Cinco de Mayo Jokes: It's Really Not Funny

Here is another racist Cinco de Mayo comedy skit that makes fun of Latinos and distorts the holiday as "Cinco de Dos Equis." This is really not funny!

Taking Back Cinco de Mayo

Youth are leading the way in taking back Cinco de Mayo. In San Diego youth are asking liquour stores and restaurants to not display offensive flyers about Cinco de Mayo. These teens are part of the Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo (with pride) Coalition, a statewide group that seeks to reclaim this holiday from the alcohol industry. The group has organized several alcohol-free, family-friendly Cinco de Mayo celebrations between May 2 and 6, including the Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo Para La Familia Festival at National City's Kimball Park.

Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick's Day

This video is another example of how U.S. marketers are linking Cinco with Mayo with St. Patrick's Day. While there are some similarities (expecially the alchohol industry's re-interpretation of these events as drinking holidays) there are important differences. One big difference is that Latino youth are disproportionally exposed to higher amounts of alcohol adverstisements than any other ethnic group (including Irish Americans). Another difference is the negative social stigma produced by Latino stereotypes within Cinco de Mayo advertisements further marginalizes and alienates an already stigmatized racial group that prevents it from advancing politically, educationally, and economically. Lastly, anti-immigrant groups have attacked the celebration of Cinco de Mayo in ways that St. Patrick's Day has not despite both groups having undocumented populations.