Our mystery blogger from “Cinco de Mayo Inc.” turned out to be Dr. José M. Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicano/a Studies at CSUCI.
I asked Dr. Alamillo how marketers can take positive advantage of Cinco de Mayo and he was kind enough to share with us the following response:
“I agree ( with Sofia) that any Cinco de Mayo celebration needs to be culturally relevant and historically accurate. Many Americans falsely believe that this day represents Mexico's "Fourth of July." Very few understand the historical significance of the Battle of Puebla which took place on May 5th and the main lesson from this battle which is "Self-Determination." Unlike independence, self-determination means that despite overwhelming odds, Latinos and Latinas must continue to battle for education, political representation and social justice.
If U.S.marketers are interested in using Cinco de Mayo to reach the Hispanic Market and are considering an advertising campaign around this holiday, then let me make a few suggestions:
First, read Arlene Davila's "Latino Inc. the Making and Marketing of a People" to understand why media stereotypes about Latino/as continue to be very pervasive. This is a must read for anybody related to Hispanic marketing.
Second, avoid the direction of the U.S. beer and alcohol industry has taken with the Cinco de Mayo. Their “Drinko de Mayo” campaigns have only served to perpetuate stereotypes about Latinos and Latinas. There are aslo many examples of sexist billboards located in Latino communities throughtout the United States.
Third, colloborate with community organizations on how best to present your products and images so as not to offend consumers and attendees. Let me give you an example: Portland annual Cinco de Mayo celebration does a good job at balacing the commercialism with cultural celebrations. Although they do have company sponsors they do not dominate the scenery especiall the alcohol advertisements which are located in the periphery along with the beer garden. At this event they also present college scholarships for Latino/a students and stage a swearing in ceremony for new U.S. citizens. This festival is organized by the sister-city organization, Portland and Guadalajara, Mexico.
Although commercialism has made Cinco de Mayo (Mexican and Latino culture ) more popular and visible to non-Latino/as, it is the responsibility that we use this event as an opportunity to debunk myths and stereotypes about the Latino/a community and show off the long history of contributions that Latino/as have made to this country”.
ABOUT THE GUEST BLOGGER Dr. José M. Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicano/a Studies at CSUCI. Dr. Alamillo earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures at University of California, Irvine. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at University of California, Los Angeles’ Chicano Studies Research Center, he taught courses in Chicano/a Studies, Ethnic Studies, Immigration and Labor for nine years in the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at Washington State University.
Dr. Alamillo’s research focuses on the ways Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans have used culture, leisure spaces, and sports to build community and social networks to advance politically and economically in the United States. His family’s experiences in the lemon industry inspired his first book, Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Mexican American Labor and Leisure in a California Town, 1900-1960. His current research includes a transnational history of Mexican American athletes and the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo in the United States.
THANK YOU PROFESSOR.
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