On May 5, 1862, the Mexicans defeated Napoleon III at Puebla, and this date is celebrated with a national holiday in Mexico. Many cities here in the US that have a large Mexican population celebrate with a weekend parade.

These photos are of the May 2 trip I took on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the Cinco de Mayo Parade in Fruitvale, a district in Oakland, California. The final photo is of the beautiful new, award-winning transit village, a project of the local Spanish Speaking Unity Council, that has just opened next to Fruitvale BART station.

US Department of Energy website:
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/success/fruitvale_bart.shtml

Spanish Speaking Unity Council website:
http://www.unitycouncil.org/transitvillage.html