The Quiet Provocation of Flying the Mexican Flag

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Shortly after Trump took office in January I noticed an interesting phenomenon in my North Carolina neighborhood: Mexican flags. Within just a mile of my home, I counted three. The first went up just a few houses down from mine, alongside flags for Guatemala and the U.S. I noticed the flags while driving through the neighborhood with my husband one day in February. 

“Eeeeey,” I yelled out, happy to see evidence of other Latinos in the neighborhood. “We’re everywhere!” 

Not long after, I noticed another Mexican flag go up outside of an apartment around the corner. This one belonged to a Mexican couple that often spent time in the front yard, grilling and playing with their children. Then, across the street from the couple, there was a third Mexican flag outside of a large home that also flew the American flag.

What made this phenomenon especially interesting is that during his second term, the American flag has become a touchstone for President Donald Trump. 

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