Happy Cinco de Mayo to those who celebrate. The editors at NBC News wondered what angle they could use to observe this most sacred of Mexican holidays, observing Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. They landed on talking to Mexican American restaurant owners, many of whom are becoming more vocal about honoring Mexican history and the significance of Cinco de Mayo "as a way to combat anti-immigrant sentiments."
A number of Mexican American business owners are becoming more vocal about honoring Mexican history and the significance of Cinco de Mayo as a way to combat anti-immigrant sentiments. https://t.co/SW91TVaVVL
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 5, 2026
It turns out this is actually a story NBC News picked up from The Associated Press, which reports:
Since returning to the White House in 2025, President Donald Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrants as criminals and gang members, and Latino communities have been a target of his hard-line immigration tactics. Memes shared from official White House social media accounts perpetuate negative stereotypes about Latinos, while a federally led English-only initiative and ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs all seem to target communities of color.
All together, it’s generated a great deal of fear in Latino communities.
The anonymous person who wrote this forgot the part where President Trump called all Mexicans rapists. But Mexican restaurant owners are fighting back, and "U.S. revelers hoping to crowd restaurants and toss back shots of tequila may find more wholesome and intentionally planned offerings." “This is a testament of our resilience,” said one restaurant owner.
The White House didn't forget:
Happy Cinco de Mayo to all who celebrate! pic.twitter.com/gfTriN75Fk
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 5, 2026
Cinco de Mayo is an American holiday where White people drink margaritas and wear sombreros https://t.co/4kPEusW3nf
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) May 5, 2026
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Geez! In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is only celebrated in the town of Puebla, where they defeated the French on May 5th. Cinco de Mayo was a clever marketing scheme to sell a boatload of Corona beer.
— Jay Triguero (@Jaytrigs) May 5, 2026
Corona beer literally invented the holiday to increase sales. Prior to roughly 1985 NOBODY celebrated this obscure date in Mexican history.
— Gregory Stephens ✝️ (@GregStephens923) May 5, 2026
About 50 years ago a study by the importers of Corona determined 'Dieciseis de Septiembre' was too hard for gringos to pronounce, so they used a minor Mexican victory against the French because we can say Cinco de Mayo. I don't need an excuse to drink margaritas.
— Edward the Texas Moran (@TexasMoran) May 5, 2026
It’s just another Taco Tuesday.
— LegDropAnon (@LegDropAnon) May 5, 2026
It's literally just an excuse, created by a beer company, for Americans to eat tacos and get drunk on cheap tequila. Basically a brown version of St. Paddy's Day.
— Mike Barham, Author (@MichaelVBarham) May 5, 2026
The number of Americans who have a problem with Cinco de Mayo is hovering somewhere around zero.
— Todd the Wet Sprocket (@ToddSweeny5) May 5, 2026
'Anti immigrant sentiments' are the result of media outlets like NBC conflating legal and illegal immigrants.
— Dthunderchicken (@Dthunderchicken) May 5, 2026
Exactly.
I know you try to change the narrative by putting them in the same box, but Mexican Americans were not, for the most part, illegally in the country. Central Americans are a whole different story and just because they pass through Mexico does not make them Mexican.
— JAM (@JArthurMerritt) May 5, 2026
Breaking: the annual white-American misappropriation of Mexican culture (that actual Mexicans don’t even know exists) is being used as a partisan cudgel to misrepresent border security & immigration law as “anti-immigrant”. Americans are American.
— None (@05dfssfd17Dan) May 5, 2026
So restaurant owners are becoming more vocal about honoring Mexican history by selling tacos and margaritas, just like they do every other day of the year? Do you get a lecture on Mexican history and culture with your taco bowl today?
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