By Hector Sanchez Barba, CEO of Mi Familia Vota
For decades, marketers have used the commercialized version of Cinco De Mayo to sell alcohol, salt, and casual celebration to tens of millions of Americans. For decades, Mexican-American leaders and historians have urged those same Americans to remember the real reason for the holiday: Mexico's unexpected victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
This year, in addition to the history lesson, I propose a contemporary toast: to the pivotal role of Mexican-Americans in pulling our country back from the brink of extremism. Over the last eight years, Mexican-Americans — who represent 60 percent of the total Hispanic population and roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population — have been nothing less than essential to the survival of our democracy and economy.
This community has been uniquely motivated to vote out extremists since President Trump's infamous speech describing Mexicans as "bringing drugs," "bringing crime," and being "rapists." No one understands this more than Mexican Americans — and our actions and mobilization are a clear example. In the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, widespread election denial, and the indictment of the former president, our democracy remains on the cliff's edge.
In 2020 and again in 2022, our votes proved decisive in the key states, for example, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. All three states boast substantial and growing Mexican-American populations. Without these voters, Donald Trump would remain in office, elections deniers would be in power, and American democracy would be on life support.
Arizona's 2020 returns showcased the importance of the Mexican-American vote and the payoff from years of organizing. Mi Familia Vota, the organization I lead, has been one of many investing in civic participation, education, registration, and mobilization. Thanks to those efforts, Latinos made up roughly a quarter of the 2020 electorate and supported Joe Biden by a 56-point margin. In an election decided by approximately 10,000 votes, Latino organizers can claim to have made the difference.
Arizona also offers a cautionary tale for those who discriminate against Mexican Americans. The 2010 passage of SB 1070, otherwise known as the "show me your papers" legislation, was meant to intimidate and terrorize Mexican Americans by branding us as a permanently suspect class. Instead, it did more to mobilize Mexican Americans and turn the state blue than any other event. The same happened in California in the 1990s with Pete Wilson and Proposition 187, to exclude undocumented immigrants from public services, including schools.
Nevada, where the Latino population has increased 25% over the last decade, and of which 76% is of Mexican origin, has proven equally consequential. In 2016, Latinos propelled Catherine Cortez-Masto to the U.S. Senate — the first Mexican-American to reach that office. In 2022, Nevadans reelected her over a known election denier and Trump-DeSantis ally Adam Laxalt. With a narrow victory of just under 8,000 votes, the Latino vote, which went 62% for Cortez-Masto, again proved decisive. The win ensured Democratic control of the Senate, facilitating the confirmation of pro-democracy judges and providing a crucial backstop against a radical Republican House.
Georgia is home to roughly one million Latinos, and more than half are Mexican-Americans. In 2020, these voters made up just five percent of the electorate but swung decisively for Biden, more than making up the slim final margin of 11,779 votes.
Finally, Texas represents an opportunity for our democracy and can be decisive in fighting MAGA extremism. Today, Texas is already a majority Latino state; Mexican Americans comprise 86% of all Latinos.
In 2020 and 2022, Mexican Americans rejected extremism and pulled the United States back from the brink. Mexican Americans have consistently delivered for a country that has not always provided for us. Despite a lack of investment, discriminatory voter ID laws, and gerrymandering designed expressly to dilute our power at the polls, we have done so. MAGA legislators have done everything possible to blunt our electoral influence in states like Texas.
Cinco de Mayo's symbolism is one of hope for our democracy to be better and more inclusive. It is a true celebration of the underdog. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2045, non-Hispanic whites will no longer constitute the majority in the country, with Mexican-Americans among the fastest-growing groups. If the past is prologue, Mexican-Americans will continue to serve as a bulwark against extremism. However, we don't just want recognition for our contributions to democracy; we demand and will fight for meaningful investments in our policy priorities, our communities, and adequate representation in national elected and appointed offices and local and state government, which means a better democracy for all.
On this May 5th, we can all raise a glass to that and thank a Mexican-American.
Héctor Sánchez Barba is the CEO and Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota. This national civic engagement non-profit organization unites Latino, immigrant, and allied communities to promote social and economic justice through citizenship workshops, voter registration, and voter participation in California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina.