Comments on: Happy Cinco de Mayo http://susiemadrak.com/2008/05/05/06/56/happy-cinco-de-mayo/ Keeping a jaundiced eye on the corporate media. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:10:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: JJ http://susiemadrak.com/2008/05/05/06/56/happy-cinco-de-mayo/#comment-142532 JJ Tue, 06 May 2008 03:47:17 +0000 http://susiemadrak.com/?p=24732#comment-142532 Henry is dead on. Try asking a random drinker what Cinco de Mayo commemorates. If said drinker knows it's a Mexican military victory, that sucker's way ahead of a student of mine, who didn't know that it commemorated anything. I assume she just thought it was a good excuse to drink, although that is something for which college students have never needed an excuse. Oh, and see if ANYONE can tell you whom the Mexicans defeated. Henry is dead on. Try asking a random drinker what Cinco de Mayo commemorates. If said drinker knows it’s a Mexican military victory, that sucker’s way ahead of a student of mine, who didn’t know that it commemorated anything.

I assume she just thought it was a good excuse to drink, although that is something for which college students have never needed an excuse.

Oh, and see if ANYONE can tell you whom the Mexicans defeated.

]]> By: Izquierdo http://susiemadrak.com/2008/05/05/06/56/happy-cinco-de-mayo/#comment-142486 Izquierdo Mon, 05 May 2008 20:17:55 +0000 http://susiemadrak.com/?p=24732#comment-142486 The San Jose Police Department is celebrating by detaining just about every Hispanic male between the ages of 15 and 30 that it can find downtown. The San Jose Police Department is celebrating by detaining
just about every Hispanic male between the ages of 15 and
30 that it can find downtown.

]]> By: Henry http://susiemadrak.com/2008/05/05/06/56/happy-cinco-de-mayo/#comment-142482 Henry Mon, 05 May 2008 16:59:03 +0000 http://susiemadrak.com/?p=24732#comment-142482 Cinco de Mayo--chosen by Chicano student activists as a day for rallies and whatnot in the 70's because it was too hard to organize anything on September 16th, which is too close to the beginning of the school year. Appropriated by Budweiser and Coors shortly thereafter as a celebration of all things beerish. Then by the places that sell Margaritas. Then by baseball teams and other popular entertainment businesses that wanted something Mexish but not too much so. Which is to say that Mexican-Americans are the new Irish and Cinco de Mayo is the new St. Paddy's Day. It took a few decades for the native-born Americans to get over the Irish and the Germans and presumably the hinterlands will get over the presence of Mexicans eventually. We'll find some other bunch of immigrants to demonize in thirty years. Cinco de Mayo–chosen by Chicano student activists as a day for rallies and whatnot in the 70’s because it was too hard to organize anything on September 16th, which is too close to the beginning of the school year.
Appropriated by Budweiser and Coors shortly thereafter as a celebration of all things beerish. Then by the places that sell Margaritas. Then by baseball teams and other popular entertainment businesses that wanted something Mexish but not too much so.
Which is to say that Mexican-Americans are the new Irish and Cinco de Mayo is the new St. Paddy’s Day. It took a few decades for the native-born Americans to get over the Irish and the Germans and presumably the hinterlands will get over the presence of Mexicans eventually. We’ll find some other bunch of immigrants to demonize in thirty years.

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