Although Mexican immigrants observed Cinco de Mayo here as far back as the 1860s, some researchers have traced the first recognized festival to a group of California college students searching for a meaningful way to celebrate their Mexican heritage in the 1960s.
Thanks to commercialism, some say Cinco de Mayo since has gone the way of St. Patrick’s Day and become nothing more than an excuse to party. Community organizations in several cities are working to reclaim the holiday from commercialism.
