WASHINGTON, D.C. -- May 5th marks the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In the United States, the celebration of the "Batalla de Puebla" has come to be known simply as "Cinco de Mayo." Along with Mexican Independence Day on September 16, "Cinco de Mayo" has become a time to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture.

Below are some facts and figures about the Mexican population:

24 million
Number of U.S. residents of Mexican ancestry. These residents constitute 9 percent of U.S. residents and more than 6-in-10 residents of Hispanic origin.
15.7 million
Number of people of Mexican origin who reside either in California (9.6 million) or in Texas (6.2 million). People of Mexican origin make up 28 percent of the residents of these two states.
9.9 million
Number of foreign-born residents from Mexico. They constitute about 3-in-10 people who were foreign-born. 55%
Percentage of Latinos of Mexican descent who live in the West.
37%
Percentage of Mexican-origin residents who are under 18, the highest percentage of that age group among Latino groups.
31%
Percentage of Mexican family households containing five or more people. This is the highest rate for large households among Latino groups.
12%
Percentage of those of Mexican heritage who work in managerial or professional occupations.
613,000
Number of U.S. military veterans of Mexican descent. People of Mexican descent make up about 2 percent of all veterans.
268
Number of U.S. tortilla manufacturing establishments in 2001. The establishments that produce this unleavened flat bread employ more than 12,000 people. Tortillas, the principal food of the Aztecs, are known as the “bread of Mexico.”
$235.5 billion
The value of goods and services traded between the United States and Mexico in 2003. Mexico is our nation’s second-leading trading partner after Canada.

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau