If you think Cinco De Mayo is just an excuse to drink margaritas and wear a sombrero, you are not alone. But there is a real story behind the day, and it is not Mexican Independence Day\u2014no matter what your local bar\u2019s chalkboard says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udf89 The Real Story:<\/strong> Cinco De Mayo marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, when a scrappy Mexican army beat the French on May 5, 1862. Yes, you read that right. It is not about independence. It is about a single, unlikely win against a much bigger force. In Mexico, the day is mostly celebrated in the state of Puebla with parades and reenactments. For the rest of Mexico, it is just another day on the calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf79 Party Time in America: <\/strong>In the United States, Cinco De Mayo has taken on a life of its own. Here, it is a full-blown party. Think street festivals, mariachi bands, and enough tacos to feed a small army. For many, it is a way to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage. For others, it is a reason to order that extra round of guacamole. Either way, it is a big deal\u2014especially in cities with large Mexican-American communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 The Hypocrisy:<\/strong> Cinco De Mayo is more than just a party. It is a reminder of the deep roots Mexican culture has in the United States. There are many Mexican families in the western part of the country who have been here longer than the United States has been a country. In a time when immigration is a hot topic, the day is a chance to see how Mexican traditions have shaped American life. It is also a moment to think about how we treat our neighbors\u2014 whether they just moved here or their families have been here for generations. It is a time to reflect on how much we as a society value Mexican culture, but don’t always value the people that culture represents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f Take Action:<\/strong> If you are heading out to celebrate, maybe skip the fake mustache and take a minute to learn the real story. Support local Mexican-owned businesses. Try something new from the menu. And if you are feeling bold, brush up on your Spanish. Just do not call it Mexican Independence Day\u2014 unless you want to get an eye roll from anyone who knows better. Remember, the people who own that restaurant where you drink your Margaritas are people too and deserve dignity and respect. Their ancestors were living on this continent long before your ancestors arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[mailerlite_form form_id=38]\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you think Cinco De Mayo is just an excuse to drink margaritas and wear a sombrero, you are not alone. But there is a real story behind the day, and it is not Mexican Independence Day\u2014no matter what your local bar\u2019s chalkboard says. \ud83c\udf89 The Real Story: Cinco De Mayo marks the anniversary of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":948,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10348],"tags":[17872],"class_list":["post-221466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-you-can-use","tag-cinco-de-mayo","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/948"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=221466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221466\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=221466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=221466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=221466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}