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Live Oak High School Morgan Hill Sends Students Home for T-Shirts
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by Amy Judd | May 6, 2010 at 10:48 am
3137 views | 4 Recommendations | 58 comments
Daniel Galli and Four of His Friends Were Sent Home From Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill California on Cinco de Mayo for their American Clothing
The parents of the students are now in an uproar because their children were sent home from high school for wearing t-shirts and other articles of clothing with American flags on them on May 5, which is Cinco de Mayo.
Galli told MSNBC that they were approached during a break by the vice principal who asked them to remove their American flag bandannas, and to turn their t-shirts inside out. The boys said no and they were sent 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."
According to SFGate, at least two of the boys are part Mexican.
Live Oak High School has a large Mexican American population, and administrators thought the t-shirts would be 'incendiary' and would start hostilities and arguments amongst the students.
"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 decided to go home, but both them and their parents are upset and angry about what happened.
Dominic Maciel's mom, Julie Fagerstrom said that the whole thing was ridiculous and that her son and his friends were just being patriotic.
Mexican-American students at Live Oak do not agree however and told MSNBC that they were offended by the actions of the boys.
"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."
The boys say there is no way they are going to apologize and they did return to school on Thursday, with at least one of them wearing an American flag t-shirt.
Morgan Hill Unified School District released a statement saying they did not agree with the actions of the administrators at Live Oak High School
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at 11:11 on May 6th, 2010
Sure the kids were trying to be provocative, but isn't this an American's right? It seems to be okay for Mexican citizens to fly Mexico's flag above the American flag in our country; why can't American kids wear the American flag? I wonder how many of the Mexican kids at the school are here legally.
at 18:26 on May 6th, 2010
Not in a school setting. A brawl in the middleof a hallway is not a pretty sight.
at 19:16 on May 6th, 2010
Grace: Is there anything about being an American that you like? lol . . . .
at 04:29 on May 7th, 2010
Hmmm. The sense of civil liberties that have been there and thus will not be so easily removed. The idea of revolution and advancement of said rights. The idea of being a forerunner therein, albeit again heritage-wise. Alot of things.
at 08:37 on May 7th, 2010
Have you considered that the same freedoms that apply to the Mexicans, who are allowed to wear their flags, should apply to Americans? Why weren't THEY asked to flip their shirts? These students, who enjoy our freedoms which those before us fought for, should be proud to be a part of America, and should consider themselves American first and foremost. I understand most don't think this way, but at the very least they should not be OFFENDED by the American flag. That is just ridiculous.
at 11:27 on May 11th, 2010
Try being proud of being an American for a change. Keep a pride in where your people originally came from , and realize that in America we are all one nation. Not mexcian american..American. The hyphen thing is too much and needs to be eliminated. If you're not proud of being American..go back where you came from..the hell hole you were running from to begin with.. if your parents got here and you are an anchor baby, go back to the country your parents could not tolerate any longer. if you stay here, quit taking handouts, i.e., welfare, free medical, free schooling, free anything. Contribute for a change. And starting a gang that deals drugs does not count. Realize that many men and women have died to make America a free land, free from illegals and their "eewww i'm offended" crap counts too.
at 19:23 on May 6th, 2010
Jo Ann wrote: " I wonder how many of the Mexican kids at the school are here legally." My guess is all of them. Anchor babies.
at 06:07 on May 11th, 2010
Jo Ann you are probably 100% correct.I feel anchor babies have no place here. There is no sense of pride in where they are, why the parents came here to begin with. They were fleeing a country of poverty and brutality, they come here and try to recreate it!! Mexican pride my sweet bippie...May 5 is not celebrated in Mexico!! Here, May 5 is a day of sales on salsa, chips and beer. Don't give me the "mexican pride" crap. They best get some "American" pride pronto!!
at 11:36 on May 6th, 2010
Regarding the American flag issue, it's obvious to me that Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill is being run by a bunch of backwoods, inbred, hillbilly's, somewhat reminiscent of those in the movie Deliverance. In my humble opinion!
at 11:38 on May 6th, 2010
Well, well, Well, this is the United States of AMERICA not the UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. If these students of Mexican decent are offended by a few individuals how are they going to handle the rest of their lives. There has got to be more to this story than what has been reported. Anyone can wear a T-shirt with their Heritage on any day of the year, that is why we live in America. Freedom is Free - but someone paid for our FREEDOM IN BLOOD, GAVE THEIR LIFE SO WE CAN AGREE OR DISAGREE.
at 13:58 on May 6th, 2010
i AM a light-skinned mexican-american student at live oak high school in morgan hill. i did attend school yesterday, and there were more than 5 students wearing american flags, as well as mexican flags. what people do NOT know, is that the principal made both, whites and mexicans remove their flags. they weren't supposed to bring them on campus. i have had an issue with the administration and the dress code. i was wearing a bandana with school colors, on a spirit day might i add, and i was told to take off the bandana or go home. i took it off, no problem. it was stated in the agenda that bandanas are not allowed. anyway, what happened yesterday was not necessary and the media is blowing it out of porportion. people do not know that the white students were not only wearing flag clothing, but were also saying ignorant things. i told my best friend happy cinco de mayo and a white guy with a flag tied around his hat told me that "this is america." i know that, i'm not stupid. i was born in california and am a u.s. citzen. i should be allowed to say whatever i want and celebrate whatever holidays i believe in. if you don't celebrate 5 de mayo, then be on your merry way. i don't see people bringing out american flags on st.patrick's day. or atheists wearing "jesus isn't real" t-shirts on christmas. this whole thing is ridiculous and reporters would not interview me. i don't fit the stereotype of a mexican, i look white. i was discriminated against on a day of celebration. the students planned to wear american flag clothing on may 5th for a reason. they don't dress like that everyday, i've seen them. why would they choose to do that out of all days in the year? they are instigators, and just wanted to rebel. now one is being praised for this type of behavior and i find it disrespectful. the teachers are all being threatened by people from all over the country. live oak is not run by hillbillies or wetbacks. get an education, and some tolerance you racists.
at 19:02 on May 6th, 2010
AMEN SISTER!!! VERY WELL PUT
at 07:55 on May 11th, 2010
My wife is Hispanic and thinks that what happened i there is wrong. That is a Mexican Holiday and should be kept in Mexico. A United States flag is all that should be flown here. If you come to America then you should act as an American. Not as a Mexican with no respect for America. And please do it legally and pay taxes like we Americans do and stop trying to get it all for nothing as you are doing now And I would surely like to know what rights some illegal's have after breaking the law to get here. Try answering that one with a straight face and without all the bull that you normally try to cover it with.
at 07:32 on May 11th, 2010
Hey...how many times have you been to that great holiday in Mexico "Cinco de Mayo the great Mexican heritage day'? Nada?...well, I don't think most of you even know what May 5th is...except an American beer sales day.Your family came to this country for a better life..yet you make it as crappy as where you came from. On St Pat's day...there are thousands of American flags, thousands...not one disparaging word against America will you hear. Yet on a beer holiday you take umbrage.>>>respect where you are and why you came here. My greatgrand parents came here for a better life. They worked hard, laughed, cried, loved, got an education and we have the "american dream"...you need to get a new outlook on where you are..and as said, why you came here. If you sit back and complain and buy into the idea that things need to be handed to you..you will not succeed. >>> A beer holiday??? get a life...
at 08:36 on May 11th, 2010
ALSO!!!..>>>> I might have some empathy if the students had worn French flags...well, not really, but you do understand don't you..French...america helped mexico oust the french..or didn't you know that part??? hhhmmmmmm.....beer,beer,beer Heritage my sweet bippie Heritage is July 4th...when people, white, black, brown, all proud Americans died to give you the chance to make a fool of yourself in a country you chose to come to and disrespect on a daily basis. Hey, try going over to France with your crap and see how long you last.
at 12:31 on May 11th, 2010
Dear Jessica The point is: this is America, not Mexico. If the sight of an American flag bothers you on Cinco de Mayo or any other day, maybe you don't want to be here. How is the flag offensive? I went to war over that flag as did my father and my father's father. To have anyone say that the American flag is in anyway offensive at a public school on any given day is outragious. With the daily flood of immigrants into this country, anyone who finds the flag, and the notions it represents, offensive needs to leave. The latino kids were withing their rights to celebrate the Day, just as the other kids were well within their rights to wear the American flag on this or any other day. If these Latino students didn't want to see anyone wearing the American flag on Cinco de Mayo, they should move to a place where they won't have to look at it at all. We need to be able to celebrate our diversity together as Americans.
at 19:45 on May 12th, 2010
i so agree with you and yea you are so right i myself am a mexican-american U.S citzen i do speak up for kids at my high school with no good english or when kids talk about mexicans i do say something i don't stay quite VERY GOOD SAYING =) :) someone needs to take the first step and you did yayyyyy!!!! lol u go gurl!
at 15:18 on May 6th, 2010
okay seriously. this is idiotic. they wore the shirts, there AMERICAN. they weren't disrespecting anybody. i know ALL five of them and i know for a fact that their intentions were not to "instigate" anything. i've seen them wearing USA shirts on other days, so it wasn't just a ONE day thing. their parents have also stated that the boys have multiple shirts for with the us flag on them. maybe wearing the shirts on cinco de mayo was a little inappropriate but the actions taken by the administrators at the school was ridiculous. just because its a "mexican heritage day" doesn't mean that the AMERICANS shouldn't be able to show pride for their country. it's not being disrespectful in ANY way, its simply showing pride in our country. without AMERICA half of the hispanic race would be SOL. this whole thing is becoming a big deal because people are adding unneccessary side comments, what happened, happened. the boys already stated their not going to apologize,so quit looking for an apology.
at 15:20 on May 6th, 2010
Jessica C. why is it that when "white people" make any kind of statement they are racist?
at 16:26 on May 6th, 2010
This country needs to repeal the 13th Amendment. Citizenship should be based on the parent country of citizenship. Just because someone is born here is not a valid reason to automatically grant them citizenship.If the parents are citizens, then the children should be also.
at 18:35 on May 6th, 2010
Its in the constitution dipshit.
And for the record the 13th amendment abolished slavery. I believe you refer to the 14th which was implemented so that Blacks had to be let vote in the South so as to keep Lincoln's Republican in power, not to exclude citizenship to anyone.
at 17:46 on May 6th, 2010
I'm sorry this sounds like saying you can't wear an U.S. flag because it's black history month. Yes it was cinco de mayo but that doesn't negate the fact that they are U.S. citizens in the U.S. They should be allowed to wear their flag / shirt on Cinco de Mayo just as I would not tell someone of hispanic decent that they couldn't wear a foreign flag / shirt on the 4th of July. This argument is ignorant As a black man I feel as though I like many others can indeed spot racist behavior (hint: it's not always where people yell "racism") and consider myself to be very careful to make sure that I am not missing the entire story before forming an opinion. But with the information available to me I repeat this argument is ignorant.
at 17:52 on May 6th, 2010
How dare this principle tell the stusents to remove the American Flag. This is America and not Mexico!! I would like to see this fool fired. I see its okay to fly the Mexican Flag at a July 4 celebration which I observed in Fremont, CA you cant fly an American Flag in America. THIS IS AMERICA AND THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ANY OTHER FLAG. When is this crap going to end???????? If you want to celebrate your heritage fine but dont infringe on the rights of Americans after all this is SUPPOSE to be America.
at 18:39 on May 6th, 2010
This story as news often does only tells have of the situation. Most school have a dress code if not an outright uniform. Typically, articles of clothing including gang signs, religious symbols, and other divisive material are not allowed. This is for security and peace-keeping reasons.
They knew the dress code. They violated it anyway. That's just stupid. You don't have nearly as many rights to the extent as you would outside school as you do as a student.
Those with Mexican flags on also were forced to remove them, for the record.
at 19:56 on May 6th, 2010
The ONLY kids that were told to turn their shirts inside out or be suspended were the students with America flags. The Vice Principle was Hispanic, and clearly was out to get those who did not wear a Mexican flag. This was from a radio interview with the students, and from people directly involved. The school refused to comment. FOR THE RECORD
at 21:17 on May 6th, 2010
The American flag is only 'divisive' if you're not American. And if you're not American, you shouldn't be wasting my tax money in a public school. The kids have been allowed to wear the shirts before so it's not a dress code violation.
at 04:30 on May 7th, 2010
It is divise on a day set aside for another heritage. Its like saying who gives a damn.
at 06:29 on May 7th, 2010
The flag of this beautiful country is always appropriate attire, no matter what regional holiday it is in other countries.
at 07:49 on May 11th, 2010
A heritage day???? how about a beer day??? They live in America...not Mexico, where people don't even recognize the great Cinco de Mayo...beer , not heritage... Don't tell me someone else's flag is more important than mine. If they are so proud of their heritage that they have to be disrespectful to the country they are in..they need to go back to their land of milk and honey, and drugs,rape,kidnaping,welfare..oh wait, they have already made CA into that..next on to Az!!!...it has no comparison to July 4.....as I have said before..it's a beer holiday..Mexico doesn't even celebrate it!! Children of illegals should have no rights.
at 18:00 on May 6th, 2010
What an outrage that the Mexican-American students claim to be "offended" and "disrespected" by the American flag. Aren't they American citizens? Why would their country's flag offend them? If this country offends them, they should move. I wouldn't live in Germany or any other country, attend their school and then tell the students that their wearing the German flag was offensive to me!!! Idiotic and bold-facededly brazen.