Over the past week, a sea of green, white and red Mexican flags have become a fixture of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids.
The use of Mexican and other Latin American flags during the protests is a form of symbolism many conservatives called anti-American 鈥 while others argue they are an expression of pride in one鈥檚 homeland that could not be more American.
Whether it be United States, Mexican or Palestinian flags, the banners reflect a nation of immigrants whose stories have become intertwined with the story of America, experts say.
Kris Hern谩ndez, an associate professor of history at Connecticut College, said the flying of foreign flags in the U.S. has always brought awareness to the plight of marginalized groups. Their appearance in the latest protests might symbolize solidarity with their native land or social movements that support Americans of Mexican descent, she said.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that those flying Mexican flags at immigration protests were left-wing radicals who attacked law enforcement agents 鈥渞emoving violent, criminal illegal aliens from the city.鈥
And even fierce Trump critic former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, expressed his displeasure with the display of non-American flags at immigration protests that have spread to other states.
鈥淧eaceful protests are fine. Violence is not and will only destroy your message," Kinzinger wrote on X. "American flags or nothing.鈥
Amid the backlash, many Americans who support the right to protest are encouraging demonstrators to protest against immigration policies with the American flag instead of a foreign one, as a way of reclaiming the U.S. flag for all who call the U.S. home.
This underscores just how influential the American flag can be, Hern谩ndez said. 鈥淲hat we are seeing ... is that people don鈥檛 like to see some flags over others,鈥 she said.
Some Latino activists say the Mexican flag is being used by people who were in this land before it was part of the United States. California was part of Mexico until the 1800s. Many Mexican Americans are descendants of people who never crossed a border 鈥 instead the border crossed them.
Still, their display of the Mexican flag at protests is being twisted into something it's not, said Juan Proa帽o, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Hector E. Sanchez, president and CEO of 鈥淢i Familia Vota,鈥 a nonprofit focused on mobilizing Latino voters, said Mexicans have been at the forefront of attacks when it comes to immigration 鈥 attacks heightened during both of Trump鈥檚 campaigns.
Sanchez said he wonders why it's not called anti-American when some Americans fly Confederate flags next to the U.S. flag.
鈥淲e see a lot of flags celebrating cultural history and heritage,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hy is it that the Mexican community is constantly under attack?鈥
