Posted on 04/26/2018 10:47:18 AM PDT by cll
Around this time every year, Cinco de Mayo promotions start popping up around the United States, and regrettably now, in many parts of the world. Except the Spanish-heritage world, of course.
What? Isn't Cinco de Mayo THE top, all-Hispanic-culture-encompassing "holiday"? Why, it is also around this time that my Spanish-heritage brethren (aka, Hispanics, or the loathsome label, Latinos) start getting Cinco de Mayo greetings from Anglos and others, and start posting their absurd and often hilarious experiences on social media for the enjoyment of us spiks. A Puerto Rican U.S. Air Force Major being designated as the base's Cinco de Mayo celebrations coordinator. A Cuban doctor being brought Mexican-themed gifts by his Anglo patients. Bars promoting Chihuahua dog races. In all, a total hispandering fest.
When this started to become a thing, back in the 90s, I guess, I asked my Puerto Rican wife - who had lived in Mexico for five years - what was the big deal with Cinco de Mayo, wasn't Mexican Independence Day on some other date? She had no clue, so she started calling friends in Mexico who told her that it was something they observed in Puebla, something to do with a French invasion.
So it turns out, that Cinco de Mayo is a minor observance in Mexico, not even a real holiday, commemorating the Battle of Puebla which virtually no one outside of that city had heard about.
How did this footnote in Mexican history became a symbol for all Spanish-heritage peoples in the U.S.? The hell do we know. I think it has to do in part due to the idiocy of pigeon-holing all "Hispanics" within a Mexican framework, in the false narrative that all of us of Spanish heritage are a homogeneous demography. In part also due to how gullible the general public is to marketing campaigns who cleverly invent gimmicks such as these to sell lousy beer.
What's more incredible, though, is how governments and other public institutions fall for these ploys also, to the extent of making this day an official holiday or celebration, and wasting taxpayer dollars in observing this, the other made-up holiday.
So, a word to the wise for my Anglo, African, Far Eastern, Irish, German, Scandinavian, Italian, and other hyphenated American friends: do us a favor and if you encounter a Hispanic/Latino/Puerto Rican/Cuban and other non-Mexican, Spanish-heritage person, DO NOT wish him a Happy Cinco de Mayo if you don't want him to give you a puzzled look, as a minimum, or even laugh at your face.
And yes, no self-respecting Mexican that I know would even drink Corona. At all.
The Battle of Puebla is a big deal in Puebla, Mexico. The American connection is apparently due to the particular hatred Mexicans in California had for the French around the time of the US Civil War.
I call all local festivals the “make a buck festival”. This one’s just bigger.
Cinco de Mayo is an excuse for Americans of all ethnicities to drink margaritas and eat guacamole. Which is fine by me.
I drink margaritas and Irish whiskey every week of the year!
Coincidentally I’m leaving for France that day....
>>How did this footnote in Mexican history became a symbol for all Spanish-heritage peoples in the U.S.? The hell do we know. I think it has to do in part due to the idiocy of pigeon-holing all “Hispanics” within a Mexican framework, in the false narrative that all of us of Spanish heritage are a homogeneous demography. In part also due to how gullible the general public is to marketing campaigns who cleverly invent gimmicks such as these to sell lousy beer.<<
Beg to differ. Cinco de Mayo is easily pronounced by Gringos and was created as an excuse to sell lots and lots of beer. Like “Secretaries Day” and “MIL Day” and “whatever Day” for cards and flowers but bigger.
The reason Corona stinks is it is in a clear bottle that gets easily turned in sunlight. That is where that stuid lime came from — to cover the skunky taste.
Related note: In the Mexico tequila culture, Jose Cuervo is a curse word and rightly so.
Drinko de Mayo
It’s just a drinking holiday. Nothing more.
It’s like complaining about St. Patrick’s day, and there is virtually nothing realistic about any aspect of it other than St. Patrick was a real person, was made a saint, and he was in Ireland t some point.
It is a minor observance in Ireland, and is used by Irish people in America as a day of “pride”, which I suppose if getting p*ss drunk helps that, then whatever.
folks wanna drink. that’s all.
Its a marketing tool to sell beer and tacos. Shameless merchants don’t give a damn about anything except sales.
When I was 17 I visited my brother in college. He was attending a small Catholic college outside of Charlotte, NC. This was in 1973. The weekend I got there the whole campus was abuzz, literally, because the Corona Beer Company had come by with all kinds of free promos and tons of Corona beer and all the kids were gushing about this thing called “Cinco De Mayo’’. To this day I grit my teeth in anger every May 5th. because for one thing I despise Mexico and it’s people and I don’t understand why Americans are celebrating a holiday of a bunch of people and a nation that hates us and is nothing more than a parasite to our country.
I call all local festivals the “make a buck festival”. This one’s just bigger.
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Good for them if they can make an honest buck.
Ceenco de Drinko
We need to celebrate Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Day
It signifies the American victory over Mexico in 1848
February 2nd
Beer holiday.
I’m with you. I’m 64 and just got burned out on them. All of them. In seattle we had salmon days, nibble of renton, bite of Seattle, etc. Here in Kentucky we have Ham days, Cow days, Bourbon festival, etc.
In all seriousness, they are all basically the same thing. It’s just one big blur for me. But that’s only because I went to a LOT of them in my 20’s and 30’s. I just got burned out.
Wow! They beat the French--whose national anthem is "I Surrender, Dear"!
Wasn’t it Dos Equis beer That started this? In like the 1980s
For me it’s become a National day of observance of our incredibly ignorant and mostly stupid liberal culture. Primarily the fake news MSM.
After all, what could a fake journalist love more than a fake holiday.
I’m 67 and I agree with you 100%. I hate crowds and lines and noise.
On the other hand, your Kentucky Ham days sounds really good. :) But it’s a long ways from Colorado so I’ll have to pass. Lol
I was stationed at Fort Campbell and loved Kentucky. I almost married a girl from Frankfort.
No more Cinco de Mayo. Go full-on Nerd. It’s Revenge of the 5th. Which comes the day after May the 4th be with you...
I look forward to the Revenge of the Fifth.
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