Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French army in 1862’s Battle of Puebla. While the holiday doesn’t have great significance in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo is a widely acknowledged as day to to recognize and celebrate Mexican culture and pride. Recently, however, Mexican-Americans and other Latinos in America have found themselves under attack in Arizona. The state, in an effort to crack down on the problem of illegal immigration, has passed a law that essentially legalizes racial profiling and will punish immigrants caught without their “papers.”
So this Cinco de Mayo, the best way you can celebrate Mexican-American heritage is by fighting against Arizona’s new immigration law. In doing so, you can help reaffirm that all citizens deserve to be treated equally and with dignity. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Contact Arizona state legislators and voice your opinion here. To learn how to get in touch with Arizona governor, click here.
- Join the Rev. Al Sharpton, Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon and Hispanic community leaders in their march to the Arizona State Capitol. Get more information here.
- Plan a rally or civil protest in your own community. Click here to find out how you can use BlackPlanet and Facebook to bring people out to your event.
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