With Cinco de Mayo having come and gone, there have been a fair share of parties culturally themed with Mexican culture, such as people wearing sombreros and doing the “Mexican hat dance”. Not only is this not fair to self-identifying Mexicans who endure discrimination and microaggressions but also the tendency of denying people but not their culture. Nonetheless, we must stay aware of other people’s cultures and highlight them in a way where we not only show appreciation to the culture but recognize people and their associated accomplishments.
With a lot of protests happening lately it can be easily noted that discrimination is a rising issue that has drastically gone up since the election of Donald Trump. It is okay to have cultural themed socials as long as there is an understanding of the history of the culture and there is no mocking of said culture. In a country where the United States has been labeled as a “melting pot”, celebrating diversity is a step forward to raising sensitivity on other people’s backgrounds. Speak to your friends, take a class, look online to find ways to properly acknowledge a culture or event. We still have Native American Citizenship Day (June 15) coming up, Disability Independence Day (July 26), and more so if you want to participate in social gathered themes, educate yourselves and those around you.
If you didn’t already know, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. It is to commemorate the Mexican’s Army victory over the French Forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexican Independence Day is September 16. What are the odds that someone was celebrating the loss of their country’s battle?