Podcast: The forgotten, radical roots of Cinco de Mayo

Listen to this episode of The Times: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google

Few take Cinco de Mayo seriously. For many of us, today is about restaurant specials on nachos and margaritas. Too many white people wearing sombreros and fake mustaches.

But for Axios reporter Russell Contreras, May 5 takes him back to growing up in Houston, where a forgotten riot over the police death of a Mexican American in 1978 turned Cinco de Mayo from farce to reflection. He talks about the forgotten, radical roots of the holiday loved by few and celebrated mostly with drinko.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: Russell Contreras, Axios reporter covering justice and race

More Reading

Op-Ed: Cinco de Mayo -- a truly Mexican American holiday
The Real Meaning of Cinco de Mayo Celebration