Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May, is the biggest Mexican holiday in the entire United States. Oh sure, the holiday commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, so kids in that Mexican city get the day off to watch a parade, and gringo-infested beach resorts get a little loco, but the rest of Mexico carries on as usual.
North of the border, it’s a different story. The community-based Mexican-American celebrations were co-opted by marketers for big multinational brewers, tequila importers, and mega-food purveyors. In other words, St. Patrick’s Day with mariachis. Is this a great country, or what?
More:
“Cinco de Mayo: A History Obscured by Beers and Burritos,” Jason Ruiz, Long Beach Post
“U.S. Marketers Turn Cinco de Mayo Into Pan-Ethnic National Celebration, Joel Millman, Wall Street Journal
“Does Mexico Celebrate Cinco De Mayo? Find Out How Holiday Became Mainstream,” Susmita Baral, Latin Times
“Why is Cinco de Mayo More Popular in America Than in Mexico?” Brian Greene, U.S. News & World Report
“Gringo de Mayo,” Gustavo Arellano, OC Weekly
“Cinco de Mayo: A New American Holiday,” Cesar M. Melgoza, Huffington Post
“Cinco De Mayo: Whose Holiday Is It, Anyway?” NPR
“How Not to Be Awful This Cinco de Mayo,” Kelly Williams Brown, Daily Beast
Note: ¿Chilaquiles? Mira aquí.
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Tags: beer, Cinco de Mayo, food, holidays, tequila
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