Westwood Celebrates History and Community at Cinco de Mayo Event

For decades, the history and heritage behind the celebration of Cinco de Mayo has often been drowned out by marketing from big beer companies. Activists in the primarily Mexican-American Westwood neighborhood want to change that, and for the third year in a row, community partners there are holding a wide-ranging celebration of their culture. The event is free to attend and takes places this Saturday, May 6, led by the food-, aid- and art-focused business collective Hecho en Westwood. We discussed the event with several leaders of the movement, which is shining a light on the art and culture thriving on the streets of southwest Denver today.

"Cinco de Mayo is sometimes confused as Mexican Independence Day," explains Hecho en Westwood founder Damaris Ronkanen, who is also the owner of "bean to bar" chocolatier Cultura Chocolate. "It's a holiday that is actually celebrated on a much larger scale in the U.S. than in Mexico. The evolution of it in the U.S. has been the result of the Chicano community and movement, and it's an important holiday for Mexican-Americans specifically. There's a lot of parallels between the resistance that people have right now for their own self-identity and also during the Batalla de Puebla [Battle of Puebla]."

That battle occurred in the spring of 1862, when the French army was marching inland through Mexico, intending to topple the capital and seize the country. Instead, the army was routed at the Batalla de Puebla on May 5 by a small force of Mexicans, mainly natives of Zacapoaxtla, Cuetzalan, Nauzontla, Tetela, Xochiapulco and Xochitlán. The Mexican force was severely outmatched in manpower and technology, but still managed to repel the imperialist invaders. When news of the victory reached Mexican settlers in California, they celebrated 'Cinco de Mayo' as a symbol of both resistance and pride. Mexican-Americans kept it close as a day to celebrate their heritage and culture, but around the ’80s, big companies zeroed in on its celebratory aspects, reducing it to "Cinco de Drinko" and obscuring its historical and cultural significance.

Pushing back on that commercialization inspired Hecho en Westwood, along with food-security nonprofit Re:Vision and other partners, to start its own Cinco de Mayo festival in 2021. But the celebration isn't just about rescuing the past: The featured artists, musicians and other creatives are working to protect the identity of the neighborhood today. They represent an investment by the collective in the future of the community, and especially its youth.

"Over 30 percent of the community are...under eighteen years of age, so Westwood is known as the youngest neighborhood in Denver," says Re:Vision executive director Marianna del Hierro. "So it's a young neighborhood, it's a Latine-ese neighborhood, and it's a vibrant Latine-ese entrepreneur neighborhood."
Many of those entrepreneurs are women, and this year's activities strive to celebrate them and their contributions to Mexican-American culture. "The majority of the work that's done is done by women in this community," says Ronkanen. "For this year's Cinco de Mayo, we've really put a focus on the role that women have played in the history and evolution of the celebration of Cinco de Mayo."

That's also a theme in this year's vibrant commemorative painting by Aalycia Rodriguez, a multimedia artist and instructor at In Lak'ech Denver Arts. "I wanted to make a piece inspired by all the strong women in my world," says Rodriguez. "My mom taught me to be a strong, independent woman in a society where women are historically kept in the background." She'll be joined by other artists from southwest Denver in the Mexico Lindo y Querido art show at RISE Westwood gallery.

Dance culture is also well represented; there will be an opening Four Directions ceremony from local danzantes, who will also be promoting a new Danza Mexica after-school program at RISE gallery. In Lak'ech Denver Arts boasts two groups performing, the folklorico team bringing dances from the Mexican regions of Jalisco, Veracruz, Nuevo Leon and Sinaloa; and a mariachi team performing such classics as "Árboles de la Barranca" and "La Malagueña."

Of course, there will also be lots of food, with enchiladas from Kahlo's, ceviche courtesy of Mi Gusto Es and La Reyna del Sur's Oaxacan cuisine. That's just a small slice of what's being offered for the tastebuds; food is a focus for the two organizations, both at the celebration and beyond.
"We [at Re:Vision] consider ourselves a food hub," says del Hierro. "Our main work is focused on food security and food sovereignty, and food is really braided into everything that we do." The nonprofit is engaged in a wide range of activities including managing an urban farm, free food distribution and food education. "For us to have the ability to partner directly with Hecho en Westwood — it's really a great example of how community and neighborhood cultural identities can be preserved and celebrated in economic revitalization efforts."

"Hecho kind of takes on the role of supporting it through a cultural/artistic lens," adds Ronkanen, "with food being at the center of everything we do, because we really feel like food brings people together and is also a really, really great way to showcase the identity of the community."

Art, dance and food are just the start of the day's activities, she notes: "We are shutting down Morrison road, so an entire block will be full of other vendors and cultural performances. We have lucha libre, that's always one of my favorite parts of the event," she says, referring to the Mexican wrestling performances characterized by colorful masks and high-flying maneuvers. "There's also going to be a lot of youth activities and spaces available: We have a rock-climbing wall, the Museum of Nature & Science is bringing their Curiosity Cruiser, we have art activities, cooking classes for youth. There's really something for the entire family."

The celebration highlights the community's ongoing efforts to support each other, Del Hierro explains proudly: "It comes with the partnership and the work of all the community organizations in Westwood and community members. It just speaks to the cohesiveness, the beauty and the desire to preserve this neighborhood and its cultural identity."

Cinco de Mayo en Westwood, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 3700-3900 Morrison Road. Admission is free; get more information here.