With serapes draped over the serveries and traditional huapango and pop Candela music pulsing through the room, the Leverett House dining hall was transformed into a festival of sight and sound for RAZA's Cinco de Mayo celebration last night.

"This is really an adventure. We are trying to resurrect the celebration of Cinco de Mayo at Harvard," said RAZA President Marcella Prieto '02.

Cinco de Mayo traditionally commemorates May 5, 1862, the day when Mexican troops, outnumbered two to one, defeated French invaders in the infamous Battle of Puebla.

But the annual celebration has taken on special contemporary significance for Mexican-Americans and other Latinos.

"We are celebrating a time when the Mexicans succeeded against all odds," said RAZA Secretary Patricia R. Ruvalcaba '03. "I think that's worth celebrating and remembering. It's a way of raising morale in the Latino community."

"My personal goal for this event was to show to Harvard a slice of Latino life that it may not normally see," Prieto said.

The festival in Leverett House last night featured individual performances by Harvard students as well as dances by four local groups.

Among the featured dancers were young adults and children from La Pinata, a dance, learning and community-building program in Jamaica Plain.