Posted on 05/05/2009 10:06:49 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
SEATTLE -- With mariachis, tequila and parades, Cinco De Mayo will be celebrated this week in parties across the nation, kicking off a commemoration of Mexican heritage in the United States as a pseudo-holiday that has been adopted by the general population.
But for Dagoberto Reyes, a Salvadorian immigrant living in Los Angeles, May 5 is more a reminder of the dominance Mexican culture has in a country that is home to immigrants from many Latin American countries. His prime example: Los Angeles-area public schools.
"Our kids go to this school system, and the school system is more preoccupied with Mexico's history, and not the rest of Latin America's, much less El Salvador's," said Reyes, director of Casa de la Cultura, a Salvadorian community center. "They came back celebrating Cinco De Mayo. That holiday means nothing to us." [snip]
It's often as simple as commanding the dominant slang - for example, a jacket for Central Americans is "chaqueta," but for Mexicans it is "chamarra" - but it can range to more overt hostility or competition in the work force, and it can spark worries of losing cultural identity.
Ignorance and apathy by Americans adds to the mix.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Cinco de FO.
That’s what this Puerto Rican has been saying for a longgggggggggggggggg time.
Means nothing to a lot of us, just another excuse to party. ;)
The holiday means nothing to most Mexicans either. Meant a lot to Budweiser who was having a hard time selling this foreign beer they used to brew and distribute.
Tell you what Pepe, how about you go down to the nearest French restaurant and try to find somebody who will boo-hoo with you about how the Irish have Saint Patrick's Day all to themselves.
“Cinco De Mayo will be celebrated this week in parties across the nation, kicking off a commemoration of Mexican heritage in the United States as a pseudo-holiday that has been adopted by the general population.”.....
W.T.F.?....adopted by the general population?...I don’t give a rats ass about Cinco De Crapo!....
For me, Sinko De Mayo means an unfortunate feature in my kitchen after sandwiches for supper.
I celebrate Cinco de Mayo by having French Food. The Emperor Max did a lot that was good for Mexico.
“”Our kids go to this school system, and the school system is more preoccupied with Mexico’s history, and not the rest of Latin America’s, much less El Salvador’s,” said Reyes, director of Casa de la Cultura, a Salvadorian community center. “They came back celebrating Cinco De Mayo. That holiday means nothing to us.” ......
Ignorance and apathy by Americans adds to the mix.”
_______________
A little US History would benefit them all.....they left their countries, don’t drag them here to us.
Re: “That’s what this Puerto Rican has been saying for a longgggggggggggggggg time.”
**********
I have worked with and met on vacations many Latinos (other than Mexicans) who are sick to death of all the attention paid to Mexico. Once on a cruise ship from Miami into the Caribbean there was a huge group of Latinos and we got to talking with them; they spoke perfect English and were having a great time. This was long ago, around 1982.
Someone asked them if they were from Mexico and oh, the horror! The reaction was amazing — “NO, we are not Mexicans, we are CUBAN, from Miami!!!” They were not angry but really wanted others to know they were most definitely NOT Mexican.
Here in Los Angeles I worked with a young woman I thought at first was Mexican — lovely person, well spoken, attractive family, etc. Well, someone asked her about Mexico and she went nuts — again, not angry, but wanting to set us all straight — “I am from Guatemala, NOT Mexico!!”
She went on to criticize many of the millions of ‘cholos’ in L.A. who she saw as ruining life for other Latinos in America. Of course, this young woman and family were here legally, so she was ‘anti-illegal immigrants.’
One more example was the house painters I used recently — great group of guys, highly recommended, all related, but from Peru! To the uninitiated they could be from any Latino group. As I talked with them I found they, too, are proud citizens of the U.S., here legally, and wishing they could somehow remove the multitudes of Mexicans, espeially illegals.
So yes, I hear you re being irked by “Mexican dominance.” Clearly, you are not alone!
I celebrate Cinco de Mayo by flying a small American flag from my car antenna.
i love cinco de crapo. i’ll be tending bar tonight, gonna have me lots of white boys drinking coronas and dos equis all night celebrating the mexican “fourth of july” LOL
more funny will be the group of 20-something 5th gen mexicans that have no idea what the holiday is really for, but will party anyway.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
How about US history, the reason why they came to this country in the first place.
Cinco de Mayo: Americans take a minor Mexican holiday about winning a battle in a lost war and turn it into a drinking party.
St. Patrick's Day: Americans take an Irish holy day celebrating their patron saint and turn it into a drinking party.
Oktoberfest: Americans take a German drinking party and ... well, screw it up with Bud Light.
lots of white boys drinking coronas and dos equis all night celebrating the mexican “fourth of july” LOL
Obama voters for sure!
Americans take a German drinking party and ... well, screw it up with Bud Light.
Doesn’t a German company own Bud Beer now?
I fail to see why it should.
"Sinko" de Mayo is right up there with "kwanzaa." A made up fiction known only in the southwest. Even the Mexicans (in Mexico) don't care.
If I were them I would simply ignore the whole thing and go about my life.
Unless, of course, they can't resist any excuse to party.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.