I have one simple question for all the white Americans out there: What is the significance of Cinco de Mayo? I mean, what historical event does this day commemorate besides the advent of the two-for-one margarita special?
I do not mean this to be bitchy or accusatory. I may be playing a subtle game of racial gotcha, it's true, but what's wrong with that?
To be fair, I myself (a Latino) never heard of Cinco de Mayo until I was a teenager, which was perhaps a decade before mainstream America started celebrating diversity in sloppy, albeit sincere fashion. This eagerness to let other ethnic groups know that they are almost, very nearly American has lead to people wishing me a "Happy Independence Day" months before July 4. It's sort of like those school holiday programs, where the Jewish kids get one verse of "The Dreidel Song" in the midst of nineteen Christmas carols.
Again, I appreciate the effort. But for starters, I am not Mexican (Cinco de Mayo is, strictly speaking, only relevant to Mexico). Second, May 5 is not Mexican Independence Day (that would be September 16). And lastly, one listen to my flat, Midwestern accent should let you know that any Latin American holiday has about as much significance to my life as Oktoberfest does to a sixth-generation descendant of German immigrants... actually, maybe even less, because Oktoberfest features beer, which is most tasty.
In fact, many Hispanics who are not of Mexican descent dislike Cinco de Mayo. This animosity comes from the perception in American society that Mexico is the alpha and omega of Latino culture. The implication is that homelands like Peru or Honduras or Colombia have no history of their own. Of course, this whole Latino intercultural insurgence will be the subject of another post.
Personally, my chief memory of Cinco de Mayo is from 1998, when a ditzy California blonde broadsided my brand-new car. I don't know why I continue to associate the day with this event, but now it's stuck in my head... Damn.
In any case, Cinco de Mayo will not find me marking the day in any special manner, nor using it to justify guzzling egregious amounts of alcohol. It's just another evening to me, thank you very much.
But I do not want to leave you without concrete information (news you can use, as it were) in this post, particularly if it will help you connect with that cute girl at the end of the bar. So here are some facts about the significance of Cinco de Mayo.
It commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. The conflict had nothing to do with independence, because Mexico had been a sovereign nation for almost a half century at that point. It was more about national pride and standing up to imperialist Europeans. I guess it's sort of like Americans celebrating the Battle of New Orleans from the War of 1812, but perhaps a historian would like to correct me on that one.
Regardless, the holiday is likely more popular among Chicanos in the United States than it is in Mexico. And it's certainly far removed from its origins among the American majority culture, which as I've stated, sees it as an opportunity to get hammered.
So is this cultural appropriation bordering on disrespect? Or is a harmless excuse to party down? As a bonus question, if everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day (another ethnic-based celebration featuring lots of alcohol), is everyone Mexican on Cinco de Mayo?
Feel free to debate these points between ordering rounds of tequila for that special someone. You can thank me later for the icebreaker.
Cinco de Mayo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mexico Online Cinco de Mayo History and Celebration - Battle Of ...
Back in 1790, on April 30, at approx 5pm, Mr. George Washington took office as President of the USA. This single act formally established the government of America. Its sorta like the US was conceived on July 4th 1776, and 14 years later, on April 30th, 1790, the USA was born. Thus I think we are dealing with an unconscious tug for Americans to celebrate the birth of their nation around this time of year.
I asked friend from Mexico what the significance was of Cinco de Mayo. He said that in Mexico it is no big deal. He said that what is so remarkable about this particular battle was that the peasants that defeated the mighty french did it by pelting the french with stones and thats how they won the battle. Undoubtedly that gave a huge moral boost with national pride, in much the same way as when we showed the British that a tiny nation could defeat them.
So then you celebrate Cinco de Mayo next year make a toast with your margarita glass but be more generic and salute all those that have dreamed big and won. Cheers!
Number 1 - It's my husband's birthday. Number 2 - it's the date Mexico gained its independence from Spain.
I'm from Texas.
Welcome aboard, Americans' hearts are in the right place, even if they don't really know history.
When Mexico decides to act like a modern, civilized society -- instead of being mired in its 17th and 18th-century ways, socially and economically -- then, maybe, it will be taken seriously by other countries -- European, American, or otherwise.
All I ever hear from Mexico City is whining about how the US should do more to help Mexico, and how poor everyone is, and how the government needs more "time" to "bring the economy along" -- whateverrrr the hell that's supposed to mean . . .
It seems that the people doing the complaining about "the evils of colonialization" have adopted the practice as their own -- against their own citizens.
I pray we mourn the war in the Middle East soon.
a reason to drink mass quantities of beer to celebrate
driving the snakes outta the country...
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Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.[8] A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day,[9] which actually is September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish),[10] the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.
In 1861, Mexico ceased making interest payments to its main creditors. In response, in late 1861, France (and other European countries) attacked Mexico to try to force payment of this debt. France decided that it would try to take over and occupy Mexico. France was successful at first in its invasion; however, on May 5, 1862, at the city of Puebla, Mexican forces were able to defeat an attack by the larger French army.
So really, the back-story is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates getting away with defiantly failing to meet international obligations?
NO wonder it's so popular here in the U.S.
See
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/%c2%a1salud/
All things considered, dispite the best intentions of non-Latinos in America to honor their Latin neighbors, I cannot think of any particular day in the entire year that would fit the bill- i.e. a day celebrated by all Latinos that is distinctly Latino.
Now that I think about it, the same holds true for most ethnic groups.