Sacramento: Unity's theme at Capitol as more U.S. flags flutter

A crowd estimated by police as being between 8,000 and 10,000 gathers Monday on the steps of the state Capitol before moving on to the Federal Building.
~ Sacramento Bee/Andy Alfaro

By Dorothy Korber, Laurel Rosenhall and Erika Chavez -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Story appeared on Page A1 of The Bee

The Stars and Stripes outnumbered Mexico's El Tricolor in Sacramento Monday as thousands of local demonstrators joined immigration protests nationwide.
From tiny plastic flags no bigger than a postcard to giant cloth banners streaming in the breeze, more marchers carried the red, white and blue than Mexico's green, white and red. But many of the protesters proudly displayed both flags.

In earlier demonstrations across the country, the widespread waving of the Mexican flag triggered barbed rebukes from commentators who questioned the allegiances of the marchers. "The student brandishing the Mexican flag signals divided loyalty or perhaps loyalty to a foreign power," columnist Robert Novak remarked on Fox News March 29.

Responding to such criticism, protest organizers have encouraged their people to defuse the issue by displaying more U.S. flags.
That strategy was apparent Monday in Sacramento's marches - though many participants emphasized their dual loyalty by displaying both national emblems.

At the Capitol, thousands of protesters wore white T-shirts emblazoned with Mexican and American flags. Underneath was the word "Unidos" - united.

Davis High School student Alex Cervantes was one of hundreds who marched over the Yolo Causeway to join the rally at the Capitol. He carried both flags. The son of Mexican immigrants, he said he wishes that those who criticize protesters for waving Mexican flags would understand their reasons.

For immigrants, "the Mexican flag is a symbol of their success as well as their struggle," he said. Still, he does recognize the importance of including the American flag as these protests continue.

"We've got to wave both flags, Mexican and American," Cervantes said. "It's a symbol of unification."

National flags can be potent catalysts in a social movement, said Jay Mechling, a professor of American studies at UC Davis. He said the leaders of the immigration protests were wise to realize that so quickly.

But, he noted, waving one country's banner doesn't necessarily dictate rejection of another.

"We're used to flags being trotted out as markers of ethnic identity," Mechling said. "On Cinco de Mayo, I've never heard anyone complain about the presence of Mexican flag. Columbus Day is essentially an Italian pride day, and we have no problems about Italian flags waving."

Some Sacramento protesters were determined to get pictures of their American flags broadcast on television. As TV news crews interviewed a demonstrator, others stood behind, holding up the U.S. flag as a backdrop.

Brothers Francisco and Antonio Gutierrez and their children joined a rally in Southside Park, each one waving an American flag. The brothers said they left Mexico for the United State in the late 1980s. They said they waved the American flag Monday in honor of their children, who are Americans.

"Aquí estamos y no nos vamos," Antonio Gutierrez said. "We're here and we're not leaving."

"And we're here to succeed," added his 12-year-old daughter, Brenda.

John Boker also waved the American flag, but for a different purpose. He was the lone counter-demonstrator at Southside Park, donning a hard hat emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes and waving a large American flag in his hands.

"Go back home, go back home!" he yelled at the protesters.

"I don't understand why I'm all alone," Boker said as the parade of flag-waving demonstrators began to march past him.

Some of them carried only the Mexican flag.

"I'm proud to be Mexicana. I'm proud of my race," 16-year-old Maricruz Rodriguez shouted as the crowd left Southside Park and headed toward the Capitol.

After the march, one local organizer suggested the flag debate exists more in the minds of the media than among those on the ground.

"There are some people that think that the way to generate acceptance is by carrying more American flags," said Victor Rivera of the Coalition Against Unjust Immigration Laws. "I think we should be ourselves.

"One flag is your heritage," said Rivera. "The other is the flag of your new homeland. Carry both, if you can."

About the writer:
The Bee's Dorothy Korber can be reached at (916) 321-1061 or dkorber@sacbee.com.

URL: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14241673p-15061098c.html

De Todos Para Todos





c/z