Concerns about ongoing immigration enforcement has led to the cancellation of the annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Little Village for the second year in a row. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity continues to impact the Latine community in the U.S., people are finding alternative ways to celebrate the holiday in the face of adversity.
For Mike Moreno, owner of Moreno Liquors and Osito’s Tap in Little Village, embracing culture independently and locally helps maintain the unity that Cinco de Mayo signifies.
“Cinco de Mayo is something that isn’t celebrated by all Mexicans, but it’s something that we understand and respect,” Moreno said. “They may take a piece of us, but they can’t take our identity as a whole.”
The Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement campaign has targeted Latine people since the start of Trump’s term — and in the Chicago area, it intensified during last fall’s Operation Midway Blitz. Hector Escobar, president of Casa Puebla and Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce, told WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” that the decision to cancel the parade was difficult but safety for those in the neighborhood takes priority.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over the second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The parade in Little Village has been a major event for over 40 years, celebrating Mexican culture with dance and musical performances that bring hundreds of people to the neighborhood and highlights various Latine organizations in Chicago.
Joe Tafoya, an assistant professor of political science at DePaul, stressed the importance of the holiday for its cultural pride and history, encouraging others to learn about the meaning of Cinco de Mayo beyond its commercial use.
“We’ve come across this weird moment where Cinco de Mayo is this element of pride, and yet, it is also used for a moment of commerce and retail,” Tafoya said. “But at the very least we still have it. We’re still talking about it.”
According to Tafoya, the Cinco de Mayo celebration was popularized during the Chicano rights movement in the 1960s and ‘70s, using the Battle of Puebla as a symbol of cultural pride, primarily for Mexican Americans.
Although some have critiqued modern parades as commercial, or for appropriating Mexican culture, community members also highlight local businesses in Little Village and celebrate their heritage.
Though the parade has been canceled, Tafoya urged Latine communities to continue uplifting themselves by remembering past and present accomplishments.
“Be visible. One thing that’s going to defeat fear is joy and pride,” Tafoya said. “We need to show them, ‘Look, you’re not going to get to us.’ And furthermore, now we have a common enemy. We’re going to actually get together better than before.”
A DePaul professor, who only chose to go by her last name, Rodriguez, due to immigration concerns, shares similar views about highlighting the importance of Latine culture year-round. Despite being upset about the parade’s cancellation, she finds community rooted in the city.
“They’re everyday forms of resistance,” Rodriguez said. “The fact that people exist in this country, speaking their native language, honoring their own foods, listening to their own music, it’s by itself a form of resistance. It’s basically saying, ‘You cannot erase us. We are here still.’”
People across the city still expect to celebrate, with or without a parade.
Moreno will open his bar for Cinco de Mayo. He said it will be the first time the bar is open on a Tuesday since 2020 and hopes that it will create a safe place for people to enjoy the community and the holiday festivities.
There will also be other chances to focus on Mexican culture and businesses this year. In addition to Small Business Week, starting May 11, the Little Village Chamber of Commerce will also highlight Mexican Independence Day with a parade on Sept. 14.
