Wave of Consciousness, "A Voice of Sanity in a World of Conflict"


Cinco de Mayo at the Crossroads

by Natalia J. Garland, M.S.W.


Everyone is Mexican on Cinco de Mayo. Oops, wait, I mean: everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. That is how many Americans feel on this Irish Catholic holy day that has transformed into a panharmonic festivity. Will we see the day when everyone feels Mexican on Cinco de Mayo? Perhaps it is only today's Mexican American youth who can decide the fate of one of their favorite celebrations. While festivities as diverse as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and Chinese New Year have assimilated into mainstream society, Cinco de Mayo seems to become increasingly nationalized and politicized.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations range from the typical street fair (food, music, arts and crafts) to assertions of Mexican nationalism within American borders. In these latter instances, Cinco de Mayo no longer represents a specific cultural heritage or a neutralized inclusion of all Americans, but the political and cultural separatism of one group. Although there are other separatist groups in America (excluding fanatic jihadists for the sake of argument), most are not associated with advocacy for illegal immigration, with protest marches based on perceived grievances and entitlements, and with a pursuit of political domination.

This separatist tendency seemed to unfold at a California high school on May 5, 2010. Among the enrollment of 1,300 students, over 100 Mexican American students wore the colors of the Mexican flag in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Some also had the Mexican flag painted on their faces or arms. Five white male students, however, wore badannas and tee-shirts bearing images of the American flag. Apparently, some of the Mexican American students felt offended and intimidated by the boys' apparel. There were accusations that the boys taunted the Mexican American students, but this was not proved and there were no reports of any disciplinary action being taken regarding this.

Nevertheless, the Assistant Principal ordered the boys to remove their bandannas and to turn their American flag tee-shirts inside out. They were told that they could wear American flag tee-shirts any day except Cinco de Mayo because this day was supposed to be a celebration for the Mexican American students. It seems that the white students were expected to be culturally sensitive to the Mexican American students. (We should keep in mind that Cinco de Mayo is neither a school nor a national holiday in America.) The boys removed their bandannas, but refused to turn their tee-shirts inside out. The boys were sent home.

Some Mexican American students who had brought Mexican flags to school were told to put their flags away. None of the Mexican flag-carrying students was sent home. Although the school dress code prohibits bandannas, there is no restriction regarding decorated clothing unless it presents a distraction to the learning environment. The Assistant Principal's assessment was that the boys' American flag tee-shirts could be regarded as an act of provocation and could possibly cause fights to break out. Sending the boys home was regarded as a way to maintain student safety.

The next day, approximately 50 to 60 Mexican American students walked out of school to express solidarity with the Assistant Principal. These students apparently felt that Cinco de Mayo was the "only day" when they could show national (Mexican) pride, that the five boys had been disrespectful, and that their exclusionary day of celebrating Cinco de Mayo was a matter of equal rights.

It could be argued that the Assistant Principal placed cultural sensitivity above freedom of speech. There were other ways in which he could have managed any potential for student fights. When the American flag was regarded as offensive and the five boys were removed from school, when the national preferences of the Mexican American students was placed above student ethnic diversity and American patriotism, when cultural sensitivity was valued more than freedom of expression, then America stepped aside and permitted allegiance to a foreign nation. This is known as La Reconquista--loyalty to Mexico first and the non-violent re-conquering of the American Southwest for Mexico.

The unthinkable happened: the suspension of American autonomy for one day. Albeit it happened piecemeal and on a small scale, it nonetheless happened. This involved more than censorship. The rights of one group--the five boys--was put aside, and control was voluntarily given (by an American public school) to another group which appeared to represent an extension of Mexico's borders into America (via a celebration of what many consider to be Mexican nationalsim). The dangerous conclusion--and this was expressed by one of the Mexican American students--is that Cinco de Mayo is for Mexican Americans, and the Fourth of July is for all other Americans. Perhaps equally dangerous and astonishing is that only five boys expressed American patriotism.

If you think La Reconquista is an imaginary outgrowth of white supremacy, anger, hatred, and paranoia, then please read the following quotations.

I have proudly proclaimed that the Mexican nation extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders, and that Mexican migrants are a very important part of this.

From the Mexican President Ernst Zedillo's speech to La Raza. (1997)
[End of quote.]

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Remember 187 [proposition to deny taxpayer funds for services to non-citizens] was the last gasp of white America in California.

Art Torres, a Chairman of the California Democratic Party.
[End of quote.]

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Even though I am saying this part serious, part joking, I think we are practicing La Reconquista in California.

José Pescador Osuna, a Mexican Consul General.
[End of quote.]

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I like very much the metaphor of Gulliver, of ensnarling the giant...Tying it down with nails, with thread, with 20,000 nets that bog it down: these nets being norms, principles, resolutions, agreements and bilateral, regional, and international covenants.

Jorge Castaneda, a Mexican Foreign Minister.
[End of quote.]

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They're afraid we're going to take over the governmental institutions and other institutions. They're right. We will take them over,....We are here to stay.

Richard Alatorre, Los Angeles City Council.
[End of quote.]

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We have got to eliminate the gringo...if worst comes to worst, we have got to kill him. (1960's)

We have the critical mass...We have the means now to take government and to lead. (1999)

Professor Jose Angel Gutierrez, political science professor, University of Texas.
[End of quotes.]

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We are millions. We just have to survive. We have an aging white America. They are not making babies. They are dying. The explosion is in our population. ...I love it. They are sh-tting in their pants with fear. I love it.

Jose Angel Gutierrez, political science professor, University of Texas.
[End of quote.]

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We are politicizing every single one of these new citizens that are becoming citizens of this country...I gotta tell you that a lot of people are saying, "I'm going to go out there and vote because I want to pay them back."

Gloria Molina, a Los Angeles County Supervisor.
[End of quote.]

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California is going to be a Hispanic state. Anyone who doesn't like it should leave.

Mario Obledo, a California Coalition of Hispanic Organizations and California State Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.
[End of quote.]

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We need to avoid a white backlash by using codes understood by Latinos...

Fernando Guerra, professor at Loyola Marymount University.
[End of quote.]

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The ultimate ideology is the liberation of Aztlan. Communism would be closest. Once Aztlan is established, ethnic cleansing would commence: Non-Chicanos would have to be expelled--opposition groups would be quashed because you have to keep power.

Miguel Perez, president of Cal-State Northridge's MEChA chapter.
[End of quote.]

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Every class of students on a field trip from their school to the museum [Museum of National History in Mexico City] is made to sit down and gaze up at the huge map, while the teacher explains how so much of Los Estados Unidos was stolen from Mexico and really belongs to them.

Dr. Jack Wheeler.
[End of quote.]

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The American Southwest seems to be slowly returning to the jurisdiction of Mexico without firing a single shot.

The Excelsior, the national newspaper of Mexico.
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...the United States is undergoing a true demographic revolution. Some call it La Reconquista. The same territories that Mexico lost to the United States in 1848---Arizona, Texas, California...others...such as Florida and Illinois--are experiencing a genuine cultural invasion...

Jose Ramos, anchorman on Noticieros (Univision cable network).
[End of quote.]

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If you think I'm illegal because I'm a Mexican, learn the true history because I'm in my homeland.

From a banner at an immigration march in Denver. (2006)
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We need to change direction, and by allowing these 50,000, 50 million [immigrants] to come in here, we can do that.

Jose Lugo, an instructor in ethnic studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, at an immigration march in Denver. (2006)
[End of quote.]

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Demographically, socially and culturally, the reconquista of the Southwest United States by Mexico is well under way. No other immigrant group in U.S. history has asserted or could assert a historical claim to U.S. territory. Mexicans and Mexican-Americans can and do make that claim.

Samuel P. Huntington, professor at Harvard University. (2004)
[End of quote.]

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We're recolonizing America, so they're afraid of us. It's time to take back what is ours.

Ricky Sierra, the Chicano National Guard.
[End of quote.]

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We are more American/Than any son of the Anglo-Saxon.

Los Tigres del Norte, from their song "Somos Mas Americano."
[End of quote.]

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Let me be clear what I mean by a post-American. He's not an enemy of America, not Alger Hiss or Jane Fonda or Louis Farrakhan. He's not necessarily even a Michael Moore or Ted Kennedy. A post-American may actually still like America, but the emotion resembles the attachment one might feel to, say, suburban New Jersey. It can be a pleasant place to live, but you're always open to a better offer. The post-American has a casual relationship with his native country, unlike a patriot...Put differently, the patriot is married to America; the post-American is just shacking up.

Mark Krikorian, The Center for Immigration Studies.
[End of quote.]

The above quotations are historically inaccurate regarding the legitimacy of American ownership of the Southwest. All the quotations are evidence that certain Mexicans, Mexican Americans, educators, and members of the Democratic Party have wrongly asserted a Mexican right to the Southwest. When this attitude is also expressed or taught by the public school system, it means that generations of America's youth--from all backgrounds--are being indoctrinated by extreme multiculturalism and radical politics. It means that the American flag is just a flag, that its patriotic significance is relative even within American borders, and that its official status can be suspended for, at least, one day: on Cinco de Mayo.

Whether the Assistant Principal acted on poor professional judgment, lack of knowledge of school rules and the U.S. Constitution, or alignment with La Reconquista, his actions acknowledged a racial and cultural division within the student body, and a preference for Mexican nationalism along with a prohibition of American patriotism. Cinco de Mayo was elevated as a rightful institution of the American public school system--unlike St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and Chinese New Year because of its ongoing political context. Cinco de Mayo was regarded as equal to the Fourth of July.

If a segment, or perhaps even the majority, of America's youth has already been multiculturally and politically indoctrinated, then they will probably require cultural and educational rehabilitation to learn the facts of American and world history, to acquire allegiance to America first, and to find ways to cope with feelings of offense at others' freedom of expression. Only politically unbiased instruction--which is the responsibility of the public school system--can prepare students to think critically and to regulate emotions. Apparently, in some schools, it is precisely this type of instruction, supervision, and role-modeling that is lacking.

It is not Cinco de Mayo, or St. Patrick's Day, etc., that makes us who we are: it is, rather, American freedoms that make these celebrations possible. It is our Constitutional government, humanitarian values, and largesse that makes diversity possible and manageable under one flag--the American stars and stripes. Extreme multiculturalism and radical politics, however, would trick our young people into believing that it is preferable to live in America and enjoy these freedoms, opportunities, and benefits, yet remain unquestioningly loyal to Mexico first--a country that does not afford them the same qualities of life and in which they could not hope to thrive.

If Cinco de Mayo merges with Aztlan, then it all becomes a fantasy (regarding historical roots and current legality); and it has been given substance thus far only because of the reality of American tolerance. Our concept of tolerance, however, has expanded and strayed to include ultra sensitivity at the cost of autonomy. This has resulted in an American cultural and political disorientation. When the fantasy and the disorientation are confronted, such as seemed to occur when the five boys wore American flag tee-shirts, then the reaction is to blame and censor the so-called offense and to reinforce the walls around the fantasy until it is accepted as right and normal.

My hope is that, next year, the Mexican American students will decide to share their true heritage with others through inclusion and assimilation. They had the power this year--the Assistant Principal gave it to them, but some of them regarded May 5th as their day exclusively. It might have been more prudent to use this power to show solidarity with the entire student body and not narrowly with the Assistant Principal (who was in violation of the First Amendment and whose actions were later disapproved by the school district).

The only reason we can say we are all Irish on St. Patrick's Day is that we know we are all Americans first. Mexican American students must follow this model if they want peace with the larger American society. This can be accomplished if political extremists are not allowed to reduce them to a historically false claim on the world, and if certain educators are not allowed to instill student self-perception as oppositional to other groups or to the mainstream. At least, Mexican American students must empower themselves to make informed decisions regarding how they want to live. It will not be easy but, with a desire for intellectual honesty and mature identity, it can still be done. (Written 07/04/10)

[NOTE: To read more about reconquista, see my essays Vodka Solves Nothing (written 04/14/08), Illegal Immigration as a Social Problem, Part I Section (1) (written 05/30/07).]

[ADDED NOTE: Insofar as some public school systems encourage Cinco de Mayo celebrations (by permitting class time to make posters and other decorations), I thought it might be helpful to offer some suggestions on how Cinco de Mayo could be transformed into an inclusive rather than a political event. In other words, how can Cinco de Mayo become more like St. Patrick's Day? Can higher standards be applied to Cinco de Mayo such that it is uplifted from extremist usurpation and historical inaccuracy? How can Mexican American students become pro-active in this process? Below are a few ideas on what Mexican American students could do on Cinco de Mayo in order to give this day a positive meaning for the entire student body.

(1) Perform a service for your school: pick up the trash, clean the cafeteria tables, sweep the sidewalks. (2) Sing some Mexican songs at lunchtime. If anyone is disrespectful, keep singing and be the better person. (3) Show extra respect to your teachers. (4) Recite the Pledge of Allegiance loudly and clearly--and sincerely. (5) Do not use any foul language--show positive leadership.

Additionally, all students might become more knowledgeable of American and Mexican history. Where did Cinco de Mayo originate? Is Cinco de Mayo a major holiday in Mexico? What are the facts of the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? What did César Chávez really stand for? What rights are guaranteed under the First Amendment? Can you relate the case of the five boys to the cases of West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette, and Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District?] (Written 07/07/10)

www.waveofconsciousness.com

copyright © 2010 Natalia J. Garland


BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTES:

1.) "California Students Sent Home for Wearing U.S. Flag on Cinco de Mayo," by Josh Rhett Miller, 05/06/10, FOX News, WWW [document] URL www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/06/california- students-sent-home-wearing-flags-cinco-mayo
2.) "Cinco to Midnight: The Great Mexican End Game," by Selwyn Duke, 05/14/10, the American Thinker, [WWW document] URL www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/cinco_to_midnight_the_great_me.html
3.) "At California High School, Cinco de Mayo Censorship Serves as First Amendment Reminder," by Erica Goldberg, 05/07/10, FIRE, [WWW document] URL www.thefire.org/torch/#11845
4.) "Is America Conquered When the American Flag Is 'Offensive'?" by John Griffing, 05/09/10, The American Thinker, [WWW document] URL www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/is_america_conquered_when_the.html
5.) "Mexican Aliens Seek to Retake Stolen Land," 04/16/06, the Washington Times, [WWW document] URL www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/apr/16/20060416-122222-1672r/print
6.) "On Latinos, Listen to Conservatism," posted by Marcos Hernandez, The Americano, [WWW document] URL http://theamericano.com/2010/05/12/on-latinos-listen-to-conservatism
7.) "Racial Tension Mounts at South Bay High School," posted 05/05/10, updated 05/06/10, KTVU.com, [WWW document] URL www.ktvu.com/news/23470391/detail.html
8.) New Nation News, [WWW document] URL New Nation News www.newnation.org/NCR/reference/NCR-Reconquistas.html
9.) "La Reconquista--Amnesty's Elephant in the Living Room," by Carl Horowitz, The Social Contract, Volume 15, Number 3, (Spring 2005), [WWW document] URL www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc1503/article_1311.shtml
10.) "La Reconquista--The Politics of Ethnic Conflict," by John Reiniers, 05/23/10, Hernando Today, A Publicaion of the Tampa Tribune, [WWW document] URL www2.hernandotoday.com/content/ 2010/may/23/la-reconquista-politics-ethnic-conflict