Cinco de Mayo celebrates resilience and culture of Mexican people

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Cinco de Mayo festivities are taking place across the U.S. with music, tacos, tequila and colorful displays of Mexican culture — even if they're not always the most authentic.

The day falls on a Monday this year, meaning the bulk of the celebrations took place over the weekend. In California, a state with a large Mexican American population, there was a mix of art displays, classic car shows, parades and food truck offerings.

In Austin, Texas, events included an opportunity for children to get their photo taken with characters from the Disney animated musical “Encanto," which was inspired by Colombian culture but celebrates broader Latino cultures. A luncheon with speakers talking about the significance of the Mexican holiday and Mexican Americans in Austin was planned for Monday.

Here's a look at the celebration and its roots:

Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the better-equipped and much larger French troops was an enormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.

In Mexico, historical reenactments are held annually in the central city of Puebla to commemorate the victory. Participants dress as Mexican and French troops, and as Zacapoaxtlas — the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win.

In the United States the date is seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile folklórico, or folkloric ballet, with whirling dancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.

Latino activists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S. is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo, and marketing that plays on stereotypes that include fake, droopy mustaches and gigantic, colorful sombreros. The day often is mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is in September.

For many Americans with or without Mexican ancestry, the day is an excuse to toss back tequila shots and gorge on tortilla chips, nachos and tacos.

The celebrations in the U.S. started as a way for Mexican Americans to preserve their cultural identity, said Sehila Mota Casper, director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation.

“Since then we’ve seen a shift to more commercialization and commodification and mockery over the years," Mota Casper said. "I think that has a lot to do with the commercialization of products and especially Latino heritage.”

Mota Casper encourages people to learn about that day in history and its importance in Mexico.

Jacob Troncoza, 49, said he celebrates Cinco de Mayo in his household because he's proud of his Mexican ancestry.

“I try to make sure that the kids understand what it’s about, which was the revolution, the war, and the battles that our grandfathers fought on,” said Troncoza, who was born in east Los Angeles.

Others, like Andrea Ruiz don't because her Mexican dad never did. But she noted what she deemed the irony in widespread celebrations.

“I think it’s funny Trump … and all of his supporters want to get Mexicans out, call them criminals, but then on Cinco de Mayo, they want to go and eat tacos and drink tequila,” the 23-year-old Ruiz said.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrants as criminals and gang members. He's also sought to end birthright citizenship, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and ended the federal government's diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Trump acknowledged Cinco de Mayo during his first term, posting on X, “Happy #CincoDeMayo!” and “I love Hispanics!” as he sat with a “taco bowl.” In the last presidential election, data showed more young Hispanic men moved to the right and voted for Trump.

It's unclear if the current administration will acknowledge Cinco de Mayo — designated a holiday in Mexico but not in the United States. The Associated Press sent an email to the White House Press Office late Friday seeking comment.

Trump's handling of immigration remains a point of strength as he ramps up deportations and targets people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While Trump’s actions remain divisive, there’s less of a consensus that the Republican president has overstepped on immigration than on other issues, the poll found.

Organizers of Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade said they canceled it because the city has become a target for immigration agents.

Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Luca Fernandez, 5, walks in front of a mural made by artist Jesus Alba to commemorate the 1862 battle of Puebla between the French and Mexican army during a Cinco De Mayo celebration in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

A float rider waves a U.S.-Mexico flag during a Cinco de Mayo parade in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Michelin-starred Chef Mario Hernández Alonso of El Califa de León taqueria in Mexico City, stops for a photography while he prepares tacos at a Cinco de Mayo pop-up event at The Mexicano, Monday, May 5, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Michelin-starred Chef Mario Hernández Alonso of El Califa de León taqueria in Mexico City, prepares tacos at a Cinco de Mayo pop-up event at The Mexicano, Monday, May 5, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Children pick up candy during a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Yorktown Spanish School in Dallas, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Beads are tossed from a float during a Cinco de Mayo parade in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Rolando Salas, originally for Mexico, photographs a mural made by artist Jesus Alba to commemorate the 1862 battle of Puebla between the French and Mexican army during a Cinco De Mayo celebration in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, May 3, 2025. Salas called the May 5th holiday, "A celebration of us." (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Vincent Ramirez's shirt expresses his thoughts as he watches a Cinco de Mayo parade in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Eleven-year-olds Kataleah Mendez, right, and Angelica Juarez pose for a photo with the low rider car that appeared in the movie Selena parked for display during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Victoria Jasso, 2, swings at a piñata during a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Yorktown Spanish School in Dallas, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

A float rider hands candy to a Dallas police officer during a Cinco de Mayo parade in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Saul Garcia, 3, wears a sombrero during a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Yorktown Spanish School in Dallas, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

FILE - Women dance during a re-enactment of The Battle of Puebla as part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Peñon de los Baños neighborhood of Mexico City, May 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

FILE - Folklorico dancers from the group Viva Mexico perform their routine during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and mixer hosted by the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, May 5, 2021, in Odessa, Texas. (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP, File)

President Donald Trump posted Wednesday on social media that anything less than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable,” hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote.

On Iran, Trump's threat to impose a 25% tax on imports from countries doing business with the Islamic Republic could raise prices for U.S. consumers and further inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%.

And as Senate Republicans face intense pressure from Trump to vote down a war powers resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting him from carrying out more military action against Venezuela, an AP-NORC poll conducted after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s Jan. 3 capture found that 56% of U.S. adults think Trump has overstepped on military interventions abroad, while majorities disapprove of how he's handling foreign policy.

The Latest:

The Washington Post says FBI agents have searched a reporter’s home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of sharing government secrets.

The Post says journalist Hannah Natanson had her phone and a Garmin watch seized by agents at her Virginia home.

An FBI affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who, authorities allege, took classified reports home.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. Justice Department officials haven’t responded to an Associated Press request for comment.

Natanson covers the Trump administration’s transformation of the federal government and recently published a piece describing how she gained hundreds of new sources, leading a colleague to call her “the federal government whisperer.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has made an American takeover of Greenland a focus of his second term in the White House, calling it a national security priority while repeating false claims about the strategic Arctic island.

In recent comments, he has floated using military force as an option to take control of Greenland. He has said that if the U.S. does not acquire the island, which is a self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark, then it will fall into Chinese or Russian hands.

▶ Take a closer look at the facts

China’s trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s onslaught of higher tariffs.

China’s exports rose 5.5% for the whole of last year to $3.77 trillion, customs data showed, as Chinese automakers and other manufacturers expanded into markets across the globe. Imports flatlined at $2.58 trillion. The 2024 trade surplus was over $992 billion.

In December, China’s exports climbed 6.6% from the year before in dollar terms, better than economists’ estimates and higher than November’s 5.9% year-on-year increase. Imports in December were up 5.7% year-on-year, compared to November’s 1.9%.

▶ Read more about how economists expect exports to impact China’s economy

Although he doesn’t always follow through, Trump seems intent on doubling and tripling down whenever possible.

“Right now I’m feeling pretty good,” Trump said Tuesday in Detroit. His speech was ostensibly arranged to refocus attention on the economy, which the president claimed is surging despite lingering concerns about higher prices.

Trump has repeatedly insisted he’s only doing what voters elected him to do, and his allies in Washington remain overwhelmingly united behind him.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels predicted that voters will reward the party this year.

“Voters elected President Trump to put American lives first — and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” she said. “President Trump is making our country safer, and the American people will remember it in November.”

It’s only two weeks into the new year, and Trump has already claimed control of Venezuela, escalated threats to seize Greenland and flooded American streets with masked immigration agents. That’s not even counting an unprecedented criminal investigation at the Federal Reserve, a cornerstone of the national economy that Trump wants to bend to his will.

Even for a president who thrives on chaos, Trump is generating a stunning level of turmoil as voters prepare to deliver their verdict on his leadership in midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Each decision carries tremendous risks, from the possibility of an overseas quagmire to undermining the country’s financial system, but Trump has barreled forward with a ferocity rattling even some of his Republican allies.

“The presidency has gone rogue,” said historian Joanne B. Freeman, a Yale University professor.

▶ Read more about the turmoil Trump is creating ahead of this year’s votes

Nearly half of Americans — 45% — want the U.S. to take a “less active” role in solving the world’s problems, the new AP-NORC poll found.

About one-third say its current role is “about right,” and only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they want the country to be more involved globally.

Democrats and independents are driving the desire for the U.S. to take a “less active” role. At least half of them now want the U.S. to do less, a sharp shift from a few months ago.

Republicans, meanwhile, have grown more likely to indicate that Trump’s level of involvement is right. About 6 in 10 Republicans — 64% — say the country’s current role in world affairs is “about right,” which is up slightly from 55% from September.

About half of Americans believe the U.S. intervening in Venezuela will be “mostly a good thing” for halting the flow of illegal drugs into the country, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

And 44% believe the U.S. actions will do more to benefit than harm the Venezuelan people. But U.S. adults are divided on whether intervention will be good or bad for U.S. economic and national security interests, or if it simply won’t have an impact.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to see benefits to the U.S. action, particularly its effects on drug trafficking. About 8 in 10 Republicans say America’s intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

▶ Read more about the poll’s findings

Most U.S. adults — 56% — say President Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll conducted from Jan. 8-11, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture.

Democrats and independents are driving the belief that Trump has overstepped. About 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents say Trump has “gone too far” on military intervention, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans.

The vast majority of Republicans — 71% — say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only about 1 in 10 want to see him go further.

▶ Read more about the poll’s findings

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington, as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trump said in a social media post on Monday that he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran. The sanctions could hurt the Islamic Republic by reducing its access to foreign goods and driving up prices, which would likely inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%.

But the tariffs could create blowback for the United States, too, potentially raising the prices Americans pay for imports from Iranian trade partners such as Turkish textiles and Indian gemstones and threatening an uneasy trade truce Trump reached last year with China.

The Trump administration has offered scant details since announcing the new tariffs targeting Iran. It’s also unclear what legal authority the president is relying on to impose the import taxes. He invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify his most sweeping tariffs last year. But businesses and several states have gone to court arguing that Trump overstepped his authority in doing so.

▶ Read more about Trump’s threat of new tariffs

The Smithsonian Institution gave the White House new documents on its planned exhibits Tuesday in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America’s 250th birthday.

For months, Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back off “divisive narratives” and tell an upbeat story on the country’s history and culture, with the threat of holding back federal money if it doesn’t.

By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff, in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that “we transmitted more information in response to that request.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received.

▶ Read more about the Smithsonian

Trump said Wednesday that anything less than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable,” hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Greenland is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump is insisting he wants to own the island, and the residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it is not for sale. The White House has not ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

▶ Read more about Trump’s comments

President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)