Cinco de Mayo

[Sean Klein]

> 
> Okay...so now I know what "Cinco de Mayo" is.  But why is it being
> celebrated in the USA? I could perhaps see it being celebrated in the
> southwest, where you have large hispanic communities...but anywhere else,
> I just don't get it.

Here in California, we've always had a large hispanic population.  This, Cinco de Mayo has always been celebrated.  Nonetheless, it's not something that everyone celebrates - mostly hispanics, people interested in Mexican culture, and the curious.  California hispanics don't celebrate Passover unless they're interested in Jewish culture although I'm sure many are aware of the holiday.  Likewise, in San Francisco the Chinese New Year is a big holiday, even though most people recognize Jan 1 as the "regular" new year.  I guess that's what makes California so great.

> 
> I would think that with the Alamo and all, that Anglo-Texans would be
> rather put-off by the whole thing.
> 
> Do they now celebrate the 4th of July in Mexico?

Jules?  I suspect they don't.

> 
> Are we going to be celebrating Bastille Day here in the US next year?

How about Guy Fawlkes (sp.?) day instead?  We Americans love to blow things up.

> 
> And why all of the use of it as a marketing ploy?
> 
> I suppose all of the above might make me sound like some sort of
> xenophobic, jingoistic nutcase but, honest, I'm not; I just don't
> understand how one moment you've never heard of the thing and the next
> you're seeing it all over the place.

Actually, I think you're correct about this Cinco de Mayo thing being a marketing ploy.  People are trying to sell Mexican beer and using the holiday as an excuse to push it.  Do you see Chinese New Year celebrations in the midwest?  I presume not.  I wouldn't worry too much about it.