Happy Cinco De Mayo
Alright, I’m going to tie in Cinco de Mayo with May the 4th Be With You Day, (Yes I’m a nerd on the inside, fuck off). I grew up in New Mexico, 40 minutes from Juarez, Mexico. When I was a kid, I thought it was a curse, I used to compare it with being being stuck on Tatooine. But if the southern New Mexico/West Texas/ Mexico border was Tattooine, Juarez was my Mos Eisley Spaceport. With a drinking age of 16, the cantinas and dance clubs were about as dangerous as any Mos Eisley Cantina, and felt about as alien. (this was of course before the cartel war made it the most dangerous city in the world.)
My loud mouth neighbors were out on their stoops bitching about the immigrants moving in yet again this morning. They all seem so eager forget that they live in South Philly because their Irish & Italian grandparents were forced down here from center city, viewed as unwelcome subhumans. I’m not just baffled by their “get out of my country” hypocrisy, I’m baffled because these angry crackers don’t see the vibrance of the CULTURE. Having that diversity in my life was invaluable.
On this Cinco De Mayo, take a minute to think about all the things that make Mexico amazing.
I know my life feels more fulfilled with Cinco De Mayo
with sugar skulls
with Mexican game shows
with low riders
with Danny Trejo
with tacos out of a truck
with swallowing the worm
with velvet paintings
with sexy chola girls
with scary religious shrines
with green chile enchaladas and a fried egg on top
with La Lucha Libre
with fresh churros
with Maria Jose Cristerna the vampire woman
with Dia Los Muertos art
with Porn Star Nina Mercedez
with Chupacabra
with Pancho Villa postcards
with Carlos Castaneda & Don Juan
with La Llorona the weeping witch
with Jarritos soda
with El Santo movies
with memories of home.
-R.E. Brown Philadelphia
Swellco & Swellco 64312b
Tags: cholo, cinco de mayo, curros, el santo, jarritos, la llorona, la lucha libre, maria jose criserna, Nina Mercedez, pancho villa
Happy Cinco de Mayo!