50 Cinco de Mayo Quotes and Sayings to Kickstart Your Fiesta
When you think about Cinco de Mayo, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Tacos? Drinks? Guac? While those items are commonly associated with the holiday in America, there’s more to the day than those delicious foods. However, today not many people know the story of how it came to be—and we have the best Cinco de Mayo quotes to share.
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrating a day nobody saw coming: on May 5, 1862 Mexico’s small army of 2,000 soldiers did the unthinkable and won against 6,000 French troops during the Battle of Puebla. Years later, in 1915 after the Mexican Civil War ended, many Mexican families came to the United States to start fresh. When that happened, Americans were introduced to Cinco de Mayo by their Mexican friends and neighbors.
Over the past hundred-plus years, the holiday really took off in a fun and cheerful way in America through parades, yummy food and margaritas. In fact, nowadays, it’s even more celebrated in the U.S. than in Mexico, where it’s only considered to be a minor holiday. So this weekend, when you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, you’ll now know the history behind the taco-filled day. To get you ready to celebrate, we rounded up some of our favorite quotes about the holiday and about being Mexican-American, along with cute sayings you can use on the day. Check them out, below!
Related: 150 Cinco de Mayo Instagram Captions for a Truly Fun and Festive Feed
29 Cinco de Mayo Quotes
1. "Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America." —Joe Baca, American Democratic politician.
2. "For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual suspects during Black History Month or enjoying south-of-the-border cuisine on Cinco de Mayo. It means talking to and spending time with kids not like them so that they may discover those kids are in fact just like them." —John Ridley
3. "Respect for the rights of others means peace.” —Benito Juarez, Mexican Liberal lawyer and 26th president of Mexico (and first indigenous president of Mexico) from 1858 to 1872.
4. “I don’t drink anymore for Cinco de Mayo. I celebrate with Mexican food, or as it’s known in Mexico: food.” —Craig Ferguson
5. "Happy Cinco de Mayo! It’s a holiday that’s as respectful of Mexican traditions as Epcot Center’s Mexican food pavilion.” —Conan O’Brien
6. "Every year thousands of Americans mistakenly refer to Cinco de Mayo as Mexico's Independence Day." —Joe Baca
7. “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” —Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary and leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920.
8. "In Mexico, we never forget; we always remember those who fought for freedom on Cinco de Mayo." —Monica Ortiz
9. "On Cinco de Mayo, we celebrate the unity that defines us and the pride that uplifts us.” —Alejandro Ramirez
10. “Freedom for me is the sacred right to think… education is the fundamental part of social happiness: it is the principle on which liberty rests, and the growth of all towns.” —Benito Juarez
11. "The enemies of the country and of freedom of the people have always denounced as bandits those who sacrifice themselves for the noble causes of the people.” —Emiliano Zapata
Related: 50 Mexican Desserts For Cinco de Mayo
12. "What else is there for the rich to do, if not to relieve the poor of their misery.” —Pancho Villa, a general in the Mexican Revolution, Mexican revolutionary and guerrilla leader.
13. "The land belongs to those who work it with their hands.” —Emiliano Zapata
14. “If you don’t get out there and try to solve your own problems, it’s never going to change.” —Dolores Huerta
15. "If you have a dream, don't let anybody take it away." —?Selena Quintanilla
16. "I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice.” —Cesar Chavez
17. "If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government.” —Emiliano Zapata
18. "At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” —Frida Kahlo
19. "My sword has belonged to, belongs to, and will belong to the people.” —Pancho Villa
20. "I love to challenge the status quo. That's been my mission from day one as an actress and an early feminist wanting equality and wanting to push the limits of what's possible." —Jessica Alba
21. "Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures." —Cesar Chavez
22. "My mother gave me one piece of advice that stuck with me. She said don't forget where you came from." —Eva Longoria
23. "[My father] always reminded us that it was important to stand up for your rights, and regardless of who you are and where you come from, to hold your head up high with dignity and respect." —?Hilda Solis, American politician.
24. "It would be magnificent, I think, to help make Mexico a happy place. “ —Pancho Villa
25. "In our culture and in culture sometimes they make you feel a little be weird for being smart... but we are intelligent people and our dreams matter regardless of if you speak with an accent and people think that that makes you not intelligent.” —George Lopez
26. "You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore." —Cesar Chavez
27. “We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things. That is what we are put on the earth for.” —Dolores Huerta
28. "Being Mexican American is tough … We got to be twice as perfect as everybody else!... We have to prove to Mexicans how Mexican we are, we got to prove to Americans how American we are. We got to be more Mexican than the Mexicans & more American than the Americans. Both at the same time! It’s exhausting! Damn, nobody knows how tough it is to be Mexican American!” —Edward James Olmos as Abraham Quintanilla in the 1997 movie Selena.
29. "As a son of the people, I could never forget that my only goal should be their greater prosperity.” —Benito Juarez
Related: Cinco De Mayo Facts
21 Cinco de Mayo Sayings
30. Don’t tequila my vibe.
31. Fiesta all day, siesta all night.
32. Taco ‘bout a fun day!
33. Holy guacamole, it’s Cinco de Mayo!
34. Cinco de Mayo is going to guac your world!
35. I love our friend-chip! Happy Cinco de Mayo.
36. Friends don’t let friends go taco-less.
37. If you don’t like tacos, I’m nacho type.
38. When life gives you avocados, make guacamole!
39. Take life with a grain of salt and a slice of lime.
40. In queso you didn’t know, I love Cinco de Mayo!
41. Have a fantas-taco day!
42. Have a specu-taco-ular Cinco de Mayo!
43. Lean with it, guac with it!
44. Want to taco walk on the wild side this Cinco de Mayo?
45. Fiesta like there’s no ma?ana.
46. Birds of a feather guac together.
47. Avocado crush on you!
48. Cinco de Mayo is nacho average holiday.
49. What’s up guac?
50. You’re a chip off the ol’ guac!
Next up, here are 39 yummy Cinco de Mayo recipes!
