Why Mexican flags are being waved in LA protests

The green, white, and red-striped flag of Mexico has become a striking symbol in the ongoing protests that erupted in Los Angeles on June 7. These demonstrations began in response to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which saw Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting workplace raids, resulting in 40 arrests in LA alone.

From detention centres to the Sheriff’s office, Mexican flags are being raised by protestors across the city. This is not merely an act of rebellion, it carries a broader significance.

For many, the flag represents pride in their roots and solidarity with immigrants.

“They’re the children and grandchildren of immigrants,” Chris Zepeda-Milln, an LA-based professor, told The New York Times. “We’re not going to let you make us be ashamed of where our parents and grandparents came from,” he added.

In the past, immigration protests often encouraged demonstrators to wave American flags to show alignment with American values.

The Trump administration has labelled these recent protests — with their prominent displays of the Mexican flag — as acts of “insurrection”.

Yet for many in Los Angeles, the flag’s presence at these demonstrations reflects something more personal and historical.

MEXICANS IN LA: A LONG HISTORY

Los Angeles’s roots are deeply entwined with Mexican history, long before it became part of the US.

Originally settled in 1781 by the Pobladores, a group of 44 settlers of mixed Indigenous, African, and Spanish heritage under Spanish governor Felipe de Neve, the region was called El Pueblo de Nuestra Seora la Reina de Los Angeles.

After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, the area became part of the Mexican republic and flourished as a pueblo with a ranching economy and vibrant mestizo culture.

It wasn’t until the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that California was ceded to the United States, with Los Angeles incorporated as a US city in 1850.

Job contracts sponsored by the US government in World War I and agricultural labour shortages associated with World War II brought on waves of Mexican immigration to Los Angeles.

People of Mexican descent comprise one-third of LA.

These flags also evoke the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 70s, when activists like Csar Chvez and Dolores Huerta used cultural symbols, such as the Mexican flag, to fight for civil rights, labour protection, and representation.

The 1970 Chicano Moratorium, a massive anti-Vietnam War protest in LA, saw thousands waving these emblems as acts of cultural pride and resistance.

RAISING A FOREIGN FLAG IN THE US: CONCERNS

Not everyone views the waving of foreign flags during US protests favourably. Arizona Republic columnist Phil Boas recently warned that young protesters may be unintentionally alienating potential allies.

“I understand the energy and enthusiasm of youth, but cooler heads in the Latino community in Phoenix and Los Angeles might want to stage an intervention,” Boas wrote earlier this year. “It may feel good to wave a Mexican flag in MAGA’s face, but you are not appreciating what a turn-off that is to many Americans who are not MAGA.”

In contrast, Gustavo Arellano, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, defended the practice. “Waving a foreign flag at protests is good trouble — a sign for the brave to rally together and stand tall against a commander-in-chief who understands nothing but chaos.”

Meanwhile, the Mexican government confirmed that 42 Mexican nationals, 37 men and 5 women, were detained in the LA ICE raids, and four have already been deported.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, while condemning violence at the protests, urged the community to remain calm: “We call on the Mexican community to act peacefully and not fall for provocations,” she said.