
7
company of African American volunteers. After the war he
entered politics & served as lieutenant governor & acting
governor of Louisiana. Elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives in 1872 & to the U.S. Senate in 1873, he was
prevented from taking office by the opposition of Whites who
claimed there had been voting irregularities in his election.
Inauguration of Nelson Mandela (1994): South Africa.
On this day Nelson Mandela became the 1st Black president of
South Africa, after the nation's 1st elections in which citizens
of all races were allowed to vote. The inaugural ceremonies,
attended by leaders from around the world, marked the end of
South Africa's system of white minority rule, which for
decades had maintained the brutal system of racial separation
& inequality known as apartheid.
Día de la Madre (Mother's Day): Mexico. Public holiday.
Golden Spike Day: Asian-American. Commemorates the
day in 1869 when the final spike was driven into the
Transcontinental Railroad. Ten thousand Chinese immigrants
were brought in as laborers for the railroad. Their contribution
was finally recognized in 1999.
May 11
Irving Berlin (1888–1989): Jewish Russian American.
Song writer. Berlin wrote the lyrics & music to some 1,500
songs, including the scores for many stage & screen musical
comedies. Among the Berlin songs that have become classics
of American popular music are his 1st hit, "Alexander's
Ragtime Band" (1911), "White Christmas," "Easter Parade," &
"God Bless America."
William Grant Still (1895–1978): African American.
Composer & conductor. Still was the 1st African American to
compose a symphony & the 1st to conduct a symphony
orchestra, but he made his living playing in orchestras & jazz
bands. In his own compositions, the most famous of which are
his Afro-American Symphony (1951) & the opera Troubled
Island (1949), he often incorporated jazz elements.
Martha Graham (1894-1991): American. Dancer, leader
in development of modern ballet.
Mother's Day: Puerto Rico.
May 12
Military Spouse Day: US. The Friday before Mother's day
each year has been set aside to honor Military Spouses. The
purpose of this special day is to thank military spouses for the
support they give to their family & other military families, to
honor their contributions to the communities where they live &
to acknowledge the sacrifices they make every day in support
of their military member & our country.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2004/n05062004_20040
5061.html
International Nurses Day. http://www.icn.ch/indkit.htm
International Midwives Day.
http://www.mana.org/IntMidDay.html
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS/ME)
Awareness Day: US. The CFIDS Association of America:
P.O. Box 220398, Charlotte, NC 28222-0398. (704) 3652343 (704) 364-3729 FAX [email protected] www.cfids.org
Oscar de Priest (1871–1951): African American.
Legislator. De Priest represented the 21st Congressional
District of Illinois in the House of Representatives from 1929
to 1933. His election signaled the return of African American
citizens to the legislative branch of the federal government for
the 1st time since Reconstruction.
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910): English. Nurse, public
health activist, writer, founded Nightingale School for
Nursing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale
"Mangers" pour divers loas: Haiti. Voodoo Feastival.
May 13
Joe Louis [Barrow] (1914–1981): African American.
Prizefighter. Joe Louis was the world heavyweight champion
from 1937 to 1947, defending the title 24 times.
Visakha Day/Wesak: Buddhist. In the Theravada Buddhist
tradition that predominates in Burma, Thailand, Laos, &
Cambodia. This day is called Vishaka Buchea in Thailand,
Vesak in Singapore, & Visakha Puja in Laos, celebrates
Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and nirvana, which are all
believed to have occurred on the full-moon day of the month.
Making rockets & competing to see which will go the highest
is a traditional festivity. http://www.buddhanet.net/
FOOD AND DRINK
In Laos & Cambodia, chicken is the favorite festive dish
because it is expensive. Chicken stuffed with peanuts &
ground pork is a typical dish. Soup is served at every meal, &
although soup rarely includes meat, it does so on this day.
Our Lady of Fatima Day: Portugal. This commemorates
the miracle of the vision of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, to shepherd children on May 13, 1917.
Virgen de Fátima: Peru.
May 14
Mother's Day: US. Mother's Day
originated in England as a day when
servants were allowed time off to visit
their mothers. Customarily, they took a
gift of tea or a cake, often provided by their
employees. Once at home, they would help their mothers by
cleaning the house.
The date of the holiday was the 4th Sunday
in Lent, which falls in March. In medieval England, this was
the day for people to visit the Mother Church where they were
baptized. The Lenten fast was relaxed for this day, so it was
also called Refreshment Sunday. When the custom was
transferred from Church to home, the tradition of having
something good — a cake, candy, or commonly today, a meal
in a restaurant— survived. Mother's Day is still celebrated on
this day in Britain.
8
In the U.S., the origin of Mother's Day goes back to 1858 when
an Appalachian woman, Anna Jarvis, organized Mother's
Work Days to improve sanitation. Later, during the Civil War,
Jarvis organized women's brigades. Her daughter, also called
Anna, was inspired by her mother's activism when she heard
her teach a Sunday school class on mothers in the Bible. When
her mother died in 1905, she began campaigning for a national
Mother's Day.
Mother's Day was first observed in 1907 in Philadelphia. 1n
1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second
Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
In Russia, mothers & all women are honored on March 8th,
which is a major public holiday.
In France & Haiti, Mother's Day falls on the last Sunday in
May. Other countries that celebrate a mother's day include
Israel, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Malawi, & Panama.
www.holidays.net/mother
www3.kumc.edu/diversity/other/mothers.html
National Women's Health Week 14th-20th: US. Office on
Women's Health. U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services. 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 712 E
Washington, DC 20201. (800) 994-9662. www.4woman.gov
National Police Week: US. May 14th – 20th.
http://www.nationalcops.org/NPW2006.htm
Women's Army Corps, was authorized on this date in
1942, allowing women to serve in the army, 346 women were
in the 1st group of commissioned officers.
http://www.army.mil/CMH-PG/books/wac/
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/wac/wac.htm
May 15
International Day of Families.
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IntObs/IDF/IDFframe.ht
m
National Peace Officers Memorial Day: US. May 15 has
been National Peace Officers Memorial Day & the week
containing May 15 has been National Police Week, since
President John F. Kennedy signed Public Law 87-726 on
October 1, 1962.
http://www.nationalcops.org/NPW2006.htm
Teacher's Day: South Korea.
Mother's Day: Western Samoa.
John Marrant, an African-American New Yorker, was
ordained as a Methodist minister on this date in 1785, & then
served successfully as a missionary to the Cherokees & other
Native American tribes.
Lag B'Omer begins at sundown: Jewish-Israel.
May 16
Betty Carter (1929–1998): African
American. Jazz singer. Betty Carter was unique
among jazz vocalists, composers, & arrangers,
her distinctive style embodying an approach to
jazz that created the model for modern jazz singing. Growing
up in Detroit, Carter sang with Charlie Parker & later joined
the Lionel Hampton band. In 1961, she recorded the classic
album, Ray Charles & Betty Carter. Carter received the
National Medal of Arts in 1997.
Elizabeth Palmer Peabody (1804–1894): American.
Educator, author & 1st woman publisher in U.S., she published
3 of Nathanial Hawthorne's earliest books, established the 1st
kindergarten in the U.S. in 1860 & created the magazine
Kindergarten Messenger.
Lag B'Omer: Jewish-Israel. Festival celebrated on the
18th day of Iyar, being the 33rd day of the Omer, traditionally
in commemoration of the end of the plague that killed Rabbi
Akiba's students or of the bravery of Bar Kokba.
www.hillel.org
May 17
National Employee Health & Fitness Day: US. Is
observed the 3rd Wednesday in May. Administered annually by
the National Association for Health & Fitness, NEHF is a
national health observance, created to promote the benefits of
physical activity for individuals through their worksites.
www.physicalfitness.org/nehf.html
Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (1954): African
American. On this date the Supreme Court unanimously
issued its historic decision holding that segregation in public
education was a denial of the right to equal protection under
the law & directing the lower courts to oversee the
desegregation of the nation's schools "with all deliberate
speed." This decision, which established the principle that
segregation is unconstitutional, formed the legal basis for the
civil rights movement of the late 1950s & 1960s.
National Day: Norway. On this date, Norwegians celebrate
the 1814 signing of the Norwegian Constitution, signifying
Norway's breaking away from its 434–year union with
Denmark. The focus of the celebration is on children & family.
Virtually every community has a parade that features students
& teachers marching, often in national costumes, singing
patriotic songs, & carrying the Norwegian flag. Many
Midwestern communities in the U.S. with large numbers of
people of Scandinavian ancestry, such as in Wisconsin &
Minnesota, have their own celebrations of Syttende Mai.
Día das Letras Galegas: Spain. Galician for "Galician
Literature Day" is a holiday in Galicia, a region of Spain. This
holiday has taken place on May 17 since 1963. Commemorates
the centenary of Cantares gallegos, the 1st work written in the
Galician language by Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), who
later became one of the most important poets in the history of
Galicia. Some Galician institutions use this day to promote the
use & knowledge of Galician, which is not very widespread
among the younger & more urban parts of the population.
Ázamat: Bahá’í. The 1st day of the 4th Bahá’í month. The
English translation of Azamat (Arabic) is Grandeur.
9
May 18
International Museum Day. Is a day meant to bolster
recognition for museums & provide a reminder to governments
& the general public of the very special role museums play in
preserving cultural heritage. http://icom.museum/imd.html
http://www.aam-us.org/museumresources/imd.cfm
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955): African American.
Educator. Founder of a girls' school that eventually became
Bethune-Cookman College, the largest institution for the
training of African American teachers in the southeastern U.S.,
Mary McLeod Bethune became a nationally respected
advocate for youth & for African Americans. She was
appointed to a number of federal offices by Presidents
Roosevelt & Truman. As director of the Division of Negro
Affairs of the National Youth Administration from 1936 to
1944, she was the 1st African American woman to head a
federal agency. This date is the anniversary of her death.
Frank Capra (1897–1991): Italian American. Film
director. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Capra was 1 of
Hollywood's most successful directors. Remembered
especially for his comedies celebrating the integrity & spirit of
the common man, Capra won 3 Academy Awards as Best
Director for It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,
& You Can't Take It With You.
I.L. Peretz (1852–1915): Jewish Polish. Writer, helped
form modern Yiddish literature.
"Manger" pour Gran'n Aloumandia: Haiti. Voodoo
Feastival.
civil & human rights.
www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/malcolm.html
Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969): Vietnamese. Revolutionary,
political leader, drove out Japanese in 1945, declared
independence, Ho eventually became President of a
communist North Vietnam in 1954.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Chi_Minh
Atatürk & Youth Day: Turkey. Kemal Atatürk was the 1st
president of the Turkish Republic, which he founded in 1923.
Holiday of Poetry of Magtymguli: Turkmenistan.
Observed annually on May 19 in honor of Magtymuguly, the
national poet of Turkmenistan, whose dates of birth & death
are unknown.
May 20
Armed Forces Day: US. Observed the 3rd Saturday in May.
Holiday for citizens to come together & thank our military
members for their patriotic service in support of our country.
http://www.defenselink.mil/afd/
Simbi Blanc: Haiti. Voodoo Feastival.
First solo trans-Atlantic flight, on this date in 1927
Charles A. Lindberg took off on what became the 1st solo
trans-Atlantic flight.
Amelia Earhart, in 1932 she took 13 hours & 30 minutes to
become the 1st woman to fly solo over the Atlantic.
May 21
May 19
Lorraine Hansberry (1930–1965): African American.
Playwright and civil rights activist.
Hansberry is best known for her play A
Raisin in the Sun, the 1st play by an
African American woman to be produced
on Broadway. The play was an enormous
success with critics & audiences when it
opened in 1959, was made into a popular
film, & has attained the status of a
modern classic. Before her brilliant career
was cut short by cancer, she wrote several
other stage & television plays & a number of essays, &
devoted much of her time to working & speaking out for the
civil rights movement.
Malcolm X (1925–1965): African American. Civil rights
leader. Malcolm Little adopted the name Malcolm X when he
joined the Nation of Islam (Black Muslims), a religious
movement advocating Black separatism, while serving a prison
term for burglary. Upon his release in 1952 he became a
leading spokesman for the Muslims. In 1964 he broke with the
group, rejecting racial separatism & forming his own group,
the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He continued to
speak out until his assassination on February 21, 1965, urging
Blacks to take pride in their race & to take action to claim their
National Schizophrenia Week (SAW):US. May 21-27,
2006. National Schizophrenia Foundation: 403 Seymour
Street, Suite 202; Lansing, MI 48933. (517) 485-7168 x105
(517) 485-7180 Fax www.NSFoundation.org
Lázaro Cárdenas (1895–1970): Mexican. Political &
military leader. As president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940,
Cárdenas did more than any other Mexican chief executive to
achieve the goals of the Mexican Revolution: redistributing
land from large landowners to peasants, organizing
confederations of workers & peasants, & taking control over
foreign-owned industries. He emerged from retirement in 1943
to serve as defense minister & then chief of the army, retiring
again in 1945.
Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov (1921-1989): Russian.
Physicist, human rights advocate & environmentalist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov
Battle of Iquique: Chile. Public holiday.
Sheep Festival: Cameroon. Celebrates the descent of the
sheep herds from the mountains.
Santo Christo Day: Portugal. This holiday begins on the
5th Sunday after Easter & is celebrated for a full week. It
commemorates the gift to of a statue of Jesus to the Cathedral
of Sâo Miguel in the Azore Islands (off the coast of Portugal)
of a statue depicting Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. The
holiday is celebrated by processions, religious services, &
festive gatherings.
10
May 22
International Day for Biological Diversity.
http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/outreach/awareness/biodiv
-day-2006.shtml
Harvey Milk (1930–1978): Gay. Politician.
Having grown up on Long Island & been
involved in conservative politics, Harvey Milk
moved to San Francisco, became more liberal
in his politics, & successfully ran for a seat on
the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. A
strong advocate of gay rights, he & San
Francisco's mayor, George Moscone, were shot
to death by a former city supervisor.
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926): American.
Leading artist of the Impressionist school.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Cassatt
Victoria Day observed: Canada. This public holiday in
Canada commemorates the birth of Queen Victoria, who lived
from 1819 to 1901 & ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, during
which time England became the world's leading industrial
power & the center of the British Empire.
May 23
World Turtle Day.
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/turtles
_and_tortoises/celebrate_world_turtle_day.html
Leo Baeck (1873–1956): Jewish German. Religious
leader. Baeck was a leader of German Jews & of Progressive
Judaism. He became head of the World Union of Progressive
Judaism & a leader of Reform Judaism, the branch of the faith
that emphasizes Judaism as a system of ethical monotheism.
William Harvey Carney , an African-American sergeant in
the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry was wounded twice
during the July 18, 1863 Civil War battle at Fort Wagner. His
bravery under fire earned him the Medal of Honor, which was
not issued until today's date in 1900.
National Day: Morocco. Public holiday.
Declaration of the Bab: Baha'i. This holiday
commemorates the Bab's prediction in Shiraz, Persia, in 1844
of the imminent appearance of the new messenger of God.
www.us.bahai.org
May 24
Ines Mexia (1870–1938): Mexican American. Botanical
explorer. Mexia discovered her vocation at the age of 55, when
she took a summer course on flowering plants at the University
of California. Over the next 13 years she traveled throughout
the southwestern states, to Alaska, & through much of South
America, often living in primitive conditions as she gathered
thousands of specimens, many of them previously unclassified,
for academic institutions & government agencies. Her intrepid
spirit & her careful preservation of plant materials in difficult
field conditions won her the admiration of her colleagues.
James Francis (Jim) Thorpe (1888–1953): American
Indian (Sauk & Fox). Athlete. Chosen as the best athlete of
the 1st half of the century in an Associated Press poll, Jim
Thorpe won the decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games & went
on to play professional baseball & then professional football,
& to be named to the college & professional football Halls of
Fame. Thorpe was forced to give up his Olympic medals when
it was discovered that he had briefly played professional
baseball, disqualifying him from competition as an amateur.
This action was rescinded in 1983 by the International
Olympic Committee, which retroactively recognized his
amateur status & presented his heirs with duplicates of his
medals. http://www.jimthorpeassoc.org/jimthorpeassoc.orgasp//index.asp
Coleman A. Young (1918–1997): African American.
Politician. Coleman Young became the 1st African American
mayor of Detroit, Michigan, in 1973 & served in that office for
the next 20 years, the longest period of time that any mayor
had served in that position. During his administrations, Detroit
rebuilt much of its business area, created the Renaissance
Center, & fought tirelessly the many social & economic
problems facing many of America's cities.
Benjamin N. Cardozo (1870-1938): Jewish. Lawyer &
jurist, appointed in 1932 to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Battle of Pichincha: Ecuador. Public holiday.
La Fete des Saintes Maries (Festival of the Holy Maries,
Gypsy Festival): France. Thousands of gypsies from all over
the world annually pour into the little fishing town of Les
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to honor Sara, their patron saint, on
May 24 and Saints Marie Jacobe & Marie Salome, on May 25.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/fwe/fwe05.htm
Day of Slavonic Script (Education Day): Bulgaria.
May 25
National Missing Children’s Day. Child Find of America,
Inc., Box 277, New Paltz, NY 12561. (800) 426-5678
[email protected]
www.childfindofamerica.org
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventS
ervlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1305
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949): AfricanAmerican. Tap dancer in vaudeville, cabarets, Broadway &
films. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Robinson
Africa Day: Zambia, Zimbabwe. In these & some other
African states, this is a holiday commemorating independence
from colonial rule.
Anniversary of the May Revolution: Argentina. This
commemorates the beginning of the war of independence from
Spain in 1810 led by José de San Martín.
Independence Day: Jordan. This marks the day in 1946
that Jordan under the Hashemite Monarchy gained
independence from Britain.
11
FESTA DEL GRILLO (Cricket Festival): Florence,
Italy--province of Tuscany. 40th day after Easter. Is the early
spring holiday when families go to the country to picnic &
spend the day out doors. Parents pack generous lunch baskets,
gather up the children, & flock to Cascine Park to celebrate
with the Festa del Grillo, the chirping cricket is a symbol of
spring. http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/fwe/fwe07.htm
OAU Day: Equatorial Guinea. Anniversary of the
formation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963.
Sucre Local Festival: Bolivia.
Ascension Day: Christian. This marks the anniversary of
the day Christians believe that Jesus rose to heaven.
May 26
Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (1854–1903): American Indian
(Omaha). Activist. Daughter of a chief, she joined with her
father, her brother, & her future husband, journalist Thomas
Tibbles, to bring national attention to the plight of the Poncas,
a kindred tribe that had been forcibly removed to Indian
Territory. This is the anniversary of her death.
www.nebraskastudies.org/0600/stories/0601_0107.html
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day): Israel. Public
holiday. On the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem,
we remember the special significance of the Holy City, and
why it is the capital of the Jewish nation. It is primarily
celebrated by secular Jewish & national-religious (religiouszionist) Israelis. The ultra-orthodox Jews do not celebrate this
day in any way. While Jerusalem Day is always on the 28th
day of Iyar in the Jewish calendar, the date in the Western
(Gregorian) calendar varies from year to year due to
differences between the two calendars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Day
Prince Fredrik's Birthday: Denmark.
May 27
Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818-1894): American. Social
reformer & women's rights advocate, remembered for the
comfortable yet still modest female undergarments she
endorsed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Bloomer
Children’s Day: Nigeria. All students are dismissed from
school on this day to stay at home and play.
Mother’s Day: Bolivia.
from all over Turkmenistan are put on display for people to
admire. The craft of carpet making is valued highly in
Turkmenistan: there are carpet decorations on the national flag
& the carpet is a symbol of unity for the Turkmen people.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20050529/40435666.html
Mother’s Day: Sweden & Dominican Republic.
May 29
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912–1997): Chinese
American. Physicist. Dr. Wu was 1 of the
giants of physics & the 1st woman to gain equal
stature for her accomplishments in experimental
physics with men in the field. Born near
Shanghai, China, she came to the U.S. in the
1930s & received a doctorate in physics from
the University of California, Berkeley, in 1940.
She joined the physics faculty at Columbia University after
World War II & was named a full professor in 1958 & the 1st
Pupin Professor of physics in 1973. In 1957, she & her
colleagues conducted an experiment that overthrew a law of
symmetry in physics called the principle of conservation of
parity that had been considered incontrovertible. In 1975, Dr.
Wu became the 1st woman to be elected president of the
American Physical Society. She also received the National
Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for achievement
in science, as well as the Wolf Prize in physics.
Memorial Day (observed in the US). Originally a day of
remembrance for those who died for the Union in the Civil
War, this national holiday, observed on the last Monday in
May, now honors those who gave their lives in all wars. (A
number of southern states also have designated days for
honoring the Confederate dead.) Many American families
observe Memorial Day as a time for paying respects to
deceased family members. Parades often followed by
barbecues are the usual celebration. The patriotic red, white, &
blue colors of the U.S. flag are used in decorations.
FOOD AND DRINK
Meats such as steak, spareribs, pork chops, chicken, hot dogs,
& hamburgers are popular items for Memorial Day barbecues.
Accompaniments such as rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, &
potato chips are common.
www3.kumc.edu/diversity/may.html
http://www.usmemorialday.org/
Ascension of Baha'u'llah: Baha'i. This observance
commemorates the anniversary of the death of the founder of
the Baha'i faith in 1892.
May 28
Restoration of Statehood Day: Armenia. On this day,
Armenians celebrate the establishment in 1918 of the 1st
republic following the genocide of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire & the collapse of the Russian Empire under
the Czars.
Carpet Day: Turkmenistan. The holiday was established
in 1992 & is celebrated on the last Sunday of May. Carpets
May 30
Maria Mitchell became the 1st woman to be elected to the
American Academy of Arts & Sciences on this date in 1848.
This was in recognition of the 1847 discovery she made with
her telescope of a new comet.
Harvest Festival: Malaysia. Public holiday.
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Mother's Day: Nicaragua. Public holiday.
May 31
National Senior Health and Fitness Day. Mature Market
Resource Center: 1850 West Winchester, Ste 213,
Libertyville, IL 60048-5355. (800) 828-8225
[email protected]
www.fitnessday.
World “No Tobacco” Day: World. Coalition for World
No Tobacco Day: P.O. Box 3543, New York, NY 10163.
(212) 601-8245 or (212) 601-8101
[email protected]
http://www.wntd.com/about_index.cfm
Dragon Boat Festival (Tuan-wu): China. This is a
holiday in honor of Ch'u Yuan, China's 1st major poet, who
drowned himself in 278 B.C.E. to protest the injustice &
corruption of his prince's government. In the traditional dragon
boat races, teams from different towns compete in long boats
with bows shaped like large dragon heads. The customary
holiday food is a dumpling made of rice with a sweet filling
wrapped in a bamboo leaf. Other popular Chinese foods,
including tea, noodles, & main dishes of chicken & pork, are
also part of the celebration. It is celebrated according to the
Chinese lunar calendar date of 5/5, which usually corresponds,
to a date in June.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Boat_Festival
http://www.lbdragonboat.com/history.htm
Founding of the N.A.A.C.P. , in 1910, the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People was
founded.
Feast of the Visitation: Catholic Christian.
RECIPES
Chinese Almond Butter Cookies (China)
½ cup soft butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
½ cup finely chopped blanched almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
30-35 whole almonds
Cream butter & sugar. Stir in chopped almonds & almond
extract. Mix in flour & work until the dough is smooth. Shape
teaspoonfuls of dough into balls & place on ungreased cookie
sheet. Using the greased bottom of a glass dipped in sugar,
flatten the top of the dough balls. Press whole almond into the
center of each cookie. Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes or until
slightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.
Egg Flower Soup (China)
3 cups clear canned chicken broth
dash of salt
chopped scallion
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Bring chicken broth to a boil. Separately, add water slowly to
the cornstarch. Add cornstarch liquid to the broth. Stir until it
begins to thicken & becomes clear. Add salt. Pour the beaten
egg into the broth & continue to cook. It will cook quickly.
Top with scallion.
Fried Rice (Japan)
Leftover meat or poultry scraps (Spam, ham, chicken, etc.)
2 - 3 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon Chinese brown gravy syrup or soy sauce
Brown onion in oil. Add leftover meat. Separately, scramble
egg. Add egg, bean sprouts, rice, then gravy or soy sauce to the
meat & onions. Heat until steaming.
Teriyaki Chicken (Japan)
¼ cup soy sauce
1 package boneless chicken
breasts, cut into pieces
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup bean sprouts (optional) oil
Marinate the chicken pieces in soy
sauce overnight, if possible. Sauté
chicken in oil until brown. Add onion, mushrooms & soy
sauce. Heat thoroughly. Add bean sprouts. Serve with rice.
Haupia (Hawaii)
1 can (12 oz.) coconut milk
4 to 6 tablespoons sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
Pour coconut milk into a saucepan. Combine sugar &
cornstarch; stir in water & blend well. Stir sugar mixture into
coconut milk; cook & stir over low heat until thickened. Pour
into 8-inch square pun & chill until firm. Cut into 2-inch
squares. Makes 16 servings.
Mo`o's Pineapple Calabash Punch (Hawaii)
1 fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup brandy
3 cups pineapple juice
2 bottles (750 ml each) Chablis, chilled
1 bottle (750 ml) champagne, chilled
Remove rind & core from pineapple; cube. Sprinkle pineapple
w/sugar & add brandy. Refrigerate 6 hrs or overnight. Pour
pineapple juice into a ring mold & freeze. Add wine to
pineapple brandy mixture about 30 mins before serving. Add
champagne & ice ring just before serving. 20 (4 oz.) servings.
Aloha Sweet Potatoes (Hawaii)
4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter
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1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Boil sweet potatoes in their jackets until tender, about 25
minutes. Let cool, then peel & cut into
slices 1 1/2-inch thick. In a large skillet melt butter. Stir in
brown sugar & water &cook on medium heat about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat & add sweet potatoes to skillet. Cook gently;
tossing lightly until sweet potatoes are glazed. Sprinkle with
coconut before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Note: Canned yams can be used in place of sweet potatoes.
Rice Side Dish (Philippines)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups cooked rice
6 green onions, trimmed & finely sliced
salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil on large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic & fry
for about 3 minutes. Add cooked rice, green onions, & salt and
pepper to taste. Stir & heat through, about 5 minutes.
Tom Kar Gai (Thailand)
One 13 ¾ -ounce can chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Mix the above ingredients, then cook for 5 minutes. Add a 14ounce can coconut milk & 1 uncooked chicken breast (cut into
thin slices). Cook for 8 minutes. Pour into bowls, top with
fresh cilantro leaves, & a pinch of crushed red pepper (if you
like spicy food).
Spring Rolls (Vietnam)
Rice paper
Cabbage
Small pieces of meat (pork, shrimp, etc.)
Onion &/or other finely chopped vegetables.
Soak rice paper until it is soft. Combine all other ingredients.
Put mixture in rice paper, fold & deep fry until lightly
browned. Serve w/soy sauce or a sauce of vinegar & carrot
slivers.
Salsa Cruda
This Mexican salsa is a basic condiment. Shortly before
serving, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve at room
temperature. Serves 3–4.
large ripe tomatoes, peeled & finely chopped
4
2-3 hot fresh green chilis, finely chopped
½
cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Shortly before serving, combine all the ingredients in
a bowl. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3–4.
Flan
sugar syrup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
flan
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grease a shallow 2 quart pan, chill.
Melt sugar in a pot over medium heat. The sugar will
caramelize to a rich golden brown, 30-40 minutes.
Do not stir the sugar as it melts but occasionally shake the pot.
Slowly add the boiling water, stirring briskly to dissolve the
caramelized sugar. Simmer, uncovered 8-10 minutes until the
consistency of syrup.
Pour into the chilled pan.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, & sugar.
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring
occasionally.
Beat the egg yolks & eggs until frothy.
Add about a cup of the hot cream to the eggs to temper them.
Stir the egg-cream mixture into back into the pan with the rest
of the cream.
Stir constantly, 1 minute.
Remove from the heat, cool slightly.
Stir in the orange extract & vanilla.
Pour into the pan.
Set the mold in a shallow baking pan & pour in enough hot
water to come halfway up the flan pan.
Bake uncovered 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near
the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven.
Remove the flan from the water bath & cool 1 hour.
Refrigerate until firm, 4-5 hours.
To invert the flan, dip the mold quickly in hot water, turn out
on a dessert plate, the caramel syrup should drip over the flan.
Tortillas de Harina - Flour Tortillas
Recipe Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt or to taste
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 cup water
Recipe Instructions:
Put flour in a glass bowl. Add salt & vegetable shortening.
Knead by hand until the mixture has a gritty texture. Add
water a little at a time, & knead dough until it forms an elastic
& shiny ball. If it is too greasy, add a little more flour & water.
Set dough aside, covered with a cloth, for 30 minutes. Pinch
off a small ball of dough, & place between 2 sheets of waxed
paper. With a rolling pin, roll the ball into a circle about 3
inches in diameter. The flour tortilla should be very thin. Pull
14
edges with your fingertips, stretching the tortilla a little. Cook
tortilla on a hot thick griddle. Cook on each side for about 2
minutes or until light brown. The flour tortilla should puff
slightly. Repeat, using all the dough & making 20 tortillas. To
serve, place flour tortillas in a basket.
Anita's Chilaquiles
Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas (preferably bought the day before and left out to
go stale)
1 or 2 serrano peppers (depending on how hot you like it)
3/4 C. oil
2 tomatoes, cooked (boiled or roasted)
1 pinch oregano
1/2 C. farmer's or Manchego cheese
2 Tbsp.. chopped onion
1/2C cream
salt to taste
Water
Preparation:
Serves 10
Cut the tortillas into 1" x 1" squares & if possible, let them sit
out a day before making this dish so they can get a bit stale.
Grind the tomatoes in a blender with the oregano, peppers, salt
& water as needed to loosen the blades (about 1/3 cup) until
smooth.
Heat the oil in a large skillet & fry the tortilla chips until crisp
and golden (I recommend doing this in batches), then remove
& drain on paper toweling.
Drain the oil, reserving 2 Tbsp. & save the remainder for
another occasion.
In the same skillet heat the reserved 2 Tbsp. oil & add the
tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, add the tortilla chips &
remove from the heat. Add the cheese & allow it to melt.
Serve hot, top with onions & cream & with well-fried beans.
Enchiladas
Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. oil
1 kilo thin corn tortillas
1 garlic clove
15 chilacate peppers, slit open, seeds, veins & core removed,
cooked in 1 C. of water.
1 1/2 C. vinegar
2 1/2 C. crumbled farmer's or Cotija cheese
1 large onion, finely chopped
8 small tomatoes, cooked
1 head iceberg lettuce,washed and thinly sliced
12 radishes, washed and thinly sliced
Salt
1 tsp. oregano
Preparation:
Grind the cooked chilacate peppers in a blender with a little
salt, the garlic & the vinegar. Pass them through a sieve &
place them in a deep dish or large bowl.
In a blender, grind the tomatoes, with the oregano & salt to
taste. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Slide the tortillas through the
chilacate sauce & then fry briefly (5 or 10 seconds) in the oil.
Fill the tortilla with some cheese & some onion, roll up &
serve immediately. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
Top these enchiladas with lettuce, radishes & the tomato sauce.
Mexican Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)
Ingredients:
2 C. rice
1 C. sugar
1 C. sweetened condensed Milk
2 qts. whole Milk
2" stick cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
Preparation:
Serves 8
In a medium saucepan place the cinnamon stick, add the milk
& bring to a boil. Add the rice, lower the flame & simmer
covered 15 mins. Add the sugar & condensed milk & simmer
for 3 more minutes, then add the Vanilla & remove from the
heat. Serve warm in custard dishes. If desired add raisins.
Agua de Melón
Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, seeds & rind removed, diced (about 1½ - 2
cups diced melon)
1 quart water
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Preparation:
Put diced melon in blender with enough of the water to cover.
Blend just long enough to make a coarse pulp.
Transfer to a pitcher & add the rest of the water & the sugar.
Stir to dissolve the sweetener.
The resulting agua will contain small bits of fruit pulp.
Agua de Sandía (Watermelon)
Ingredients:
1½ cups diced watermelon, without rind
5 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
Preparation:
Put the diced watermelon in the blender w/2 cups of the water.
Blend until the black seeds break up (about 1-2 minutes.)
Let the ground seeds settle to the bottom, then pour the liquid
into a pitcher, leaving the seeds in the blender to be discarded.
You will not need to use a strainer.
Add the rest of the water & the sweetener. If the melon is a
very sweet one, taste before adding sugar, it may not need
much, if any.
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JUNE 2006
Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. On June 11, 1999, President
Clinton issued a presidential proclamation designating June as
Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. In that proclamation, the
president said "...Since our earliest days as a nation, Americans
have strived to make real the ideals of equality & freedom so
eloquently expressed in our Declaration of Independence &
Constitution. We now have a rare opportunity to enter a new
century & a new millennium as 1 country, living those
principles, recognizing our common values, & building on our
shared strengths. I encourage all Americans to observe this
month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, & activities that
celebrate our diversity, & to remember throughout the year the
gay & lesbian Americans whose many & varied contributions
have enriched our national life." http://www.interpride.org/
Las Vegas Pride May 5-14, 2006
http://www.lasvegaspride.org/
Santa Barbara Pride May 13, 2006
http://www.gaysantabarbara.org/
Long Beach Pride May 20-21, 2006
http://www.longbeachpride.com/
LA Pride June 9-11, 2006
http://www.lapride.org/
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!
Remember our troops who
are deployed.
Cultural Competency Outreach Committee
If your clinic or agency plans to host a celebration for the
month’s events, please advise one of the members of the
subcommittee so that we may maintain a record. In addition,
we will have information regarding your event broadcast to the
entire department. If you would like specific information on a
given occasion please contact Minette O’Bryan.
We are confident that many of you will take the opportunity to
celebrate the month’s cultural events & look forward to
hearing from you. Thank you.
Outreach Sub-Committee Members:
Myriam Aragon
Minette O’Bryan
854-3448
579-8133
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A national celebration established in 1977
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/asianhistory1.html
Asian-American Firsts: Government
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
U.S. representative: Dalip Singh Saund, 1956, representative from California. The first female Asian
American elected to Congress was Patsy Takemoto Mink, elected in 1964 as a representative from Hawaii.
U.S. senator: Hiram Fong, 1959, one of Hawaii's first two senators.
Federal court judge: Herbert Choy, 1971, appointed to the U.S. court of appeals for the ninth circuit.
U.S. ambassador: Julia Chang Bloch, 1989, appointed ambassador to the Kingdom of Nepal.
State legislator: Wing F. Ong, 1946, elected to the Arizona House of Representatives.
Governor: George R. Ariyoshi, 1974, governor of Hawaii. The first on the mainland was Gary Locke, elected
governor of Washington in 1996.
Mayor of a major U.S. city: Norman Yoshio Mineta, 1971, in San Jose, California.
Member of presidential cabinet: Norman Yoshio Mineta, 2000, appointed secretary of commerce. In 2001,
he became the first cabinet member to switch directly from a Democratic to Republican cabinet—becoming
secretary of transportation—and the only Democrat in George W. Bush's cabinet. The first female AsianAmerican cabinet member was Elaine Chao, appointed secretary of labor in 2001.
Asian-American Firsts: Aviation
•
•
Female aviator: Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, licensed in 1932.
Astronaut (in space): Ellison Onizuka, first spaceflight in 1985. Died in the 1986 Challenger disaster.
Asian-American Firsts: Science and Medicine
•
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Isolated epinephrine (adrenaline) from the suprarenal gland: Jokichi Takamine, 1901.
Invented pulse transfer controlling device leading to magnetic core memory: An Wang, 1949.
Cloned the AIDS virus: Flossie Wong-Staal, 1984.
Asian-American Firsts: Film and Television
•
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Movie star: Anna May Wong, who starred in the 1921 film Bits of Life and many other movies.
Academy Award winner: Haing Ngor, Best Supporting Actor of 1984 for his role in The Killing Fields
Star of own network TV series: Margaret Cho, 1994, All American Girl
Asian-American Firsts: News Reporting
•
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First network news reporters: Ken Kashiwahara and Connie Chung, 1974. In 1993, Chung became the first
Asian American to be a nightly news anchor for a major network (CBS).
First anchor of a national radio program: Emil Guillermo, 1989, host of NPR's All Things Considered.
Asian-American Firsts: Other
•
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First to command a combat battalion: Young Oak Kim, of the 100th Infantry
Battalion, 1943.
First selected in the first round of NFL draft: Eugene Chung, 1992, selected by
New England.
17
Cinco De Mayo Celebration at Olvera Street
Friday - Sunday, May 5th – 7th 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
http://www.olvera-street.com/html/fiestas.html
A celebration of Mexico's victory over French forces in Puebla, Mexico in 1862 with
popular and traditional music, cultural presentations, festival, dance, food & live
entertainment.
Event information: (213) 628-1274. Performance by the original Mariachi USA,
Flamenco Dancers & many more!
To celebrate this important historical event - the Battle of Puebla in 1862 - the Institute will offer free educational & cultural
workshops, entertainment & bilingual historical information at Olvera Street. Workshops for children include coloring portraits of
the Mexican heroes, storytelling about the important battle, learning to make piñatas & Mexican flags. Entertainment will include
traditional folkloric music & dance, piñata breaking, & a display of traditional Mexican dresses.
Cinco De Mayo Celebration at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7, 2006
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
http://www.oldtownguide.com/cinco.html
Old Town San Diego is a community that preserves San Diego & California's past, while
celebrating today with bright colors, diverse tastes & vibrant sounds. Each year, the state
park, county park, plazas, streets, restaurants & retail districts of this historic neighborhood
set the scene for the 3rd largest celebration of Hispanic heritage & culture in the US. For 2
days each year, visitors to Old Town's Fiesta Cinco de Mayo enjoy the music, entertainment,
dance & cuisine of Mexico & Latin America. Old Town & Fiesta Cinco de Mayo visitors
also enjoy the diverse historical & cultural experiences of this community that has been the
home of Native Americans, & settlers from Spain, Mexico & the United States.
The 2006 Wells Fargo Old town Fiesta Cinco de Mayo Presented by Barona will feature
more than 200 performers at 8 venues of entertainment, with a traditional Mexican Mercado
filled with 100 specialty booths featuring handmade crafts & regional cuisine. Highlights of
the event include the Wells Fargo Stagecoach rides, My Ancestor's Village - a traditional
Kumeyaay community created by the Barona Band of Mission Indians - the World Famous
Budweiser Clydesdales, a re-enactment of the 1862 Battle of Puebla, Escaramuzas
Golondrinas female equestrian group & the Puebla de los Niños children's village.
Historical Background of the Celebration
The 1st Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Old Town date back to the early 1930s, when the
town's Catholic Church & surrounding community began the celebration. The celebration
was brought back in 1983, becoming the Old Town Fiesta Cinco de Mayo, an event designed
to commemorate the 1862 Battle of Puebla, during which out-numbered
Mexican forces defeated the French army, setting the stage for Mexico's
eventual triumph over French imperialism. Since that time the event has evolved into our region's largest celebration
of Hispanic culture, San Diego & California's history, diversity & the arts.
Event Information:
Parking:
619-296-3236
Paid parking is found throughout Old Town or take the trolley to the Old Town Station
Handicap parking is available
18