4/30/07- Cinco de Mayo, the holiday the U.S. remembers Hispanics are around...and then everybody goes out and has margaritas and/or nachos. We see ads in the paper with Hispanic foods on sale, restaurants create special menus, sales of tortillas, chips, Mexican food, and especially Mexican liquor or beer drinks go through the roof that day. So what the heck are we celebrating? (& why are we guzzling all those margaritas?)
What we are not celebrating (Nope Not This)
Well the thing we are not celebrating the 5th of May is Mexican Independence Day (Independence Day in Mexico is September 16th. Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810).
What we are celebrating (Fiesta everybody!)
The famous May 5th holiday is actually simply the celebration of a rather small battle which occurred in the Mexican state of Puebla in 1862. On May 5th, Mexican forces defeated French forces at the Battle of Puebla.
Who celebrates Cinco de Mayo (Not Mexico so much)
Experts say Cinco de Mayo is actually celebrated more in the U.S., than it is south of the border in Mexico. According to National Geographic:
The anniversary of the victory is celebrated only sporadically in Mexico, mainly in the southern town of Puebla and a few larger cities.
How did Cinco de Mayo become important in U.S.?
How did Cinco de Mayo take on a more significant importance in the U.S. than it does in Mexico? Well in large part thanks to Franklin Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy which was in place from 1933-1945. According to the Smithsonian Institution for Latino Initiatives, the Policy: sought to move away from its aggressive political and military interventionist policy (in Latin America) and promote more liberal relations with Latin America counties through the use of press, radio, motion pictures, and cultural festivals.
The holiday continued a slow growth during the 50-70s, mainly celebrated in southwestern U.S. States with a preponderance of Hispanics. Everything changed when it came to May 5th in the 80s.
The Oh-So Bankable Commercialistic 80s (mucho dough)
American business and corporations began realizing the buying power of the growing minority Hispanic market, and how to cash in? (besides margaritas) Well by celebrating this Hispanic holiday which many corporate U.S. firms mistakenly and with little due diligence thought was Mexican independence. And as the network effect of increasing corporate goals to reach U.S. Hispanic consumers grew, so did the comercialization of the Cinco de Mayo holiday north of the border, in the USA.
So this is why now, Cinco de Mayo has reached the status it has in the new century. So we, (while remembering of course it's historic significance), will be partying on come Saturday 5 de Mayo, 2007. Ole! More margaritas baby!