Why is "Cinco de Mayo" so popular?

May 5th commemorated the date when 2,000 Mexican soldiers defended themselves from a raid of 6,000 French troops at the Battle of Puebla. After being declared a national holiday by Mexican President Benito Juarez, the date became a symbol of strength for the Mexican people. However, 160 years later, the celebration has extended all over the united states, even reaching non-Hispanic communities. After understanding the origins of this cultural event, we could not help but wonder how Cinco de Mayo became so popular in the U.S.??

Before we dive in, two factors come into play when talking about the popularization of the celebration. One is the growth of Latinx presence in the U.S. and the great underdog story that Cinco de mayo represents. Many experts have pointed out that the anti-imperialist message of the historic event was embraced by Mexican Americans who felt empowered by the bravery of the soldiers who defeated the French troops at Puebla. ?

According to José Alamillo, professor of ethnic studies at Washington State University in Pullman, establishing the "Good Neighbor Policy" by the U.S. played a significant role in popularizing the celebration. The Good Neighbor policy was part of the U.S. efforts to reach out to neighboring countries. Profesor Alamillo, who has studied the cultural impact of Cinco de Mayo north of the border, also noted that "Cinco de Mayo" became a bridge that united two cultures allowing Anglo-Americans to engage with and learn about Mexican culture. Also, by this point, Mexican Americans "were interested in building this relationship because they were asking for certain political demands and more community resources."?

With the beginning of the consumerist era in the 1980s, U.S. companies used cinco de mayo as a bridge to expand their business to the U.S. ever-growing Hispanic market.??

Nowadays, Cinco de Mayo is a mixture of juxtaposed factors that have contributed to a greater or lesser extent to its popularity. Nevertheless, they should not contribute to making us forget the story of self-determination behind it, where brave people overcame a stronger people and emerged victoriously. It should also be a reason to unite Hispanics and non-Hispanics, especially while tensions regarding the debate on immigration continue to build up.?

Source:??

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/100505-cinco-de-mayo-history?

Article by: Nacha M. González Ramos

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