Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín: My Story of Cinco de Mayo / Mi versión del Cinco de Mayo

Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín grew up in a military family. His grandfather was a soldier in the Spanish army, as was his father, though he had to change his uniform and swear allegiance to a new flag when Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. It wasn’t a surprise that Ignacio would follow in their footsteps, but no one could have guessed he would go on to become the commander of the Mexican army and navy or that he would lead his troops to victory against the much stronger French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. This bilingual “flip” book introduces intermediate readers to the life and turbulent times of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Born in 1829 in an army fort in Mexico that became part of the Republic of Texas, he and the other Mexicans living there had to load their belongings on ox- and mule-drawn carts and make the difficult journey across the Río Grande to Matamoros. He lived through the Mexican-American War, the French invasion of his country and the death of his wife and sons from typhoid. Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín’s success in repelling the invading French troops was recognized with a national holiday in his honor, Cinco de Mayo, which is celebrated in the United States to commemorate the Mexican roots of many citizens. This fascinating historical and military biography will familiarize young people with the concept of colonialism and its impact on the United States.