Many students began drinking heavily for Cinco de Mayo. To celebrate, white students wore sombreros and ponchos. These depicted stereotypes of Latinos and represent a narrow and hurtful lack of cultural understanding. (Trigger warning) I saw groups of 10 and 20 students stumbling past my house, fighting with each other and talking about how they were going to get drunk and try to have sex. They also shouted racist slurs; some openly talking about raping women.

The lack of discussion and programming from the University of Oregon administration is a disturbing silence. In their absence, the 5th of May is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla — against the French — and is not widely celebrated in Mexico. It has been popularized in the U.S. by the alcohol industry to profit from the stereotypes depicted above.

It hurts me to think that my fellow white students only view Latinos and Hispanics as rural laborers, drunks and sexual objects. This behavior is profoundly racist and patriarchal; it also creates a dangerous climate of domination. I am upset that it wasn’t just a few students. It was house parties, mobs of groups on both sides of Alder and Hilyard Streets, which were spilling out for blocks in every direction.

We have to hold each other to a higher standard.

There is no excuse for racist costumes and rape jokes.

We can do better.

What happened this weekend was a disgrace.

Signed,

Cimmeron Gillespie

Back to Back Coordinator,

Community Alliance of Lane County