Do you folks know why Cinco De Mayo is more important to Californians than Mexicans?

[Jackie Wilson Said]

And why Cinco De Mayo is important today, given the political climate?

The celebrations can be traced back to the Civil War

http://time.com/4313691/cinco-de-mayo-history/

“Cinco de Mayo is part of the Latino experience of the American Civil War,” he says. “It’s not about the Mexican experience.”

[TexasProgresive]

1. Do people just make this stuff up?

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the defeat of the French in Mexico. How someone can tie this into the U.S. Civil War is beyond me. This sounds like a case of co-opting a peoples history or something.

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo
Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.