Thread: Illegal sympathizers back-peddle on flag debate

Mexican flags draw dissent

Yvonne Wingett and Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 5, 2006 12:00 AM


Paul Cattelino thinks of himself as a liberal. He votes independent, supports gay marriage and is anti-war.

His great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1917, and he has always empathized with Mexican immigrants. Then, last week on TV, the central Phoenix retail manager watched in amazement images of undocumented immigrants and their supporters at huge pro-immigrant rallies in Phoenix and across the country "flying the Mexican flag on American soil."

"Call it racism, call it whatever you want, but the fact is that the waving of Mexico's flag showed the rest of us, even this die-hard liberal, that a large portion of the illegal immigrant community are not Americans," said Cattelino, 35. "If people want to be Americans, then they need to support Americans, and that means waving the American flag."

If the marchers' goal was allowing undocumented immigrants to become Americans, why wave Mexican flags? Cattelino wondered.

He and others who have voiced their views on local radio, across dinner tables and on opinion pages said waving the Mexican flag is disrespectful and proves immigrants aren't interested in assimilating. Even march organizers and supporters acknowledge that displaying the Mexican flag offended many. Organizers of work stoppage, rallies and marches planned for Monday are urging people to carry U.S. flags when they walk from Veterans Memorial Coliseum to the state Capitol.

Still, some immigrant supporters believe images of the Mexican flag at the demonstrations have been misunderstood. Waving the flag is a symbol of cultural identity and pride, they say, not political allegiance to a foreign country, its leaders or politics. They say it symbolizes the sacrifices made by their parents and their struggle to overcome prejudices and discrimination in a country that often looks down at them. "It's representing our culture, our heritage, where we are from," said Maria Barrera, a Metro Tech High School senior who rallied with classmates at the state Capitol after school last week.


1 flag, 1 mission
Demonstrators across the country have hoisted the red, white and green Mexican flag on poles, painted midriffs with the three colors and wrapped foreheads in Mexican flag bandannas during the string of pro-immigrant rallies.

But there seemed to be more American than Mexican flags at the March 24 march and rally along 24th Street in Phoenix. Many draped their shoulders in U.S. flags, wrapped their necks with U.S. flags and waved miniature U.S. flags on sticks.

The Mexican flag did dominate, though, in the chain of student walkouts and protests that followed here and throughout the country.

Rep. David Lujan, D-Phoenix, met with Metro Tech students to urge them to carry U.S. flags at Monday's demonstrations to show pride in America. But he understands why many students chose to wave Mexican flags at last week's events.

"Their whole lives, they've grown up in this country without an identity," said Lujan, also a Phoenix Union High School District governing board member. "They've grown up and been called illegals. They have no sense of belonging. And so when they go to these rallies, they fly the Mexican flag as a means of expressing their pride and their heritage."

Local organizers and supporters of the upcoming marches and rallies want to reverse the perception that they are more loyal to Mexico than the United States.

"If you are going to bring a flag, bring an American flag," said Jose Cortez, a member of the organizing coalition. "You don't want people to perceive that you are only trying to reap the benefits of this country without paying allegiance to the (U.S.) flag."

Spanish-language radio personalities are asking workers, students and activists to pack their U.S. flags and leave Mexican flags at home. School board members are meeting with high school student groups to explain the politics of flag-waving and protests. And the theme of the April 10 event, "Somos America" (We are America), highlights the contributions of immigrants.

"I'm telling them to leave the flag at home," said former state Sen. Alfredo Gutierrez, now a Spanish-language radio show host on Radio Campesina, KNAI-FM (88.3). "The only flag we should have is the American flag. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be proud, but this isn't the moment. It certainly is a symbol of pride, but this is about our political presence in this country. This isn't the moment."


Passionate about flags
Ron Taylor used to be "very, very sympathetic to the illegal immigrant cause." But the 49-year-old civil engineer from east Mesa said he was bothered by gridlocked streets and "having the Mexican flag waved in our face."

Plain and simple, he says, the protests and foreign flags are disrespectful.

"There are people that died for this country and what the flag represents," he said. "In the context of what they're doing here, it just struck a raw chord for me."

A Mexican flag used in a student protest sparked a backlash last Thursday at Apache Junction High School. Three students believed to be Latino tried to raise a Mexican flag on a campus flagpole, said Carol Shepherd, district spokeswoman. Three Anglo students stopped them. When one of the Latino students tried to hoist the flag again, one of the Anglo students took it away and set it on fire. The incident prompted Superintendent Greg Wyman to ban flag-related clothing or items. He reversed the policy after students and parents objected.

The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, meanwhile, has launched a campaign called "Take an American Flag to Work Day."

The civilian border patrol group is asking supporters to take the U.S. flag to work Thursday as its "answer to all of the people that are marching in the streets flying the flags of foreign countries," leader Chris Simcox said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... g0405.html

[quote]"If you are going to bring a flag, bring an American flag," said Jose Cortez, a member of the organizing coalition. "You don't want people to perceive that you are only trying to reap the benefits of this country without paying allegiance to the (U.S.) flag."


Sorry but I already PERCEIVE this!

Waving the flag is a symbol of cultural identity and pride, they say, not political allegiance to a foreign country, its leaders or politics.

This statement makes me mad enough to spit in a lion's eye! Is this guy saying that these people have no idea that them waving their filthy flag on American soil-- not just during these protests but CONSTANTLY in this town-- is an insult the the country that hosts them? Even naturalized citizens, even people who were BORN here who take foreign flags out in public need to be taken down a peg. This is a riduculous statement.

Culture, my a$$! How about assimilating to AMERICAN culture or go home to the culture they are so endeared toward.