“Keep Walking” — Diary of a Downtown Resident’s Cinco de Mayo Night

Our Mexican ancestors once said, “take this date, cinco de mayo, and drink my sons, drink until you’ve regurgitated that burritozilla you have just ingested.” No… that is not what our ancestors told us but I sure do like me a good burritozilla from Iguana’s. Obviously, true knowledge of why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated is not a requirement to actually participate in the fictional traditions that this “holiday” has somehow acquired: mainly drinking, low riding, dressing up and waving Mexican Flags. These traditions are, although not necessarily “traditional,” well loved by the San José community. But I have come to the conclusion that, like some other well-loved traditions, San Jose’s Cinco de Mayo is being slowly fazed out. Cinco de Mayo is now “cinco de where-did-all-of-these-cops-come-from-I-thought-SJPD-was-understaffed day.” I saw more cops than hoochie mamas, more cop cars than low riders and heard more sirens than rancheras coming from the “rowdy” streets of San José.

I showed up to downtown San José at 10:30pm in my traditional Mexican tehuana blouse. Something that is, ironically, a little out of place when compared to the “traditional” San José 5 de mayo attire. We came equipped with dancing shoes and a mission to tear up a dance floor. Sadly, our dancing shoes became hiking shoes and our dance floor became a vomit-infested sidewalk because to our surprise, San José had become infected with the deadly plague of cinco the mayo. At lease that’s what it seemed like. There was a blockade on every street. It seemed that the cops had quarantined the downtown area by barricading every entrance down San Fernando, 1st St, St. John and 4th St. “Can’t come in, we’re only letting people out. So keep walking,” seemed to be every cops command. Essentially, my trip to downtown San José became an hour-long detour around San José that lead me back to my apartment. Standing in front of every barrier, SJPD had officially become downtowns bouncers. Except this time, instead of judging you on your wrinkled button up dress shirt, they judged you on their assumptions on the damage that you might cause.

After I was turned away from the first barricade I circled downtown looking for another spot (at this time I was unaware of the complete downtown lock down.) The detours they sent me on landed me in the downtown boonies. I looked around and realized that I felt more unsafe in the lonely downtown boonies than I would have in a “cholo” filled Tres Gringos.

When I finally gave up on my quest I came across 3rd street, the street I live on. I asked to cross through explaining that I was trying to get home the cop asked, “What’s your address?” I answered quickly and firmly but again, he notified me that I wasn’t allowed to pass. He condescendingly asked me if I knew where 4th street was. Though I was offended (since I had done my best at politely asking to pass) I answered yes. In return all I received was a “then keep walking.” Suddenly my boyfriend noticed a man who was slowly walking through the street we had just been denied to enter and asked, “How come he gets to cut through?” and the cop answered “He probably has business down there.”

How come he can walk down the street when he “probably has business down there” and I can’t when I “definitely live down there?” I told people about this at my work and they suggested that I should have “pulled the teacher card” and told them “I am a teacher and I work in San José. I must get home to grade papers so I can continue educating our youth.” But then I thought, why? Why should I pull this card? Sure, maybe it would have helped, but I don’t want to have to prove that I’m educated, responsible and harmless; I would prefer that you assume that I’m educated, responsible and harmless. I have given you no reason to assume otherwise. You’re trying to make me feel safe but have managed to make me feel dangerous. And if enough people see you a certain way, well, you might start to believe it and unfortunately, perhaps act upon it. I don’t say this to condone the behaviors of those smashing business windows and jumping on VTA buses due to their cinco de mayo “excitement.” Cinco de Mayo should definitely not be an excuse for stupidity. But at the same time, we should not all be assumed stupid.

So I’ll leave you with this SJPD: Next year, give me a print out of the detour map. If I would have known that my trip for drinks and dancing would have become an hour long trek through what seemed to be a full on crime scene, I would have stayed home and watched CSI. Or perhaps next year you could provide us with hints as to what to wear/say when we politely approach you. I’ll try to look a little less dangerous next time. One more question… Will I have to keep all of this in mind when 4th of July comes around?