Angels Fans Dress as “Mexicans” with Approval of Part-Time Mexican Owner Arte Moreno

Since your Anaheim Angels of Anaheim can't be expected to set any legitimate baseball records anymore (save for the extraordinary Mike Trout), the organization is reduced to passing out free hats and achieving glory that way. Yesterday, about 25,000 fans wore sombreros on Cinco de Mayo, thereby shattering the Guinness Book of World Records entry for the largest gathering of people wearing the Mexican hat. The Halos put that in their trophy case alongside previous achievements such as biggest gathering of people wearing Santa hats, cowboy hats, wigs, and worst free-agent signing.

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Of course, Angels fans being Angels fans, some had to push it more into the stereotypical realm. Refry the above photo, where a buncha gabachos added on ponchos, fake mustaches, and maracas. Cuchi-cuchi!

Hey, good for those gabachos to pretend to be Mexican for a day, although let's see them try that crap in SanTana or on la Mavis in Anacrime. And then there was the Halos' burro exhibit, as captured by Orange County Register writer Pedro Moura:

What's amusing to those in the know is how this reflects the ethnicity politics of Halos owner Arte Moreno–you know, the Mexican who isn't Mexican unless he can make money off of it. Donning a sombrero when he was announced as the first Latino majority owner in professional sports? Mexican! Asked by local Latino leaders to speak at events or be more engaged in the community? Not Mexican! Asked to talk about his Latino ethnicity by reporters? Not Mexican! Asked to give money in his hometown of Tucson? Mexican! Doing a crappy sombrero giveaway? Hella Mexican!

Hey, it's Arte's right to be as Mexican as he wants. But selling his sometimes-culture for nothing but profit, while ignoring it the rest of the year? Vendidonow, go hire some black players already!

Email: ga*******@oc******.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.

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