Cinco de Mayo: Racist Sombreros?

So today my friends lured me out of my hermit homebody state and took me to Don Pablo's to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. They surprised me with a beautiful sombrero, and I was the most excited Cortnie! But.. We get to the restaurant and I suddenly felt.. inappropriate? I didn't even know what the point of the holiday was, so I decided to search. Google-y, google-y, goo. Thanks to Wikipedia, I have this:

The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.

Okay. I now don't feel so horrible knowing that Americans celebrate it, but.. Why are we prancing around in Mexican garb, eating Mexican food, drinking Mexican drinks, and listening to Spanish music? The most important question, I think, is why did I feel bad about the sombrero? Is it because I've recognized my white privilege? What do y'all think? Do you feel odd or weird celebrating the holiday of another culture? Why do you think that is.. Or isn't?

Either way, I think it's important to discuss these uncomfortable feelings; in my group of four friends, two of us felt odd and two said it wasn't a big deal. We're all white. Two men, two women. Three queers, one straight. The two of us that felt weird included myself and my old gay roomie. What do you think?

I leave you with this picture of my amazing Lotsarita.

And before I forget, if some of you didn't know, I got a tattoo Monday. It hurts like hell still but it's slowly healing. It's in that nasty peel stage now. I got it on my sister's birthday (she died in 1999) and it's important to me because her favorite flower was a yellow rose. I got two red ones, but I plan on having a sleeve garden eventually. Ow is all that I have to say about that.

Love you all dearly,
CORTNIE

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