Cinco de Mayo can be an inspiration for anti-Trumpism

Photo: Gerald Farinas.

Cinco de Mayo is often reduced in the United States to tequila shots, sombreros, and vague nods to Mexican heritage.

But the true story behind May 5th, 1862—the Battle of Puebla—is far more profound and instructive, especially for Americans confronting rising authoritarianism under the threat of this second Donald Trump presidency.

This is not a holiday about tacos and margaritas. It’s a story about anti-imperialism, people power, and standing up to global bullies.

At the heart of Cinco de Mayo is the astonishing victory of a ragtag Mexican army, many of them Indigenous and poor, over the much better-equipped French imperial forces under Napoleon III.

France had invaded Mexico to collect debts, but this was no simple economic mission—it was an imperialist power play.

Napoleon III wanted to plant a European empire in the Western Hemisphere, violating the sovereignty of Mexico and defying the spirit of the Monroe Doctrine.

The U.S., then embroiled in its own Civil War, could offer little help, but the Mexican people stood their ground.

At Puebla, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza, they made a defiant stand for their independence.

That single battle didn’t end the French occupation, but it became a symbol of resistance against domination, colonization, and authoritarian rule.

It rallied the Mexican spirit. It said to the world, “We may be small, but we will not be conquered.”

Fast-forward to 2025.

In the United States, we face a different kind of imperialism—one that is homegrown.

It’s an authoritarian impulse, cloaked in nationalism, driven by a man who has repeatedly undermined the rule of law, attacked democratic institutions, and stoked violence against immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ people, Black Americans, journalists, and anyone who dares to dissent.

Donald Trump, who praises dictators and calls for political enemies to be imprisoned, is not just a threat to liberal policies—he’s a threat to the very soul of American democracy.

The lesson of Cinco de Mayo is this: even when the odds are against you, resistance is not only possible—it’s necessary.

Just as the people of Puebla fought to protect their sovereignty from a foreign despot, we must fight to protect our democracy from an authoritarian at home.

That means defending voting rights in the face of voter suppression.

That means organizing communities to speak truth to power, especially when immigrant, Black, Brown, and queer voices are silenced.

That means standing up to propaganda, resisting disinformation, and refusing to normalize cruelty, corruption, and corruption masquerading as strength.

Cinco de Mayo reminds us that courage doesn’t come from having the most firepower—it comes from moral clarity, community solidarity, and the conviction that justice must prevail.

In 1862, Mexico showed the world how to stand up to empire. In 2025, let us show the world how to stand up to fascism.

¡Viva la resistencia!