As a practical matter, it would be impossible to disentangle distinct ethnic traditions from the blended fabric of American society. Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, but one that’s primarily celebrated in the U.S. rather than Mexico. That’s what happens when cultures mix: New traditions form.
Much of the outrage over cultural appropriation is confined to leftist social media enclaves and college campuses, where de-problematizing Cinco de Mayo is a frequent goal of racial justice activists. Their efforts call to mind H.L. Mencken’s famous description of Puritanism as “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”
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