Cinco De Mayo: The Mexican Halloween

By Victor Landa, NewsTaco

There’s a part of me that’s glad Cinco de Mayo is over and done with for this year. I tried to avoid the sombrero and cerveza hoopla as much as I could, and I succeeded, as long as I avoided mass media and kept myself within the confines of dark spaces under large rocks.

I’m not complaining, that would be as futile as trying to avoid the over-the-top Cinco de Mayo marketing barrage – it’s useless.  What I’m saying is mostly self-congratulatory, like reaching the end of a marathon without passing out. The difference is that a marathoner chooses his torture; mine is not self inflicted. I don’t like Cinco de Mayo, as it’s now done here in the U.S.

I won’t bore you with esoteric history about the true meaning of the date and about how the Mexican army triumphantly defeated the French forces at Puebla (no one mentions how eleven months later the French literally walked into Mexico city, after the politics and dynamics within Mexico dramatically changed).  But I will say this: it nags at me that Cinco de Mayo is supposed to be a celebration about people like me (who look like me, with whom I share a heritage) and yet it has absolutely nothing to do with who I am.

Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. is a caricature. I heard it described as the Latino Halloween, and I didn’t find that insulting, because there’s a huge piece of truth in that. It’s so incredibly and purposefully misguided and misdirected that it’s lost its connection with its original meaning. It’s misguided because the general belief is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s independence – and we all know that’s not true.  I’ll reiterate the obvious: Mexico’s independence is September 16th. But somehow, someone other than people of Mexican heritage have taken over that false premise, built a “fiesta” around it and used it as an emblematic celebration of their idea of what people of Mexican heritage should be – replete with piñatas and sombreros and  streamers and beer – thank you very much. My sense of compassion rises for those Latinos who are not of Mexican heritage and who get lumped-in to the Cinco de Mayo morass.

I understand the cultural expression of all things Mexican in the U.S. that surrounds the celebration of the day.  I understand the historic significance of the Tejanos who volunteered and fought along with the Mexican troops who defeated the French. I’m as proud as anyone of my history and my heritage.

But that doesn’t mean I have to like the Mexican Halloween.

On the other hand…there’s this: the guys who’ve made a mockery out of Cinco de Mayo did so taking advantage of a false belief that it represented Mexican independence; these are the same guys who’ve cheapened the Fourth of July through kitschy marketing and blow-out sales. As an American of Mexican heritage I should be doubly insulted. But, if I can rise above the July Fourth marketing mire to celebrate the true meaning of the day, I should be able to do the same for Cinco de Mayo.

I resent the caricature, I don’t buy into it, I don’t like it, but I understand where it’s headed. When I see a picture of one of those novelty celebrities (the one’s who are celebrities for celebrity’s sake – enter your reality star du jour here) wearing a sombrero, holding a bottle of tequila in one hand and maracas in another, I’ll know we’ve arrived.