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Originally Posted by supersix2
I can't believe how absurd this is. Since when is it incendiary to represent the American flag in America? I can understand having the kids remove their bandannas since back in my high school we weren't allowed to wear any hats or bandannas on our heads but to turn your shirt inside out? Really? I understand it was Cinco De Mayo, but that isn't even a holiday in this country. In reality, Mexican-Americans should be more insulted that people in this country use their national holiday as an excuse to drink and eat tacos.
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I'm not sure where I sit on this. I'm quite removed because I'm Canadian, but I am familiar with multicultural celebrations in Toronto, which happen all the time.
According to what I read in Wikipedia, though, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the U.S. and is generally limited to one state in Mexico. So I suppose it means it's widely considered a Mexican pride day in the U.S. nationally. I wouldn't downplay it as "an excuse" to eat and drink. National pride includes food, drink, music, and dancing--all a part of enjoying your cultural practices of celebration. And it's often a wonderful thing.
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If you are going to use the logic the school administrators took, they should throw Jewish kids out of school for wearing a Yarmulke on St. Patrick's Day or someone wearing a cross necklace during Ramadan or Passover. I can't believe how ridiculously some people react to the most inane things.
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I don't think it's the same thing. It would be more akin to some Mexican-American kids wearing Mexican flag T-shirts and Mexican flag bandannas on the Fourth of July, since it's often viewed as a day of American pride, or maybe Patriot Day or Flag Day to a much lesser extent.
I don't know the political/cultural/social environment down there with regard to Mexican-Americans and Caucasian Americans, but I wouldn't be too surprised to hear that such display of American flags (especially if out of the ordinary) could be insulting on such a day. But, like I said, I don't know what it's like. I'm interested to hear other thoughts.