Ken Burns Hates Mexicans

The Day the Music Died

Ooops. I forgot to mention yesterday another significant event of March 31. So here it is, a day late, and I'll let another one of the entries from our "The Truthful History of the Conquest of Nuevo Aztlan" explain it all:

March 31, 1997 1995
Corpus Christi, Texas
Tejana singer Selena is gunned down at a Day's Inn motel. Mainstream media outlets from the BBC to the New York Times try to understand why sixty thousand mourners file past her casket in eleven hours. People magazine publishes a special issue devoted entirely to the life of the fallen singer. This had been done only twice before, after the deaths of Jackie Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. The Selena issue easily outsells them both combined. Soon after, the company launches People en Espanol A market is noticed.

And I'll end, via Perezhilton, with this way cool fan tribute video.

Happy 5th of May

On May 5th, 1862, Mexican forces under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza defeat the French army at the Battle of Puebla. One hundred and forty odd years later, Cinco de Mayo, the one time Mexican regional celebration, crosses the border and becomes Drinko de Mayo, as various beer companies compete for sponsorships of festivals, rock concerts, and the marketing of chugging games. In the last couple of years alcohol sales on Cinco de Mayo have eclipsed those of that other great American ethnic holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy.

On this Day in Latino History

On this day in history, in the year 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller, names the large mass of land in the Western Hemisphere “America,” after Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci , who may or may not have “discovered” America before Columbus. Because of the controversy, Waldseemueller later tries to take the name Amerigo back, but 1000 copies of the cartographer’s map are already distributed, and the name sticks (a precursor, I suppose, of putting things out on the internet and not getting them back). Today is also Al Pacino’s 67th birthday, the actor responsible for the role of Cuban drug dealer Tony Montana and that of Puerto Rican drug dealer Carlito “Charlie” Brigante. And in other significant events in This Day In Latino History, San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan turns 31.