By Dennis Kelly

April 19, 2025

We had dinner last night at a local Mexican Restaurant. Most of the wait staff are of Mexican descent. As our waiter Roberto was taking our order I asked if the restaurant was planning a big celebration for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo. This guy was pretty savvy and sort of rolled his eyes and asked why would we do that? Knowing the truth myself I kidded him and I said, “You Know” for the big Mexican Independence Day celebration. Roberto gave us a quick history lesson about this charade telling us

Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on September 16th where they gained Independence from Spain in 1821. Then what is Cinco de Mayo one might ask? Historically, Mexico claimed victory at the Battle of Puebla over the French on May 5th, 1862 during a complicated struggle called The Reformed War and has nothing to do with Mexico’s Independence Day.

In truth Cinco de Mayo began as a form of resistance by the “Chicano Movement” around the 1970’s pointed exclusively at the United States for the Mexican-American War 1846-1848 where the U.S. annexed Texas and ultimately acquired the New Mexico and California territories.

So how did it become a pseudo–American Holiday? Money of course. By the 1980’s, companies, mainly beer companies began commercializing the May 5th date as Mexican Party Day or perhaps “Corona Day!” Actually, it has morphed into “Hispanic Day” with parades in major cities across the nation.

Now I don’t begrudge those Americans of Mexican descent their pride and nationality, just as I have of my Irish heritage. And like St. Patrick’s Day it appears to me that it has grown into another marketing scheme by a bunch of beer companies turning an obscure Mexican battle into national Corona – XX Dos Equis bash. How long before our congress critters figure out, we need to declare Cinco de Mayo a Federal Holiday to garner the support of our Hispanic brethren, here legally or not? Is that a stretch? I mean let’s take Juneteenth for instance, which after waiting 160 years, became a Federal Holiday in 2021 commemorating the end of slavery on June 19th 1865.

Prior to that or still to this day, I bet not one in one hundred or maybe a thousand, black or white could tell you anything about Juneteenth or what it actually represents. In fact, I remember asking my postal clerk after it became a federal holiday if they knew what Juneteenth represented. They said, I don’t know but I’m glad I have the day off. Do you see how important these holidays are to the general public? Doesn’t it warm your heart?

So don’t be surprised with a nation recently over run with 15 million illegals from south of the border that we see an effort to make May 5th, an ostensibly anti U.S. Chicano Movement, turned from national party time into a federal holiday. Is it still okay to Remember the Alamo? At least we still have Columbus Day.

© 2025 Dennis Kelly – All Rights Reserved

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