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Including Inglewood Airport Area • Baldwin Hills • Crenshaw/LA • Ladera Heights VOL. 23, No. 18
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May 1, 2014
What Makes Cinco de Mayo Such an American Day?
inco de Mayo is growing into a larger celebration every year in the United States. Yet, in Mexico, where this holiday originated to commemorate the victory the Mexicans won over the French in 1862, it is celebrated mainly in the area around Puebla, where the battle took place. In the US, celebrations occur from coast to coast. According to the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA, Cinco de Mayo has been commemorated in California in some form or other since the 1860s. This is not surprising since there has always been a large proportion of Latinos in California. They chose to honor this triumph of ingenuity over might, even though it has become a minor holiday in their native land. In the United States today, Cinco de Mayo is more
• Community • Entertainment • Health • Real Estate • Business
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BA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday the league has banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million, ending a week old drama sparked by an audio of his racist rant. TMZ broadcast the recorded conversation between Sterling and thengirlfriend V. Stiviano, telling her not to bring black people to his games, especially Magic Johnson. Ironically, Stiviano is Black and Latino.
By Christine Szalay-Kudra
of a celebration of Mexican culture rather than a remembrance of the battle that took place. This holiday is similar to others that celebrate other cultures in the United States like St. Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year, and Oktoberfest. The opportunity with
Cinco de Mayo to celebrate the richness of Mexican culture helps us learn more about them as we honor their figures of historical importance like the great Cesar Chavez, and the symbols of Mexican faith, like Our Lady of Guadalupe. Schools help students ex-
plore Mexican history, their people, and how their culture has contributed to ours. Mexican crafts, their traditional clothing, and folk dancing are all enjoyed. In many communities all over the country, Cinco de Mayo is rung in with lively (Continued on page 6)
The Season of Solidarity
On The Inside: • News
‘Great Day for the NBA’
By Thomas Bunn
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n the wake of the recent scandal that’s got the entire country standing on podiums, I noticed something rather fascinating. Some friends asked me, if I was a Clippers player, would I have played in the game last Sunday after learning that my team owner was a (Continued on page 2)
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Donald Sterling Clippers president Andy Roeser will handle day to day operations of the club for now, according to a person familiar with the situation. Calling Sterling’s comments, “deeply disturbing and alarming,” Silver said he would urge the board of governors to force a sale of the team. Music mogul Dr. Dre said he was “absolutely” interested in becoming the next owner. Magic Johnson said, “It was a great day for the United States, a great day for the NBA, a great day (Continued on page 2)
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