Oh, Mexico
It sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low
The moon’s so bright like to light up the night
Make everything all right

James Taylor, “Mexico,” 1975, from the album Gorilla

Watching the coverage of the protests in Los Angeles, one thing stands out.  It is Mexico’s green, white, and red flag that has become a defining symbol of the protests against ICE raids in the city of the angels.  I grew up in Los Angeles and southern California surrounded by Mexican people and culture, and my first long term partner was an undocumented Mexican immigrant who spoke no English so we relied heavily on my four years of high school Spanish to communicate.  I have been to Mexico many times since I was a 6-year-old boy and my family would vacation there.  When I see the Mexican flag it elicits from me fond memories of a beautiful country and its people, delicious food, and getting stung by a jellyfish in the ocean (okay, maybe that last one isn’t a fond memory, per se).

Los Angeles has deep cultural and economic ties to Mexico beyond my wistful memories.  More than 3.4 million people of Mexican heritage or born in Mexico live in Los Angeles County, according to 2020 Census data, more than any other county in the US.  Because of Miguel I became deeply emersed in Mexican culture and traditions.  I remember one morning in particular.

It was the early morning hours of April 3rd, my birthday.  The sun was not up.  Miguel and I were in bed, sound asleep, or so I thought.  Suddenly, the lights were switched on and there, at the foot of the bed, was just about everybody in our group of friends – maybe ten or so people.  Emerging from the haze of a deep sleep, I didn’t recognize them at first though, so I was terrified.  I grabbed Miguel’s arm, and he slipped out of my grasp and out of bed – fully clothed.  I pulled the covers up to my chin, concealing my naked body underneath. Everyone began to sing:

Estas son las mañanitas…
Despierta, mi bien, despierta
Mira que ya amaneció
Ya los pajaritos cantan
La luna ya se metió
Qué linda está la mañana
En que vengo a saludarte
Venimos todos con gusto
Y placer a felicitarte
El día en que tú naciste

which means:

These are the mornings…
Wake up, my good, wake up
Look, it’s already dawn
The little birds are already singing
The moon has already set
How beautiful the morning is
When I come to greet you
We all come with pleasure
And pleasure to congratulate you
The day you were born

Then they left the room so I could get out of bed and put some clothes on.  I slipped into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then went into the living room, which had been transformed – brightly colored crepe streamers were hung from the ceiling, interspersed with stars cut out of construction paper.  On the dining room table was a feast… ceviche (chilled raw seafood marinated in lime juice and seasoned with cilantro, chili peppers, and ají to combine sour, spicy, and savory flavors), tamales (corn dough steamed in a corn husk and filled with savory meats), scrambled huevos (eggs) smothered in salsa, frijoles (beans), and arroz (rice), with warm tortillas de maiz (corn tortillas) and a dulce de tres leches (three milk cake) covered in strawberries and candles.

It was 5 o’clock in the morning, on a weekday.  Everyone had to be at work in a couple of hours.  But they got up, cooked, decorated, and sang – for me, on my birthday.  This Mexican tradition is known as a celebración de las mañanitas.  It is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life:  the friendship and the love I felt that morning was profound.  We were celebrating my special day, but its effects went far beyond April 3rd; in addition to reaffirming my partner’s love for me, mañanitas strengthened my friendship with everyone there.  It built community.  The greatest joy was sneaking into their homes to return the favor and do mañanitas to them.

So for me, seeing that flag is a reminder of the warmth, the kindness, and the humanity of Mexican people, regardless of their immigration status.  But images and video showing Mexican flag-waving protesters facing off with police have drawn anger and vitriolic criticism from some, notably Vice President JD Vance who posted on X “Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers.” That’s rich!  A member of the Trump administration calling anyone an “insurrectionist” while maintaining January 6, 2021 was a bunch of American patriots touring the capitol.  Then there’s the little hate troll, Stephen Miller, who asked, “What is the correct term to describe foreign nationals, waving foreign flags, rioting and obstructing federal law enforcement attempting to expel illegal foreign invaders?”

Well Stephen, first we do not know if they are foreign nationals.  They may be Angelenos of Mexican heritage, if the US Census Bureau is to be believed.  Um, and, waving a foreign flag or even destroying an American one during a peaceful protest is legal under the Constitution’s First Amendment which protects the right of assembly and freedom of expression, not to mention the right “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”  This protection extends to various forms of expression, including symbolic speech (such as flag waving) and certain types of expressive conduct (such as gathering in large groups to peacefully make a point).

So to answer your question, Stephen, I’d say the correct term is ‘Americans.’

But the Trump administration and Republicans, many if not all of whom are ignorant of southern California’s deep and symbiotic relationship with this area’s Mexican heritage, have seized upon the ubiquity of the Mexican flag at these protests to advance their narrative of a foreign “invasion” by a foreign country.  They fail to see that the flags represent pride and identity, just like the rainbow flag does for LGBTQ+ people.  Instead, it suits their purpose to cast the Mexican flags as symbols of foreign loyalty and failure to culturally assimilate.

Being exposed to Mexico, Mexican people, and Mexican culture from a young age, who I am as a white American is not threatened by people from backgrounds wildly different from my own, which is English and Czech. In fact, my life is enriched by encountering cultural differences.  I certainly learned a lot about friendship and community and love from my first (of many) mañanitas.

The song whose lyrics I opened this post with – “Mexico,” which on record features backing vocals from Graham Nash and David Crosby – was written and recorded by James Taylor.  He told Leeza Gibbons in a 1992 interview, “I went down to spend a long weekend in Mexico with some friends down in Puerto Vallarta and while I was down there, this thing just … sometimes you go someplace, you know?”

Yes James, I know.