Cinco de Mayo in KC

May 1, 2024

Did you know that over 4% of the population of Missouri is made up of families with at least one immigrant parent? According to the American Immigration Council of 2020, the top country of origin is Mexico

I was fortunate enough to spend a year working as a school librarian in Puebla, Mexico. It also happens to be the only place that even recognizes the holiday that’s so famous in the US. Go figure.

Cinco de Mayo is frequently confused with Independence Day which is celebrated in September. Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory of the French at the Battle of Puebla where they were the underdogs. Nowadays it’s an important way to commemorate Mexican culture and heritage.

It’s a great opportunity to learn more about Mexican Americans in your community, try new food or go to a folklorico dance with a local group! Take some time and read through some of the events happening near you.

Local Events:

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Guadalupe Centers: A neighborhood tradition that started in 1922. Admission is free. Families can enjoy local entertainment, mariachis, folkloric dancers, food trucks and more! (Stop by Miranda’s Mexican Food Truck and Panaderia de las Americas while in the area).

Art:

Folklorico Dance: Owned and operated by Kansas City locals. Grupo Folklorico Alma Tapatia was created to share the magic of Mexican folklore. Outside of performances, they also offer classes to anyone who is interested.

Latino Arts Foundation: Nonprofit organization with programs designed to support the cultural identity within the creative sector of Kansas City. They have 4th Friday pop-ups that highlight local artists.

Monica Arts Space: Más or more is an art space/ studio / gallery located in the historic West Bottoms. It offers locally and Latino made art, clothing and merchandise for KC residents.

Small Businesses:

There are many ways to celebrate in the Kansas City area and many local businesses are owned and operated by latin@ locals.

Parami: Se tu. Be loud. Be proud. This apparel line is centered around self-love, pride, and community. Their t-shirts and merchandise reclaim jokes in a tongue-in-cheek manner that allows people to embrace their identity.

BlendWell: Blend Well offers a community space that focuses on building cultural connections in Independence. It highlights staff who speak Spanish. It has menu items in both English and Spanish.

Café Corazon : Latin@ owned and operated. Delicious coffee with a wide variety of cultures represented. Their shop includes t-shirts in Spanglish and candy with chamoy.

Café Ollama : Come here for the coffee flight! While you’re here, it’s also worth trying the café de olla. It’s delicious and full of rich cinnamon flavors.

Square One is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning more about opening a small business. They’re currently working with local Kansas Citian to get the word out about Awaken with Ingrid. More information about their mission is available on their website.

There are many ways that you can learn about Mexican-American Heritage and celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the library. Here’s just a few of the options!

Mango: Use this awesome resource to learn Spanish. It breaks down the language into accessible units and encourages you to practice every day. Try it out!
TumbleBooks Library: Did you know that TumbleBooks has books available in English, French AND Spanish?? Reading books is a great way to acquire another language.
Hispanic Life in America: This resource connects you with over 17,000 news source in English and Spanish. Some topics of interest include articles on Vaqueros or Mexican cowboys, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and even the influential Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor.
CultureGrams: You can use this resource to explore the culture, cuisine or traditional clothing associated with Mexico. Do you like cooking? Try their recipe for Horchata or Flan.