Ok - here's a question for you - a couple actually. How many here are Irish? Did you wear green on St. Patrick's Day? Did you eat corn beef hash and drink green beer? Did they have a parade in your town? What the hell does that have to do with being American? How many are Italian? What did you do on Columbus Day? You know he didn't actually discover the land on which the United States resides right? What does Columbus Day have to do with being American? How many of you are German? Are you going to celebrate Oktoberfest? How about Swiss days?
All I am saying is that Cinco de Mayo has become as much a part of U.S. culture, especially in certain areas as other holidays that aren't "American" either. Most Mexican-Americans, who have no more ties to Mexico than most Irish-Americans do to Ireland will celebrate their heritage and culture for one day a year. So what is really the big deal? Guess what guys - we live in the 3rd largest Spanish speaking country in the world. There are more people that speak Spanish as their native language in the U.S. than there are in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and all of the Caribbean. And that population is only going to grow, legally and illegally. We can't stop them from coming. We have it too good here compared to where they live. This is a great country with no real homogenous ethnic identity. "We" are us much Irish as we are English, Swedish as we are Polish, Greek as we are Italian, African as Asian, Latin as Anglo. If you were living in a different country wouldn't you still celebrate the 4th of July? Hell, I'm from Utah originially but I live in Texas and I still celebrate the 24th of July! It doesn't have any significance to my neighbors but it does to me and they have to put up with my MOTAB for a day just like I have to put up with their Tigres del Norte. Whoop-dee-doo!
Also, Cinco de Mayo wouldn't be nearly as big if wasn't as commercialized as it is. Take a look around at the advertising that is going on. It is big big money! Did you notice the new Bud Light Lime - why do you think they waited until May to release it? I guarantee you that ALL of the ethnic holidays are important to the beverage companies in this country, and THAT is why they are perceived to be so celebrated in this country.
I understand your frustrations with illegal aliens and the institutionalized double standards that exist surrounding ethnic minority groups, but don't blame the people for being from that country, blame capitalism and multi-culturism. Don't blame anything really - sit down, kick back, have a Corona and some tamales, just like the green beer and corn-beef and sauerkraut you eat on St. Patrick's day and be glad you live in a free country were you can celebrate whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want to. ;-)
UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)
