Controversy erupts after undocumented immigrant waves Mexican flag at graduation

IamAman · 06-20-2015, 01:04 PM

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...versy-follows/

People on here get mad at me when I single out Mexicans, but in 2005 when there were massive immigration rallies, it was people flying Mexican flags that had such a backlash that we're still recovering from it. You don't see any Colombian flags being flown when it's not World Cup time. You don't see any Indian flags. You don't see any Israeli flags...actually I have seen them do that for some reason but not during immigration rallies but I digress.

Quote:

A week after graduating from the Thurgood Marshall College at the University of California, San Diego, a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant is still getting plenty of criticism for proudly waving a Mexican flag on stage as she received her college diploma.

It all started after Indira Esparza was featured by the San Diego Union-Tribune for her college successes despite the barriers she overcame as an undocumented immigrant.

"She faced financial insecurity, anxiety over losing family members to deportation and judgment from others because of her Mexican citizenship," the article read.

The accompanying photo showed Esparza making a peace sign with two fingers as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma and holding a green, white and red Mexican flag.

The photo sparked a sharp reaction by offended readers who wrote angry letters and comments. The response has been so fierce, it prompted the newspaper to write a new article just about the reaction.

"Send her undocumented ass home to her precious Mexico," one commenter identified as J.j. Wrong posted. "Good luck getting the education in the country she is so proud of. Ignorant waste of a news feed."

"So she is here illegally but gets to go to high school, college (how much at tax payers’ expense), and at graduation she chose to wave a Mexican flag," Todd Gilbert wrote.

"If she feels so compelled to show homage to a country that failed to provide for her parents – forcing her family to relocate to a foreign country to which she demonstrates no allegiance – then it is high time for her to take what she learned at UCSD and move back to Mexico," Chuck Briones wrote.

In an online poll asking whether Esparza should have waved the Mexican flag, the largest group of respondents, 45 percent, answered, “Yes, she is proud of her roots and heritage.”

Altogether, however, a majority of respondents disagreed with her action, saying she should have waved an American flag (19 percent), both flags (20) or neither (14).

"She has the constitutional right to [hold] whatever flag she wants," Sandra Alvarado commented online. "She was born there, why not hold it at graduation? I'm sure her values and customs from Mexico allowed her to get where she is today, I know it helped me."

While at UCSD, Esparza helped establish its Undocumented Student Services Center, and she expects to begin grad school in education this summer.The 22-year-old hopes to do research on the educational experiences of undocumented students.

Malign0n · 06-20-2015, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...versy-follows/

People on here get mad at me when I single out Mexicans, but in 2005 when there were massive immigration rallies, it was people flying Mexican flags that had such a backlash that we're still recovering from it. You don't see any Colombian flags being flown when it's not World Cup time. You don't see any Indian flags. You don't see any Israeli flags...actually I have seen them do that for some reason but not during immigration rallies but I digress.

Personally, I wouldn't wave either flag (my birth nation or U.S). It's a personal choice and one has to be proud of their heritage. But......when you're in this situation, you have to keep in mind how this looks; you're an undocumented immigrant wanting to stay in this country and how you grew up, but here you are waving the flag of the country you don't want to go back to. Kinda hypocritical to say the least.

IamAman · 06-21-2015, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malign0n

Personally, I wouldn't wave either flag (my birth nation or U.S). It's a personal choice and one has to be proud of their heritage. But......when you're in this situation, you have to keep in mind how this looks; you're an undocumented immigrant wanting to stay in this country and how you grew up, but here you are waving the flag of the country you don't want to go back to. Kinda hypocritical to say the least.

A lot of Mexicans unfortunately are tone deaf. I'm an illegal and I even get offended and want to yell "GO BACK TO MEXICO IF YOU THINK IT'S SO GREAT!" .

dreamact9090 · 06-21-2015, 03:29 PM

well,,, this is a disadvantage for undocumented no matter what we do...

she should have shut the heck up and just graduate just like her fellow students... how ignorant was this? This is how immigration has negative views from basically everybody...

fellow dreamers, let's not be too expose of our selves and show our sorrow to politicians...

dreamact9090 · 06-21-2015, 03:38 PM

well,,, this is a disadvantage for undocumented no matter what we do...

she should have shut the heck up and just graduate just like her fellow students... how ignorant was this? This is how immigration has negative views from basically everybody...

fellow dreamers, let's not be too expose of our selves and show our sorrow to politicians...

carnivore · 06-27-2015, 11:23 AM

There are two kinds of dreamers: those who wave their native flag, and those who wave the US flag.

Smooth · 06-27-2015, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malign0n

Personally, I wouldn't wave either flag (my birth nation or U.S). It's a personal choice and one has to be proud of their heritage. But......when you're in this situation, you have to keep in mind how this looks; you're an undocumented immigrant wanting to stay in this country and how you grew up, but here you are waving the flag of the country you don't want to go back to. Kinda hypocritical to say the least.

I agree.

Smooth · 06-27-2015, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamAman

A lot of Mexicans unfortunately are tone deaf. I'm an illegal and I even get offended and want to yell "GO BACK TO MEXICO IF YOU THINK IT'S SO GREAT!" .

I wonder how much this bad media attention will hurt her chances of getting a job . . . ouch. She has received an extensive amount of attention over this. Not good.

swiftp · 06-28-2015, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnivore

There are two kinds of dreamers: those who wave their native flag, and those who wave the US flag.

How about those who wave a blend of both? I think your point is about identification, how a Dreamer may identify and be more loyal towards, but I think many of us, including myself, are kind of mixed--raised in a 'native' household and speaking that language at home, but also embracing the American culture (which by itself is not homogeneous to begin with and is ever-evolving).

IamAman · 06-28-2015, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smooth

I wonder how much this bad media attention will hurt her chances of getting a job . . . ouch. She has received an extensive amount of attention over this. Not good.

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Controversy erupts after undocumented immigrant waves Mexican flag at graduation