Most of Mexico does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. In fact, only one of Mexico’s 31 states really considers it a holiday.
Victor Canales spent part of his life growing up in Mexico and said he never really knew about Cinco de Mayo before coming to the U.S.
“You heard it in the history classes in Mexico, but it’s not like here where it’s a big deal,” Canales said. “It was really surprising, especially when people are downtown when you see people getting margaritas or wearing sombreros or serapes.”
To address American misconceptions about the day, members of the College Assistance Migrant Program’s Equity and Diversity Unit will host an informative presentation.
“More Than Tequila and Tacos: Reframing Cinco de Mayo,” will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Room 040A of the Bruce Pitman Center.
Canales is one of the two people leading the presentation. He said they wanted to put it on to educate people about Cinco de Mayo and to combat the harmful stereotypes he sees during American celebrations.
“An example would be Champions downtown who calls their event ‘Cinco de Drinko,’” Canales said. “So they’re commercializing the event and pretty much taking something from the Mexican culture. It’s not accurate.”
He said events like that sell the idea that all Mexicans are drunks, which they are not. His co-presenter Christina Vasquez said the stereotypes and generalizations hurt people who identify as Mexican, Mexican-American or Chicano.
“You feel frustrated that your culture boils down to sombreros, serapes and moustaches, which is not what our culture is,” Vasquez said. “It just shows that it’s pretty easy for people to see Mexicans that way, but how come Mexicans aren’t seen as leaders, as students, as professionals?”
The presentation will educate attendees about Mexican culture and the history of Cinco de Mayo, Vasquez said. She said the historical event is tied to when an undermanned and undersupplied army near Puebla fought off the much larger and well-equipped French army in the 1860s. She said Cinco de Mayo is big in the state of Puebla these days, but is not celebrated in most of Mexico.
She said it entered American culture in the 1960s, when people of Mexican heritage who grew up in the U.S., also called Chicanos, introduced it.
“They brought it as way to celebrate and to show their pride in their Mexican culture and they wanted the U.S. and people to understand what the Mexican culture was about,” Vasquez said. “However, people grabbed the idea and they just decided to use it as they pleased.”
The commercialization of the holiday gets in the way of recognizing the culture, Vasquez said, and many American businesses capitalize on the celebration. Canales said it’s OK to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, as long as it’s done appropriately. He said instead of going to a place that’s doing “Cinco de Drinko,” go somewhere like La Casa Lopez or La Madrid, where local Mexican families own the business.
“You can still do it, but it’s just the way you do it. If you understand the reason behind it, the purpose, and you try to educate others about it, too,” Canales said. “There’s nothing wrong with celebrating Cinco de Mayo. I’d be willing to celebrate it too, but just for me it’s not that big of a deal.”
Jack Olson can be reached at [email protected]