Though Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of an important battle won by Mexico against an invading French army, the fifth day in May is not celebrated in Mexico, says Elaine Rielly, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia. It's more commercialized here.
Companies exploit the date for a big selling day.
James Hernandez, the executive director of the California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, contends that the day has lost its original intent. It's supposed to be an Irish holiday, but it too has become a drinking holiday. Popularized by Mexican American activists in the 1960s and 1970s as a way to celebrate their heritage, Cinco de Mayo seems to have lost some of its political edge. Hernandez and others have expressed concern for the promotion of drinking to a community with high alcohol abuse. Particularly for Mexican American males, alcohol abuse is high.