Taking Back Cinco de Mayo
Ever wonder why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Many people in the United States erroneously believe Cinco de Mayo is celebrating Mexican Independence Day. Others don’t even know why it’s celebrated in the first place. What’s clear is that over the past few decades since its wider adoption across the United States, the true meaning of Cinco de Mayo has been lost.
Open any U.S. history book and you will fail to see the full story of our heritage included. Most Mexican descendants in the U.S. know that Cinco de Mayo isn’t celebrated widely in Mexico at all. Outside of Puebla, Mexican nationals will often look to the media images of wild Cinco bashes in the states and be left scratching their heads.
Erasure from our own textbooks and our representation in the media are parts of the problem, but the worst of it comes from U.S. businesses capitalizing on a culture to sell a product. The grotesque commercialization of Cinco de Mayo has hijacked our culture leaving us with a distilled version of the holiday devoid of any honor for our history, heritage, or culture — aka “Drink-o de Mayo.” Add into the mix, the cultural appropriation of traditional Mexican clothing worn as costume, widespread acceptance of our food and drink with paying Latinx labor a livable wage, and the most common and insidious practice of failing to recognize those of us — many of whom have been here for multiple generations — as Americans and deserving of dignity and humanity.
Today on May 5th, 2021, I invite you to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a new way. By reflecting on and honoring our past by emphasizing the historical significance of this holiday and putting out a call to action.
Because the present-day reflection of Cinco de Mayo is so far off from its historical roots, I want to share more information about the history of the holiday (see below). What I found most enlightening in researching more about Cinco de Mayo is that the Battle of Puebla was seen as not just a win for Mexico but a win for the Union in the Civil War as well.
Today I invite you to learn more about our history and culture, honor our heritage, and take action to support the Mexican-American, Chicanx, and the broader Latinx community.
You can start by sharing this post and reading books on the subject, including “El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition” in addition to others authored by the renowned professor and historian, Dr. David Hayes Bautista. Author and activist Julissa Arce has published award-winning books about her journey as an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the U.S. that offers invaluable insight into stories that many of us share.
If you want to celebrate with food, order takeout from your locally-own Mexican restaurant. Buy from Latinx-owned and operated small businesses today and from now on, since many of these small businesses have gravely suffered from the economic impact of the COVID pandemic.
Moreover, there are a number of Latinx-led organizations that serve the Latinx community and advance our progress towards equity. A few of them are listed below as I have supported them over the years.
Latino Medical Student Association and Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community — Programs that specialize in supporting Latinx students on their career path to medicine to serve the diverse Latinx community.
National Hispanic Medical Association — Nonprofit empowering Hispanic physicians to lead efforts to improve the health of Hispanic and other underserved populations.
Latino Cancer Institute — Nonprofit increasing education, outreach, and support for Latinos around the issues of cancers.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund — Nonprofit supporting Latinx students to and through college.
Latinas in STEM — Nonprofit supporting Latinas to pursue, thrive and advance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Latinos for Education — Nonprofit supporting Latinx education professionals in teaching and education careers.
UnidosUS — Nonprofit advocating for Latinos in the areas of civic engagement, civil rights and immigration, education, workforce, and the economy, health, and housing.
Voto Latino — Nonprofit dedicated to registering Latinx voters and encouraging civic participation.
Poder Latinx — Nonprofit building a political wave where the Latinx community plays a key role in the transformation of our country.
Border Angels — Nonprofit that advocates for human rights, humane immigration reform, and social justice with a special focus on issues related to the U.S.-Mexican border.
Al Otro Lado — Nonprofit providing holistic legal and humanitarian support to indigent refugees, deportees, and other migrants on both sides of the US-Mexico border and beyond.
If you have a specific cause or passion to support, check out HIPGive–a bilingual online giving platform powered by Hispanics in Philanthropy that is focused on advancing Latinx social impact projects and promoting philanthropy across the Americas.
Which nonprofit organizations and small businesses will you be supporting this Cinco de Mayo?
