NBC Bay Area covered a story last week about a number of students from Live Oak High School who were sent home from school for wearing American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo. You can read the full article here.
Due to the large Mexican-American population of the school, administrators believed this was "incendiary" and gave the students the option of turning the shirts inside out or going home to avoid suspension.
Some Mexican-American students interviewed felt offended by the boys for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday and saw it as a sign of disrespect.
Thoughts, feelings, comments, questions? Let's hear what you have to say this
Feedback Friday!
.
Feedback Friday!
.
Sorry, but that is absurd! Cinco de Mayo is not even a huge holiday in Mexico...it is NOT their Independence Day..that date is on September 16, 1810. On that night a Roman Catholic priest spoke the now famous cry of independence "Grito de Dolores" Cry of Dolores or Cry of Independence. These two dates have always gotten mixed up here in the States. I lived in Houston for many years and my Mexican friends (especially the older ones) have told me this. So with that being said...since when is a foreign war battle that does not involve the US become a holiday???? Also..since when do we instill a sense of shame of the US in our school children?? I bet if Mexican fags were worn on July 4th nothing would be done. This is the United States of America...not Mexico. OMG...you got me started!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm back...I just read a very interesting thought on this subject. St. Patrick's Day..NYC..one of the largest Irish parade gatherings in the country. Irish flags being waved everywhere you look. Also many American flags being waved and guess what....NO ONE IS OFFENDED!!! This tells me this whole thing is just a political mess. Freedom of speech folks :-)
ReplyDeletethe school was wrong, on all counts! THis is AMERICA, freedom of speech people! Plus, back to the AMERICA thing, we can wave the American flag no matter where we are! Even if their intent was malicious, it's not right to stop them from wearing those shirts, as long as they aren't doing anythng malicious!
ReplyDeleteThat's so crazy...I'm speechless and that doesn't happen very often!
ReplyDeleteI'm remembering the recent presidential campaign when a U.S. Senator, now President of the United States, was seen in public WITHOUT a tiny flag button and soundly chastised and reprimanded.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Cinco de Mayo protests, and the preference given to children of Mexico in our public schools, well I can't go there, even in my thoughts.
I have to agree - this is absurd.
ReplyDeleteI read 4 or 5 articles on this for research on something else- the most shocking part to me is that TWO OF THE STUDENTS WERE MEXICAN.
ReplyDeleteI mean, clearly they weren't offended. The whole thing is just absurd.
First of all...we live in AMERICA. Why would it be harrasment to promote spirit in OUR country? If they are upset, then they should consider why they live here and not somewhere else. I understand taking pride in your heritage. But if ALL of our ancestors (no matter how far back or how recent) hadn't choosen to come to this country for its freedoms, then we would have nothing to complain about. I am thankful we have the right to voice our opinions and discuss this issue.
ReplyDeleteCinco de Mayo is mostly celebration of Mexican Heritage and Pride. However, it is sad to see that Corporate America has used it more to advertise and fill bars with Mexicans, or anybody else that needs an excuse to drink, as they do with the Irish
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this issue at the school was made a bigger deal that what it really was.. Its all politics!
Oh that is just silly! I'm not American but sending them home over wearing your own countries shirt?? crazy!
ReplyDeleteSo MANY thoughts that I won't express them all. I would like to say to the school officials who made this choice "are you trying to cause racial tension?" When we throw red flags up about things it causes people to look at them differently. Did the girl really feel offended before she was made to think she should be offended? Another BIG "grrrrrr" to me is this is America. If you want to celebrate your holiday and not see a flag from another country then go back to your country. ANYONE in America that has the audacity to say these students shouldn't be wearing American flag clothing on a Mexican holiday are not being culturally sensitive. If the students were in Mexico then fine, send them home, but they weren't; they were on their home soil. It seems to me the school could be prosecuted for discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI attended an internship in Texas made up primarily of Americans. On Canada's Thanksgiving a small group of students (Canadians) were sporting their countries colors and flag, jumping around in the front of the room yelling "Happy Thanksgiving" to each other. Their little celebration was preventing the class from starting. The director asked them to sit down so he could start the class. They told him he needed to be more culturally sensitive because it was a holiday for them. He said, "No, you're in America, YOU need to be culturally sensitive. Now go sit down so I can start the class."
Hello??? Aren't we all here because of the freedom from persecution and the right to free speech thing? I recently was given copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Maybe the educators and students with "hurt feelings" should reread them and be thankful they live in a country where clothing displaying the national flag is even an option!
ReplyDeleteI think this is RIDICULOUS! I guess any symbol on a shirt can be taken as disrespectful then, so maybe the school should ban shirts with any writing or symbols on them. I think it's a waste of time for the school administration. Focus on something else, like schoolwork!
ReplyDeletePS - My white daughter is in the minority in her school. The majority are African American, Latino, and Russian. It's an interesting blend of students, that is for sure. It's a wonderful way for her to see how other cultures live.
Yeah, BAD decision made by the people in charge. I would bet that, most likely, no one was offended until the administration told them that they were or should be. SO STUPID.
ReplyDeleteI keep hoping that maybe there is something more to this story that the media is leaving out. Because if this is all there is to it then it is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard.
ReplyDeleteHubby and I had a big conversation about this last week. Our conclusion: THIS IS AMERICA! We should be able to wear a shirt, regardless of where we are, with the symbol of our country on it!
ReplyDeleteThis is America!
ReplyDeleteThis wouldn't be a story if anti-immigration legislature weren't all over the news.
ReplyDeleteThe school was wrong - although I think the students wearing the flag can be viewed as an attempt to incite a problem, they made it MORE of a problem by making it a big deal. the kids should have been left alone. We can celebrate different heritage without losing our minds.
The event at this school is not a big issue - the bigger issue is that too many people are uninformed about our crap immigration system and BAD laws are being passed that have no prayer of actually doing anything about it. Shame on Jan Brewer of Arizona.
I think the administrators made a poor choice. At the middle school I work at, some of the Hispanic students were wearing mexico's flag and looked like Mexican gangsters in their costumes. I asked one of them what Cinco De Mayo is about and they couldn't tell me the real meaning. Just a reason to have Mexican pride. I think wearing clothing with an american flag any day of the year is totally appropriate. Too bad things always have to be so devisive! (I hope I don't sound racist in my comments. i'm not.)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I saw this earlier this week while preparing dinner and had the opportunity to discuss it. Without knowing the people involved it is impossible to know the intent of the boys that wore the American flags on their shirts. That said, we as of now still allow anti war protesters at funerals, and the KKK can march in parades. Even if these young men's intentions were less than noble, they have the right to make their feelings known. I would like to think their actions were based in patriotism. Either way, the school was wrong and the rights of these boys were ignored.
ReplyDeletePamela
My husband and I saw this earlier this week while preparing dinner and had the opportunity to discuss it. Without knowing the people involved it is impossible to know the intent of the boys that wore the American flags on their shirts. That said, we as of now still allow anti war protesters at funerals, and the KKK can march in parades. Even if these young men's intentions were less than noble, they have the right to make their feelings known. I would like to think their actions were based in patriotism. Either way, the school was wrong and the rights of these boys were ignored.
ReplyDeletePamela
My husband and I saw this earlier this week while preparing dinner and had the opportunity to discuss it. Without knowing the people involved it is impossible to know the intent of the boys that wore the American flags on their shirts. That said, we as of now still allow anti war protesters at funerals, and the KKK can march in parades. Even if these young men's intentions were less than noble, they have the right to make their feelings known. I would like to think their actions were based in patriotism. Either way, the school was wrong and the rights of these boys were ignored.
ReplyDeletePamela
My husband and I saw this earlier this week while preparing dinner and had the opportunity to discuss it. Without knowing the people involved it is impossible to know the intent of the boys that wore the American flags on their shirts. That said, we as of now still allow anti war protesters at funerals, and the KKK can march in parades. Even if these young men's intentions were less than noble, they have the right to make their feelings known. I would like to think their actions were based in patriotism. Either way, the school was wrong and the rights of these boys were ignored.
ReplyDeletePamela
My husband and I saw this earlier this week while preparing dinner and had the opportunity to discuss it. Without knowing the people involved it is impossible to know the intent of the boys that wore the American flags on their shirts. That said, we as of now still allow anti war protesters at funerals, and the KKK can march in parades. Even if these young men's intentions were less than noble, they have the right to make their feelings known. I would like to think their actions were based in patriotism. Either way, the school was wrong and the rights of these boys were ignored.
ReplyDeletePamela
Sorry about the mulitple comments. It kept saying my password was incorrect when I was sure it wasn't. I ended up having to reset - only to come back and find out all three times the comment had posted. ARGH!
ReplyDeleteP
Sorry but this is the USA. Don't like? They can go back to where they came from!
ReplyDelete