Day 338: Cinco de Give it a Rest

Cinco de Mayo and Patriotism, both Mexican and American style. In case you were too busy watching American Idol or Survivor, yesterday’s headlines told the story of some teenagers sent home from school because they were wearing American flag t-shirts and/or bandanas on their heads. Now I’m no great patriot, but I find myself in a position that almost requires me to side with the little punks on this one. It pains me to do so.

I call them punks, because I’d lay odds on the fact that their intent was far from innocently showing their national pride, their intent was most likely to be racist little assholes. No doubt their parents donate money to the Minutemen and run militia style drills in their backyards on the weekends. Still, that’s not the point. What is also not the point, is the fact that a high school is still allowing kids to wear bandannas on their heads. That practice was quickly curtailed in my own high school two decades ago. Bandannas, headbands and certain hats are widely known to be one method of expressing gang affiliation. This fact led schools around the country to adopt a “no head-gear” policy except for special homecoming type days. So let’s be honest and admit that this po-dunk little school was begging for trouble to begin with.

All these valid, but distant points aside, my main beef is with a quote I read from one of the Mexican-American students. This girl stated that she felt it was disrespectful of the teens to wear the U.S. inspired items on their national holiday and that they would not wear the red, green and white on July 4^th. Well, let’s just clarify the facts of the so-called holiday shall we?

One, it’s a MEXICAN holiday originating in MEXICO. We are under no obligation to celebrate another nation’s holidays just as we do not expect the world at large to shoot bottle rockets on July 4^th every year. In fact, Cinco de Mayo is not even universally celebrated in Mexico and it is not their independence day. Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo because we like to drink and party and pretend we’re still in college, not because we want to honor another nation. Sadly, the one thing we can pretty much guarantee is that our self-absorbed nation does not care about any other country’s national holiday. Being that I am a firm believer in a global perspective, this does not please me, but the reality is, Cinco de Mayo is not our holiday so our celebration of it is by choice. No one stops the presses for Octoberfest, it’s a tribute, but not a mandate.

I would never wear an article of clothing with a flag depicted on it. After seeing some of the photos of the kids that did, this opinion is reinforced. That shit was ugly and they looked ridiculous . . . but again, this is off-topic. Another quote cited a student claiming that this was the one day Mexican Americans could show their pride. Really? Is there some sort of rule against wearing your national colors, flying the Mexican flag, speaking Spanish (well, that one might happen), or otherwise exhibiting pride at your ethnic heritage? I’m pretty sure that law doesn’t exist even in Arizona. If you’ve ever lived in Boston or NYC you’ll know that there is no shortage of Irish, Puerto Rican, or Italian symbols of national pride and not just on “meatball day” or whatever.

This is  a stupid non-event that some idiot school official and sanctimonious little brats exacerbated with poor judgment. There is no law against wearing any national colors from any county on any given day of the year. So if you really want to express your national pride, knock yourself out, but don’t expect the rest of the world to honor your holiday or “Honk if You’re Irish” bumper sticker. I do understand that given our tense relations with Mexican immigrants these days, people are even more sensitive to perceived slights, but I think a little perspective is in order on both sides. 

We do not owe any other nation tributes to their holidays just as they do not celebrate Thanksgiving or U.S. independence. Just be happy that we’re celebrating with you at all, have you not met us? We aren’t exactly a self-deprecating country! I, for one, am very grateful for tequila and guacamole, but I feel okay about having sushi and sake yesterday, I certainly did not intend it as a slight to our neighbors to the south. Relax already people Viva la  . . . everyone!