The first time I experienced Cinco de Mayo in the United States, I was stunned.

It was May 5, 2014, and I had just moved to New York. After growing up in Mexico and years spent living in Europe, I expected a small cultural moment—perhaps a quiet celebration among Mexican expatriates. After all, in Mexico itself, Cinco de Mayo is not even one of our biggest holidays.

From the moment I landed stateside, Cinco de Mayo was everywhere : banners at the airport, ads in the streets, promotions in restaurants. On the taxi ride into Manhattan, I saw a news anchor wearing a sombrero under the headline “Cinco de Drinko.”

Over the years, that experience has repeated itself every Cinco de Mayo I spent in the United States. Bars overflowing with patrons screaming for tequila shots. People drinking heavily, often without much connection to what the day actually commemorates.…