Misconceptions about Latinos

March 15, 2006
By Francisco Zermeo
Many things out there simply are not 100 percent correct. There are exceptions to most concepts. Let’s go over some.
Misconception: El Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. Most definitely not. Those who have studied history of the Americas know that Mexico’s independence is celebrated at midnight Sept. 15, when the priest Hidalgo declared it from the hated gachupines (Spaniards). It is also the day we celebrate the birth of most of our Central American republics.
Related to this is the belief that El Cinco is simply our excuse to drink beer and get drunk in public. While social drinking is the accepted norm in any culture, not all Mexicans and Latinos indulge in this particular wrong aspect of El Cinco. Even in Hayward there is a small alcohol-free celebration.

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Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.