- Celebrations often involve parades, music, traditional clothing, and festive floats.
- Some historians urge for celebrations to move beyond simply partying and acknowledge the historical significance.
- Detroit’s 60th annual Cinco de Mayo parade proceeded despite concerns about immigration raids and inclement weather.
Americans of many ethnic backgrounds are celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican celebration of a victory over the French, on Monday, May 5 — despite anxiety and fear over immigration raids, and threats from the Trump administration.
Cinco de Mayo — May 5 in English — isn’t just about tacos and tequila, the holiday celebrates Mexican American heritage, honoring Mexican resilience and bravery in the face of strife, experts say.
“Everyone thinks that it’s just party time, it’s Corona time,” Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, shared in a
May 2023 interview with USA TODAY.
“It’s OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo — at least they have some sense that it’s some kind of a Mexican holiday,” García said. “But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is.”
While some major U.S. cities canceled planned events because of immigration crackdown fears, Detroiters went ahead with the city’s
60th annual parade on Sunday, the Free Press reported.
Still, Beth Reyes, a 52-year-old southwest Detroit native, noticed a different tone at the parade this year, which she attributes to the Trump administration‘s policies.
“It seems more quiet,” Reyes said. “It’s usually more cheerful and I’ve been to the parade in the rain before.”
Here’s what to know about Cinco de Mayo in 2025.
When is Cinco de Mayo?
This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on Monday, May 5, although many cities hosted celebrations over the weekend.
Why people celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III, at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, hence the name.
The holiday is celebrated across the U.S. and in parts of Mexico, particularly in the City of Puebla, where the battle took place.
The Battle at Puebla occurred more than 50 years after the country broke free of Spanish rule. The reason the battle happened in the first place was because French Emperor Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte wanted to claim Mexico for himself.
The French sent troops to force President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz, Mexico. The Mexicans prevailed at the end of the day.
Who was Napoleon III?
Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte was the third son of
, the king of Holland and younger brother of Napoleon, and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Empress Joséphine
, and became the heir of the imperial family after the death of his two older brothers in 1807 and 1821, according to the Palace of Versailles website.
He was elected President of the French Second Republic in 1848. He turned his presidency into an imperial title thanks to a coup on Dec. 2, 1851, proclaiming himself Napoleon III, emperor of the French.
What do the symbols, color of the Mexican flag mean?
Each color of the flag has an important meaning: Green symbolizes hope; white, is unity; and red, represents the blood of national heroes.
- The eagle symbolizes the warrior attitude, courage and strength characteristic of the Mexican people.
- The snake represents the enemies of Mexico and, being devoured by the eagle.
- The nopal and the prickly pears symbolize the defeated hearts of the defeated warriors.
- The branches of oak and laurel represent badges of strength and victory of all those who have created the homeland of Mexico.
- The ribbon, located between the laurel and the oak, represents the union among Mexicans for the homeland.
- The Aztec glyph symbolizes the islet on the water, the lakes of Tenochtitlán and Texcoco, and the mestizo of the indigenous population.
Trump policies, immigration raids result in Cinco de Mayo parade cancellations
Chicago and Philadelphia canceled Cinco de Mayo festivities this year amid fear over immigration crackdowns.
“There is nothing to celebrate,” Hector Escobar, president of Casa Puebla and the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce told the Chicago Sun-Times. “People are afraid. They’re afraid to even go to work.”
Additionally a celebration in Flint was canceled due to inclement weather, according to MLive.
Detroit’s parade went on, despite the political climate and rainy weather.
“We’ve been planning this for the whole year. We have not canceled and a cancellation has not gone through our mind. … Our residents are okay with it, the community is OK with it. We do listen to them, and so that’s something they’ve asked us to continue,” Elizabeth “Lisa” Gonzalez, parliamentarian for the Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit, the volunteer group behind the Cinco de Mayo Parade told the Free Press.
Omar Hernandez, owner of Detroit’s Mexicantown Bakery, did notice smaller crowds at the parade, but said he believed it was because of bad weather, not the political climate.
Detroit Free Press contributed reporting.
