While the American military deserves a great deal of credit for their support of the fight that culminated in Mexico’s independence from Spain on May 5, 1862, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday.  And like Americans on the Fourth of July, Mexicans should fly their flag proudly.

But when those of Mexican heritage celebrate here in the United States, the fact is that it remains the celebration of another country and the Mexican flag may never take precedence over Old Glory.  Yet that is exactly what happened on May 5th when teens attending Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California were sent home from school for wearing t-shirts and bandanas with an American flag on them.

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.

…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.

“I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day,” Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. “We don’t deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn’t do that on Fourth of July.”

Some Mexicans living in the United States, we’ll presume for the sake of argument they are living here as legal American citizens, are offended by people displaying the American flag because today is a celebration day in another country?  They are offended because they chose to become a citizen of a country where they are free to celebrate their heritage without fear of retribution and find it offensive other citizens are proud of that fact?

¿Jose, puede decir usted, “loco”?

As for Mexican students not “disrespecting” America, please don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.  Just the fact a Mexican student would dare to complain about someone displaying the American flag is disrespectful.  And as a reminder of this same disrepect, these photos were taken at Montebello High School in California on March 28, 2006, the last time illegal immigration was addressed:

 

 

Frankly, I find this attitude and these kinds of actions not only gut-wrenchingly offensive but also very disturbing and think that in the case of the students at Live Oak the district ought to discipline the school’s administration .  As I dare say does every honest and patriotic American of any ethnic heritage.