Cinco de Mayo: A Commonly Misunderstood Holiday
I’ll be honest, before researching this article, I barely knew what Cinco de Mayo was about. And if you’re not Mexican, I’m sure you’re in the exact same position. And frankly, that’s unfortunate! There shouldn’t be this huge lack of knowledge surrounding a national holiday that’s been observed since the 1860s!
If you’ve grown up in the US, you may have unfortunately associated Cinco de Mayo with harmful stereotypes. Many of us are far too familiar with Cinco de Mayo being known as “a drinking holiday”, an excuse for white Americans to drink dubious amounts of tequila. Which is why it’s important to discuss what Cinco de Mayo is truly about; not about white-washed parties, but about Mexican heritage.
Cinco de Mayo’s History & What It Is
Let’s quickly address what Cinco de Mayo is not. It is not Mexican Independence Day. And it is not the Day of the Dead (or Día de Los Muertos). Actually, Mexican Independence Day is on September 16th, while Day of the Dead is on November 1st.
So, what is it? What does Cinco de Mayo observe? Well, it commemorates a single battle. Just one battle, known as the Battle of Puebla. This battle took place on May 5th, 1862.
It followed the Mexican Civil War, where at the time the country was in financial ruin. The President of Mexico, Benito Juárez Garcia, unfortunately, did not have enough funds to make payments on the country’s debts to foreign governments. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to demand repayment, and only Britain and Spain withdrew after negotiations were made. France, on the other hand, decided this was the perfect opportunity to invade Mexico, expanding the French empire. In late 1861, French fleets stormed Veracruz and forced the Mexican government to retreat.
Additionally, 6,000 French troops were ready to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. It was then that the President comprised a ragtag team of 2000 loyal Mexicans, most of them being farmers. This army was led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. When the battle began at daybreak, Zaragoza’s men were ready; and by the evening hours, the Mexican army had stood their ground, forcing the French to retreat. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the fight, while the French had lost nearly 500.
Because of this victory, Mexicans rejoiced. Most notably, Mexican-Americans in California were celebrating too. At this time, Mexican-Americans were worried that if the French had prevailed, they would support the Confederacy and further divide the US (possibly prolonging slavery too). But thankfully, this was prevented. Hence why since the 1860s, Cinco de Mayo was and is an important date to both Mexico and the US.
Why it’s Important
Or why it’s less important? Because, apparently, it’s considered a minor holiday in Mexico. I mainly discovered this after talking to one of my best friends, Veronica Rocha, who happens to be Mexican-American. She enlightened me, saying, “As far as I know, it’s not celebrated throughout Mexico. It’s just a few areas, mostly the city of Puebla, that are really into it.” And then, she continued to explain how that it's more ceremonial at best; In fact, her own family treats Cinco de Mayo like any other day. And in other articles I’ve found, this fact is reiterated.
So, if Cinco de Mayo isn’t celebrated in Mexico as extensively as Christmas for example, then why do we see so many people today in the US throw elaborate parties? Well as stated before, the Battle of Puebla was important to US history, in that the outcome could have affected the American Civil War. (And not in a positive way to say the least). But, with confidence, I think it’s safe to say that most Americans don’t know that. So why do they celebrate it? And why do some, unfortunately, end up stereotyping Mexicans in the process? Well, it’s good ol’ white supremacy.
Cultural Appropriation
As stated before, the US had celebrated Cinco de Mayo since Mexico had won the battle. But the holiday sort of lost traction, and wasn't acknowledged as much shortly after. This simply was due to assimilation. Simply put, many Mexican-Americans had wished to be seen as “white” so that they could gain civil rights. But they learned, in an effort to be white, that this was hurting them.
It wasn’t until the 1960s, that Mexican-Americans abandoned all efforts to assimilate, and instead embraced their heritage. They reclaimed the word, “chicano” and celebrated their Indigenous roots. While this movement began, Chicano activists decided to revitalize Cinco de Mayo.
But unfortunately, once it had been revived, it was taken away through capitalism. By the 1970s and 1980s, beer and wine companies used the holiday to market towards Hispanic customers. Their advertisements were successful, and eventually, it was broadened. Because of this, white Americans would associate Cinco de Mayo with drinking. And because of the lack of positive representation, all the negative stereotypes shortly came after.
I cannot safely say when white Americans decided it was a good idea to wear mustaches and sombreros to celebrate, but obviously, this is one of the worst acts of cultural appropriation out there. Not only is it racist, but it's such a hollow cheap act. It does not honor Mexican heritage or its history in any way.
But the commercial whitewashing is the real tragedy behind Cinco de Mayo. It is because of white power, that black and brown stories are being erased. Literally in front of our eyes!
So, if any white Americans want to properly honor Cinco de Mayo, it's incredibly important to educate yourself on its history first; It’s important to ignore the grand white narrative for a second, to focus on the narratives not being told.
More Than a Drinking Holiday
Cinco de Mayo recognizes both the bicultural identity of a Mexican-American, while unabashedly celebrating Mexican nationalism. But while some of its roots are inexplicably tied to the US, that doesn’t excuse any acts of cultural appropriation and white supremacy.
Prior to Covid-19, Cinco de Mayo celebrations were widespread in this country, most notably in cities such as Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Antonio, Sacramento, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver, and El Paso. Because of this fact alone, it is rather difficult to tell non-Hispanics not to celebrate. But it is important for everyone to recognize their own biases towards Mexicans. It’s important to recognize that Cinco de Mayo isn’t just a drinking holiday, but a day where people across borders stood in solidarity against imperialism.
If you are considering to commemorate this upcoming Cinco de Mayo, please remember the systemic discrimination that Mexicans have faced and are still facing today. Do not participate in reckless parties full of fake Mexican food and booze, but rather share their story and support Mexican businesses. Maybe even try to volunteer for a Hispanic and Latino organization.
Header: Jeremy Harris / Unsplash
By Farah Sallam
