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Enjoy Cinco de Mayo with Celebration of Mexican Heritage and Pride in America

Cinco de Mayo which is Spanish for “fifth of May” is a celebration held on May 5. This celebration occurs in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla which in English is called The Day of the Battle of Puebla.

One important note that needs to be mentioned is that although Mexican citizens feel very proud of the meaning of Cinco de Mayo, it is not a national holiday in Mexico, but it is an official holiday in the State of Puebla where the mentioned battle took place.

What is interesting is how Cinco de Mayo originated and became a celebration with colorful art from the color wheel filled with Segmation Amigos hot pink dancing, red skirt, flamenco women, colorful singer and playing guitars. This celebration originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, thus therefore the date, May 5th is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

The American Cinco de Mayo celebration originated in the Mexican-American communities of the American West, SouthWest, and Northwest in the 1860s. It grew in popularity and evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, first in areas with large Mexican-American populations, like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.

Eventually the celebration expanded across the United States. On June 7, 2005, the U.S. Congress issued a Concurrent Resolution calling on the President of the United States to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

It is worth to mention that Mexicans and Latinos living in California during the American Civil War are credited with being the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States.

In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico. Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols. Celebrations include display of Cinco de Mayo banners and special events to educate people about the historical significance of Cinco de Mayo and to highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on beverages, foods, art, and music.

How Are You Celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Will you be celebrating in a major cities across the country and taking part in cultural and colorful art festivities as well? Share with Segmation by leaving a comment below.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

Coming soon: If you love art as well as technology, you won’t want to miss our upcoming blog post about word cloud portraits.

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Lovers of Literature Get Lost in 250,000-Book Maze

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Do you get a chance you art-lovers to see the “maze” of books that has been created by two Brazilian artists in London? The artists, Marco Saboya and Gualter Pupo, made excellent use of about 250,000 books, arranging them in what is described as a “labyrinth” that is displayed at the Southbank Centre. The book maze (aMAZEme) has attracted scores of visitors since its opening. The up to eight feet high maze walls are made of stacked books of all colors and textures, offering visitors a true feast for the senses and stirring up of literary passion.

Reportedly, aMAZEme is not the first book labyrinth of its kind. Another book maze was constructed and displayed in Rio de Janeiro, but did not boast the number of books that are contained in the London exhibition. aMAZEme, created with an astounding quarter-of-a-million books, both used and new, took only 4 days to create. All of this was accomplished though the hands of about 50 volunteers and the brilliant minds of the two artists who dreamed the idea into existence.

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian writer, provided the exhortation behind Saboya and Pupo’s book creation. Apparently Borges was an avid book enthusiast. Pair that with his affection for labyrinths, and you have the inspiration for aMAZEme. The book maze is actually patterned after Borges’ fingertips, adding to the unusual but captivating overall design of the project. It’s obvious that Jorge Luis Borges’ influence is planted firmly in the heart of aMAZEme.

aMAZEme does not exist solely for aesthetic purposes; it is also interactive. Visitors are greeted with the opportunity to go on an audio tour of the book labyrinth. To ensure spectators don’t assume the books are haphazardly placed, the audio tour “guides (visitors) through the meticulously mapped book titles.” For an even richer experience, visitors have the option of watching literary icons give “performances.” The funds aMAZEme brings in will be given to poverty-fighting charities. The aMAZE me labyrinth is proving to be beneficial to both book lovers and underprivileged individuals around the world.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504784_162-10013188.html?tag=page

http://inhabitat.com/amazeme-book-labyrinth-completed-for-the-london-2012-cultural-olympiad/

http://inhabitat.com/amazeme-book-labyrinth-completed-for-the-london-2012-cultural-olympiad/amazeme-book-maze-london-2012-2/?extend=1

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Can You Be Taught to Read in Color?

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There are some individuals who read in color — these people have grapheme-color synesthesia. With grapheme-color synesthesia, each letter appears as a certain color. This can seem like a foreign concept to the majority of us that read in black white, but for those with this condition, it is common and pleasurable. It is estimated that about 1 percent of individuals have grapheme-color synesthesia and 4 percent have synesthesia (to some degree). Most people with these conditions enjoy seeing color in “odd” places.

It is not uncommon to hear someone comment that he or she would love to have synesthesia. This is because the condition is not harmful to people and it can make life more interesting, to say the least. Artists, especially, may benefit from this condition. It has long been believed that individuals are simply born with synesthesia. But today, researchers are beginning to question that assumption.

Can a person be taught to see letters in color? That’s the question the University of Amsterdam researchers asked when they conducted a study on people who did not have grapheme-color synesthesia. The study’s participants were given books that contained colored text letters (the letters were sporadically colored). What was the result of the study? After reading the books with colored letters, individuals without grapheme-color synesthesia “associated those letters with the correlating hues.” This is amazing news that indicates synesthesia may have a slight capacity to be taught.

The study at the University of Amsterdam had beneficial effects upon its participants. One participant began enjoying the color orange post study. Two individuals reported they read faster after reading the books with colored letters.

Is it true that synesthesia is simply genetic? That is a tough question for researchers to answer. On one hand, it’s not uncommon for members of the same biological family to have synesthesia. But on the other, it’s a fact that one is not born with language skills; he or she learns them. While it has not been proven that synesthesia can be taught, researchers are definitely doing further study into the possibility of learned synesthesia and its benefits upon individuals. Many people would take advantage of the opportunity to learn synesthesia and read in vibrant color.

Source: http://nbcnews.to/U9Jyfe

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