# Why do Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/719309 "2015-05-05T12:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/719309/81 "2015-05-21T21:40:48Z")
August 8th. My birthday. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/719309/82 "2015-05-23T01:57:30Z")
Cinco de Drinko, man, Cinco de Drinko. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/719309/83 "2015-05-24T18:49:04Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > Although I think the mystery isn’t “why do Americans celebrate a Mexican holiday?” it’s why did they pick Cinco de Mayo (which as I understand it is a pretty minor holiday in Mexico) instead of, say, Mexican Independence Day? > [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](#): > > That’s much more puzzling to me than why we celebrate it at all. De facto \_\_\_ Heritage Days aren’t unusual, but they’re generally a major \_\_\_ holiday, whereas this is a minor Mexican holiday outside the state where it actually happened. Explained in the links provided. California, which, by the way, once was Mexico (and so was Texas), had a bunch of Mexicans who celebrated over the victory of the Mexican army at Puebla over the French Army. This started the holiday tradition in California. As the Mexican American pride movements began to spread in the 1940s and 1950s, it became a way for Mexican Americans to connect with the heritage from Mexico while having a connection to US history as well. The implication that the French would have used Mexico as a base to aid the Confederates is widespread, if perhaps not accurate. At any rate, Cinco de Mayo took off in America because it spread from the Californian Mexican community. It became popular first in areas with large Mexican heritage populations, like Houston. Then in the late 1980s and early 1990s, beer distributors got in on the act as a way to promote Mexican beer (read Corona). That pushed the holiday from Mexican American heritage to a popular drinking holiday, just like St. Patrick’s Day or Octoberfest. In fact, according to the links provided, it actually outsells those other two days for beer sales. I don’t think you’re going to get that by only catering to Mexican Americans. That takes mainstream recognition - of the excuse to party, anyway. > [@Potestas](#): > > I’ve never heard of a straight up Caucasian person celebrating Cinco de Mayo, I’ve always known it as a Mexican holiday. You must not watch The Tonight Show. Jimmy Fallon mentioned it in his monologue, and all the partying. They even sent a “reporter” down to the street to “interview” people. All the people they talked to were white, some of them slipping in comments about partying. > [@cochrane](#): > > Do you have any idea how many Hispanic people there are living in the U.S. whose grandparents and great-grandparents were born here? I would dare say that there are more Hispanic-American citizens than there are illegal immigrants. And, as I mentioned, some of these places were once Mexico, so there’s that. > [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](#): > > I’m an American and I don’t celebrate it because simply put its not my holiday. I don’t particularly celebrate it, because I don’t go partying and drinking to get drunk. The idea of avoiding it because you aren’t Mexican is kinda silly. It’s not just for celebrating being Mexican, but exploring and celebrating other cultures that you aren’t a part of. Or at least it can be. That’s why there are things like a Greek Festival or International Festival sponsored, for instance, in Houston. Go and find out, or go and enjoy the cuisine and culture. Or stay home and sit on the couch, like me. > [@tadtooornamental](#): > > They were very unlikely aiming for Quatro de Mayo, and instead attempting to make an[Arrested Development](http://arresteddevelopment.wikia.com/wiki/Cinco_de_Cuatro) reference. No, I think they were aiming for _Seis_ de Mayo, unless they wanted to have an orgy in Hellman’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/719309.md?page=4)