This probably should not come as a surprise, but Cinco De Mayo is a result of U.S. capitalism. Cinco de Mayo is seen as an excuse to get drunk, wear sombreros, for fraternities to throw a party, and go eat at a Mexican restaurant. Some of the U.S. population may believe Cinco de Mayo is the day Mexico adopted its independence, however, this is incorrect. Some of the U.S. population may see Cinco de Mayo as the Mexican St. Patrick’s Day.
Here's a minor history lesson
In 1862, Mexico won the Battle Of Puebla against the French army during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867) against all odds.
When Benito Juarez took the presidency in 1861, Mexico was amidst substantial debt from previous bloody conflicts. European powers such as Britain, Spain, and France came to collect their money and invaded Veracruz. A year later, the French army, under the command of Napoleon III, attempted to make an empire out of Mexico. The Mexican army prevailed in the Battle of Puebla, a keystone victory to winning the war because it proved Mexico will not be subservient to foreign powers. Cinco de Mayo is not a federal Mexican holiday but observed throughout Puebla and other parts of the country. (For your further information, the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) is significantly more celebrated throughout the country, mainly during the month of September.)
The Giant of the North
Current U.S.
politics has shifted towards blatant anti-Mexican sentiments, under the fearless leader, President Donald J. Trump.
Trump hasn't done too well to keep his promises since Mexico refuses to pay for it. Shortly after he gained control of the Oval Office, he stripped federal funding of sanctuary cities (such as New York and Los Angeles), bulking Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol Agency, and ordered construction to begin on the 2,000-mile wall.
The price? An estimated $20 billion. Who’s picking up the bill? U.S. taxpayers.
The irony? U.S. citizens desire immigration reform because immigrants supposedly don’t pay taxes. Unfortunately, this claim is false. Undocumented people still pay U.S. business taxes, employment taxes, federal and state taxes.
The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA for short, ratified 1994, provided a gateway to mass Mexican immigration.
As U.S. companies bought agricultural terrace, people’s way of living no longer served them leaving them jobless, homeless, and stricken with misfortune. Maquiladoras are U.S. factories that implement poor working wages, hours, and conditions, forcing Mexican people to seek refuge.
So yes, ladies, gentlemen, and in-betweeners, you may very well be part of the problem. Supporting a presidential campaign that displaces various groups of people has revoked your rights to appropriate their culture. Please do not parade around in your badly-woven sombreros, eat tacos, and drink tequila “to honor Cinco de Mayo.”
