Thread: Racial tensions swell at Castro Valley High

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Posted on Thu, May. 11, 2006

Another day of flag-waving displays dawns at Castro Valley High

By Eric Louie
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

CASTRO VALLEY - Students waving American flags amidst racial tension between Latino and white students were back at Castro Valley High early this morning, with those on both sides expecting the situation to escalate.

At 7 a.m. several pickup trucks and other vehicles with American flags began arriving in one of the parking lots. The students then walked around the lot in a small, quiet demonstration.

Ashley Morrison, a junior, is upset some view these flag-wielders as "racist white kids." She said it is about supporting the country, and believes there's a double standard for students who bring flags representing other countries.

"We're just trying to prove a point," said Morrison, who drove up while playing "America the Beautiful" on her truck's stereo. "Most of us don't care about getting in trouble. People died for this country.

"We're just trying to support our country," she said.

Jessica Bisio, a senior who rode in with Morrison, had a shirt with the words "Keep America Free" handwritten on the back. She said while many of the students with American flags are from rural areas, they're not ignorant.

"So we're just (seen as) the hicks and rednecks," she said.

There were no demonstrations from the other side this morning. That was not the case during a lunch period Wednesday, the first day of confrontation between the two groups, when groups of students carrying Mexican flags countered those with the American flags, as cars honking support and yelling insults to both sides drove by. Several Alameda County Sheriff's deputies were on hand during lunch, as hundreds of students faced off. The two sides had also demonstrated Wednesday morning.

Javier Sanchez, a senior arriving to school this morning with a Mexican flag in his hand, said the experience has given him a negative view of the American flag which he did not have before.

"Now the American flag is racism more than anything else," he said.

School officials have said tensions have risen since the May 1 "Day Without Immigrants." About 56 percent of the 2,800-student school is white, while about 18 percent is Latino. As the school held its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration Friday, a group of students brought American flags. School officials say it was meant to counter the May 1 movement, and that racial and anti-immigrant slurs have been used, though students with the American flags say it is about patriotism and that they are the only ones being picked on.

The school on Monday said they asked students on both sides not bring the flags, which heightened the demonstrations. The school is now allowing students to have the displays but asks they be respectful and during non-class times, such as lunch or breaks. Students Thursday said a meeting between the two sides with school officials is planned.

Amparo Ozuna said since that day her daughter, a sophomore, has students tell her to "go home" and other racist remarks about Latinos.

"I believe in flying the American flag but not when it's used to intimidate people," said Ozuna, who was thinking about having her daughter come stay home for fear of her safety.


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Reporter Eric Louie covers education. Reach him at elouie@cctimes.com or 925-847-2123.

Javier Sanchez, a senior arriving to school this morning with a Mexican flag in his hand, said the experience has given him a negative view of the American flag which he did not have before.

"Now the American flag is racism more than anything else," he said.

Racism? The American flag? Javier, you should quit getting your hate speech quips from MySpace and La Raza sites. :P

Amparo Ozuna said since that day her daughter, a sophomore, has students tell her to "go home" and other racist remarks about Latinos.

So? We adults say to you illegals "go home" and we're called racist with just those two words. If Amparo is here illegally, then she's subject to comments. GROW UP and quit the whining - both mother and daughter!

"I believe in flying the American flag but not when it's used to intimidate people," said Ozuna, who was thinking about having her daughter come stay home for fear of her safety.

Well, gee. I remember a large contingent of arrogant invaders marching through the streets waving the MEXICAN buzzard rag demanding amnesty and "full rights."

And that's not intimidating? Yea .. right!

Can't stand it when the shoe is on the other foot, huh?

Originally Posted by wep561

Originally Posted by diana717

It's hard to fathom people living here ,being given so many advantages of this country and having absolutely no loyalty to America whatsoever.

Alot of Mexicans here in south Florida seem to be intimidated by the American flag. For whatever reason, they don't like it.
A few months ago on a construction site where I work in Jupiter, Florida, we had a topping out party. A kind of celebration that is customary in construction when the shell of a large building has been completed. This building (St Anns Assisted Living Facility) is actually adjacent to the Chasewood developement that made the news a few weeks ago when the Mexicans replaced the American flag with the Mexican.
I (being the proud American that I am) brought a large American flag mounted on a ten foot length of rigid conduit (custom flagpole) and mounted it on the roof deck of the building. At the time there were about 12 mexican laborers working on the roof deck stripping some form work and a couple of black guys finishing concrete. It took about 15 minutes to mount my flagpole to the concrete roof deck and I noticed a few of the Mexicans had stopped work and were watching. One of the black guys says to me "Hey man, I think you're pissing off the Mexicans." I laughed and told him "Too damn bad."
Awhile later the English speaking Mexican foreman comes to me and points to the flag and says "What is that?" As if he didn't know. I explained to him that it is customary in America to sometimes raise a flag after a top out. He seems a little concerned and asks "How long will it be there"? I tell him "As long as I want it to be". He walks away.
The next day I noticed that someone had taken a razor knife and partially shredded the flag. So I drove over to home depot and bought a new one and raised it on my flagpole the following day along with a small (USMC emblem) flag underneath. I'm ex-USMC.
As I'm setting my flags the Mexican foreman becomes curious about it and asks what the small flag underneath the American flag means. I told him that it means "If I catch someone shredding these flags with a razor knife, I'm going to kick their a**." No one touched my flags after that and they were there for the next two months. Someone knicknamed the jobsite The Alimoe because of the tension created by the American flag.

welcome to the fight ....

if these 'good folks' are so OFFENDED by the American flag, they can leave