Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the Vice Principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag t-shirts inside-out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day, but today is sensitive to Mexican Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today," Daniel Galli said.
The boys said the administrators called their t-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
The boys with really no choice went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset calling what happened to their children: total nonsense.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."
But to many Mexican American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.
here we go again...if i remember correctly, mexican-american means they live in AMERICA now. if they dont like it, they are free to leave.
ReplyDeleteTell them frickin people to go celebrate their holiday in
ReplyDeleteMexico itself,
Would they not wear a mexican flag in mexico schools on July 4 ?
- I think we're in BIG trouble here
I agree with both 10:08 and 10:12. We get so caught up in being culturally sensitive that we forget that Mexicans living in this country as Americans are just that--Americans. If they value their country's ideals and celebrations, they need to go back to Mexico. I'm going to ask the same question--would the Mexican-Americans who complained about the American Flag shirts be punished for wearing a Mexican flag shirt on July 4th?
ReplyDelete10:08 I came to comments to write my sentiments but you have already said it, so I'll just "ditto: your remark and yours too 10:12.
ReplyDeleteIf they want to celebrate a Mexican holiday - GO BACK TO MEXICO. Cinco de Mayo has NOTHING to do with the US. Even part of Mexico does not celebrate it, usually only in Pueblo and surrounding areas.
ReplyDeleteto top it off, May 5th is not widely celebrated in MEXICO. only certain states in that country observe the day. Mexican Independence day is more widely celebrated, as it should be.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that defacing the flag to wear it as clothing?
ReplyDeleteactually, I quite enjoy cinco de mayo. It's more of a holiday for college students and young at heart adults.
ReplyDeleteThat is total BS. This is AMERICA. I served in the military so we can express ourselves freely. Show your American pride any day!!!
ReplyDeleteActually , I think we need to start a revolution now!! Take back our country , sorry mexicans , we just need to aim a little lower for you guys. Shouldn't be a problem for mexicans cause most will be wounded and can get free health care.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a large majority of those students do not even know the history behind Cinco! what a freakin laugh! If ya dont like this country GET THE HELL OUT!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above. Don't like "our flag"....LEAVE. The border crossing goes both ways, just follow the sign that says Exit Only!!!
ReplyDeleteso retarded. I would wear those shirts every single day from now on. i would also sue the school for american discrimination in america...that is ludicris
ReplyDeleteCinco de Mayo is the date when the Mexicans defeated the French in a battle. This lead to another battle in which Independence was declared.
ReplyDeleteThe reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo is because Corona (Budweiser) is using this day to sell beer.
10:42 - Tell that to the police, the boy scouts, the military and many other companies that wear the flag on their sleeve.
ReplyDeleteHere we go again , why in hell can't we stand up for our country and quit kissing the asses of the comeheres !!!! Let AMERICANS go down to Mexico or any other country and start raising hell and see what happens to them ! This totally pisses me off !
ReplyDeleteJoe this is the true minorites I'm this country white, male , christians who pay their taxes and love America, we are the ones who pay for everything and everybody else but we are the ones who have more and more of our rights taken away everyday. We give jobs to blacks to blacks because they are black we can't pray anywhere while Muslims can do it anywhere,we can't eat merry Christmas but can wish a happy Kwanza(made up)if you are a male good luck trying to get custody of your kids because you have no uterus and you can speak spanish in a public school but God forbid(is that allowed ?) you wear the US Flag for a country that wad founded for and by Christians!
ReplyDeleteThis is just ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteWhy are we required to bow down to ANYONE like this!?
Well today, and every day is AMERICAN day in our country, so learn to speak ENGLISH on our AMERICAN days!
We need to get people like this OUT of our country! NOW!
Our Country sucks. We suck. It is just that simple.
ReplyDeleteWe are a spineless, souless, corrupt bunch of wussies.
We don't deserve the status of a great nation any longer.
We suck.
Cinco De Mayo----- Love it so as I was born on that day. However, I have said some time ago you are either an American or not, so go back to your Mother countries because I am going to stand for the RED, WHITE, and BLUE------EVERYTIME! Maybe Arizona will annex California! Cancel your Mexico vacations and support Arizona.
ReplyDeleteThe guy who cleans my friends office in Princess Anne. He does'nt know it but we do.
ReplyDeleteRanger3325 your an idiot I am tired of hearing white people say Black people are given jobs how stupid can u be, I have a dgree I am black, and I earned my job so stop the bs and I am sure you will run the mouth with that affirmative action bs so omg there is a job that employs 30 one has to be black and the rest are white stop the presses black people are taking over. About the shirts if those kids actually wore those shirts nothing would have probably been said but when they probably only where the shirt once out of the whole year that showed ignorance and my America is not ignorant.
ReplyDeleteWow...this angers me beyond words. I'm American and I live in Mexico. You guys are right, the 16th of September is Mexico's independence day, not the 5th of May. I live in Puebla, where the battle of Cinco de mayo was actually fought. We don't get off work, we don't drink beer until we pass out, and we don't eat chips and salsa with our mariachi sombreros. These "Mexicans" that are upset over the use of the American flag shirts are just stupid to say the least for not knowing anything more about their homeland. But the worst thing is that they can't respect the country to which they moved. If I was upset at a Mexican here for wearing a shirt with a Mexican flag on it on July 4th, they would think I'm an absolute idiot. It makes ZERO sense. These "Mexican-Americans" have all the right to be proud of where they're from, but to disrespect the country in which they live is absolutely ridiculous. People need to grow up.
ReplyDelete