"The Fifth of May" is a celebration of Mexico's glorious defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla, in 1862. This proved a short-lived victory, since the French subsequently invaded Mexico City and occupied it for five years.
This minor battle is commemorated by an equally minor holiday in Mexico. However, it is much more important in the United States of Aztlan (U.S.A.).
I see this as multicultism in action. It is not just an appreciation of Mexican heritage--i.e., corrupt "government," low wages and unemployment, and moral depravity, to name a few cultural gems. No, it's a recognition of Mexican nationals overcoming invaders of their country; as such, it has no significance outside Montezuma's domain. That Americans of all ethnicities recognize it reveals the depth of Mexican influence on this country, as well as the cluelessness of the average celebrant. "Oh, you mean it's an opportunity to get plastered, and have a swell time? Sign me up! Who cares if it has no relevance for me, as an American. I'll split the tequila worm with ya." Keep in mind, too, that a large portion of those who cherish this holiday are illegal aliens--uh, I mean exclusionary employees or propagators of familial standards. I keep confusing the terms.
This observance is one of Mexican nationalism, not American cohesion. More directly, one who immigrates to this country with prior loyalties may have abandoned his birthplace physically, but his love for it lives on in his heart, as if he stood knee-deep in its fields. Thus, he is in no wise an American. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "a hyphenated American is not an American at all."
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