Little-Acorn
05-06-2010, 11:22 AM
Apparently some American students in an American high school, 400 hiles from the Mexican border in an American state in the United States of America, decided to wear T-shirts with an American flag on them. And some teacher at that American high school decided there might be some students of Mexican descent in the school who might take offense, because 400 miles away in a different country (Mexico) that particular day (May 5) was a holiday.
Instead of counselling those offended students - or even finding out if any were actually offended in the first place - the teacher ordered the students with the T-shirts to take them off. When the students refused, they were sent to the Principal's office, and then threatened with suspension.
The teacher also apparently did not check to see how many Mexican high school students in Mexican high schools in Mexican states in Mexico, carefully refrained from wearing shirts with Mexican flags on them on the 4th of July, for fear that some American students might be offended. Or if any Americans even cared what high school students wore... IN MEXICO.
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http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Students-Wearing-American-Flag-Shirts-Sent-Home-92945969.html
Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
Freedom of expression or cultural disrespect on Cinco de Mayo?
by GEORGE KIRIYAMA
Updated 7:58 AM PDT, Thu, May 6, 2010
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
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," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."
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 really had no choice, and 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.
"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."
Instead of counselling those offended students - or even finding out if any were actually offended in the first place - the teacher ordered the students with the T-shirts to take them off. When the students refused, they were sent to the Principal's office, and then threatened with suspension.
The teacher also apparently did not check to see how many Mexican high school students in Mexican high schools in Mexican states in Mexico, carefully refrained from wearing shirts with Mexican flags on them on the 4th of July, for fear that some American students might be offended. Or if any Americans even cared what high school students wore... IN MEXICO.
-----------------------------------
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Students-Wearing-American-Flag-Shirts-Sent-Home-92945969.html
Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
Freedom of expression or cultural disrespect on Cinco de Mayo?
by GEORGE KIRIYAMA
Updated 7:58 AM PDT, Thu, May 6, 2010
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
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," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."
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 really had no choice, and 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.
"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."