How to NOT Be Disrespectful This Cinco de Mayo
For my Mexican friends, Happy Cinco de Mayo! For everyone else, we've got some work to do.
If you live in North America, you've seen non-Mexican people, the majority of whom are white, "celebrating" Cinco de Mayo every year--while insulting and degrading Mexicans in the same breath. And that's something we need to talk about, especially in light of the alarmingly high increase of anti-Mexican sentiments among United States residents in particular.
So here are some ways to avoid being insensitive and disrespectful today:
Actually know what Cinco de Mayo is about--It's an important holiday for Mexican people and it commemorates the anniversary of their defeat of the French Army.
DO NOT put on a sombrero and/or fake mustache to "celebrate." Come on. You know darn well that dressing up as a stereotypical, historically racist depiction of Mexican people is messed up. Don't do it.
Don't go around speaking fake Spanish as a joke. Making fun of someone's language isn't okay. (And adding "O" to the end of every word doesn't make you funny. It makes you unoriginal.)
Don't assume that someone who speaks Spanish is Mexican.
Don't have the nerve to "celebrate" today if "illegal" and "Mexican" are the same thing to you OR if you support the "Make America Great Again" doctrine. Not only is that the ultimate insult, it makes you a YUUUUUGE hypocrite. How can you decide that a Mexican holiday is cool, but hate Mexican people? HOW, SWAY?
The bottom line: Cinco de Mayo isn't an excuse for you and your bros to get sh*tfaced off Tequila shots and be racist. Cinco de Mayo is as important to Mexicans as Veterans' Day and Independence Day are to many U.S. Americans. If you can see why and how mocking those particular holidays would be offensive, don't be a hypocrite. Treat Cinco de Mayo--and Mexicans--with respect.