On the eve of Cinco de Mayo – the day many in the United States confuse with Mexico’s independence day but that actually commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, where the Mexican army defeated the invading French – the White House broke with a 16-year tradition. For the first time, in almost two decades, the president didn’t host a White House Cinco de Mayo celebration. Instead, Mike Pence held the most vanilla Cinco de Mayonnaise reception next door to the White House.
Though not all Mexicans celebrate the holiday, some Latino leaders saw this as another way for Trump to slight the Latino community. During his speech, Pence said that the current administration remains committed to this diverse group. “From the arts to the armed forces, from the sciences to sports, Mexican Americans have made a lasting impact on our nation, and on our history books, and filled these history books with names of trailblazers,” Pence stated, according to The Hill. “We are, as the saying goes, with a few exceptions, a nation of immigrants, and that’s as true today as it was at the hour of America’s birth. The president has made the Latino community a priority and we always will.”
His speech, much like the event, could be summed up with this one GIF:
Former President Barack Obama’s administration, on the other hand, did a little more than just feed guests churros and empanadas at the 2015 ceremony. He invited Maná (which some may argue is a pretty out-of-touch choice) last year and generally tried to put Mexican culture at the forefront. Check out a few examples over the years below:
Though apparently, it’s George W. Bush who took Cinco de Mayo the most seriously: