Rick Dean
Registered
5
http://amren.com/news/news04/07/06/july4flags.html
Jim Herron Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle, SFGate.com, Jul. 5
The Stars and Stripes flew everywhere on Sunday, but Old Glory had plenty of company in Fremontthe flags of Italy, Qatar, Mongolia and Ireland were among 25 nations represented in a parade that's caused hurt feelings all around and raised the timeliest of questions: What does it mean to be an American?
Vice Mayor Steve Cho's proposal to include flags of other nations started innocently enough two weeks ago, but angered residents who said America's Independence Day would be diluted. <
r>
The controversy grew until a plan to have the Boy Scouts carry the foreign flags was jettisoned early last week. But the flagging flag vision was revived Friday when volunteers agreed to carry the sym
bols of 25 countriesalong with America
n flagsalong 10 blocks of Fremont Boulevard.
There were only a handful of boos from the crowd of about 8,000, and a police officer who accompanied the group said there no problems. But the gesture still riled some.
This is our birthdaynot theirs, said Rob Murdy, 49, who's lived in Fremont 22 years. "'m all for diversity and letting people come here and keep their traditions. But this is July Fourth, and I think the American flag doesn't need to share this day with the flag of any other country. It's just not right.
However, most people seemed to feel that the international tribute didn't detract from the parade and was appropriate for a thriving city whose 210,000 residents have roots in about 120 different countries.
The contro
versy over the flags was embarrassing, said Doug Eike, 53, who wore a T-shirt with the words These Colors Don't Run: God Bless America over an image of the Stars and Stripes. " can't believe tha
t so
me of my neighbors are so narrow-minded that they feel threatened by the flags of other countries. . . . I mean, there are people from all those countries living right here in Fremont, and we all get along. What is the big deal?
Along with standard parade fixtures such as fire trucks, Boy Scouts, cheerleaders and high school bands, there were floats with Sikhs, Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners. There were dancers from China, Vietnam, Ireland and Mexico, and students in the traditional garb of three Filipino provinces.
One of the most dramatic floats was sponsored by the Federation of Indian Associations and included a woman in a sari holding a torch, representing the Statue of Liberty. Boys and girls in Indian apparel stood with signs saying God Bless America and United We Stand.
<b
r>That's pure Americastraight up, said Refugio Martinez, a Fremont native who now lives in San Jose. " love it. It shows how every American is from somewhere else if you go b
ack far enou
gh.
While the truck that carried the float had several U.S. flags, it also carried the green, orange and white national flag of India. That was one too many for some people.
That float is a fine example of our diversity, but I don't think that (Indian) flag should be up there, too, said Patrick Sa, 47, a lifelong resident of Fremont. "t's not appropriate to fly the flags of other countries when we're celebrating America's independence.
His wife, Sharon Sa, agreed: "t's America's day. I don't want to see any other flags. I'm so tired of racial and religious division. People come here from all over, and that's good. But we're all under the same flag. That's what makes America great.
A few feet away, John Fisher shook his head and said: "t's a festive occasiona paradewhy do people ha
ve to get so uptight?
Fisher, 59, whose son is a U.S. Army Ranger serving in the Mideast, said opponents of the international flags mis
sed the point: America is about shari
ng freedom w
ith the rest of the world. We're a strong enough country that we can honor other nations at the same time as our own.
Sital Jassal, a native of India who has lived in Fremont 25 years, said he enjoyed the international flags because it captures the America he loves so much.
Even various groups from India all get along better here, Jassal laughed.
A few feet away, Faisal Ahmed, 30, who immigrated to Fremont from Pakistan three years ago, held his two small children and noted with pride the symbolism of the flag of his native country flying in the parade near those of Afghanistan and India, which have been historic rivals.
And our children will all grow up together here in Fremont and get along, '' Ahmed said.
A few residents were not upset with the international flags as a who
le, but had problems with specific ones.
Norman Tam, 85, was mad because the parade included the flag of the People's Republic
of China, which he fled 50 years ago. <
br>
" don't
want to see the Communist flag, Tam said. " want to burn that flag and spit on it.
Meanwhile, some African Americans were angry about a Confederate flag on a float of a dozen historical flags from different eras of U.S. history.
"'m happy to see all those flags from other countries, but that Confederate flag is a racist symbol, said Doris Enright, 43, of Fremont, who used the opportunity to educate her 11-year-old son about slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. "t's one thing to see it in a museum or something. But that should not be in a parade. It has been embraced by racist groups, and it is a sign of division.
Art Bouldin, who rode on the float dressed as Uncle Sam, said the inclusion of the flag was not intended as an insult or endorsement of a political stance.
"t's just a group of fla
gs from Betsy Ross and 'Don't Tread On Me' on up to today, Bouldin said. We did this exact same flo
at last year and there was no controversy. It's a shame that every
one is getting upse
t over flagskind of takes the fun out of a great parade.
http://amren.com/news/news04/07/06/july4flags.html
Jim Herron Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle, SFGate.com, Jul. 5
The Stars and Stripes flew everywhere on Sunday, but Old Glory had plenty of company in Fremontthe flags of Italy, Qatar, Mongolia and Ireland were among 25 nations represented in a parade that's caused hurt feelings all around and raised the timeliest of questions: What does it mean to be an American?
Vice Mayor Steve Cho's proposal to include flags of other nations started innocently enough two weeks ago, but angered residents who said America's Independence Day would be diluted. <
r>
The controversy grew until a plan to have the Boy Scouts carry the foreign flags was jettisoned early last week. But the flagging flag vision was revived Friday when volunteers agreed to carry the sym
bols of 25 countriesalong with America
n flagsalong 10 blocks of Fremont Boulevard.
There were only a handful of boos from the crowd of about 8,000, and a police officer who accompanied the group said there no problems. But the gesture still riled some.
This is our birthdaynot theirs, said Rob Murdy, 49, who's lived in Fremont 22 years. "'m all for diversity and letting people come here and keep their traditions. But this is July Fourth, and I think the American flag doesn't need to share this day with the flag of any other country. It's just not right.
However, most people seemed to feel that the international tribute didn't detract from the parade and was appropriate for a thriving city whose 210,000 residents have roots in about 120 different countries.
The contro
versy over the flags was embarrassing, said Doug Eike, 53, who wore a T-shirt with the words These Colors Don't Run: God Bless America over an image of the Stars and Stripes. " can't believe tha
t so
me of my neighbors are so narrow-minded that they feel threatened by the flags of other countries. . . . I mean, there are people from all those countries living right here in Fremont, and we all get along. What is the big deal?
Along with standard parade fixtures such as fire trucks, Boy Scouts, cheerleaders and high school bands, there were floats with Sikhs, Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners. There were dancers from China, Vietnam, Ireland and Mexico, and students in the traditional garb of three Filipino provinces.
One of the most dramatic floats was sponsored by the Federation of Indian Associations and included a woman in a sari holding a torch, representing the Statue of Liberty. Boys and girls in Indian apparel stood with signs saying God Bless America and United We Stand.
<b
r>That's pure Americastraight up, said Refugio Martinez, a Fremont native who now lives in San Jose. " love it. It shows how every American is from somewhere else if you go b
ack far enou
gh.
While the truck that carried the float had several U.S. flags, it also carried the green, orange and white national flag of India. That was one too many for some people.
That float is a fine example of our diversity, but I don't think that (Indian) flag should be up there, too, said Patrick Sa, 47, a lifelong resident of Fremont. "t's not appropriate to fly the flags of other countries when we're celebrating America's independence.
His wife, Sharon Sa, agreed: "t's America's day. I don't want to see any other flags. I'm so tired of racial and religious division. People come here from all over, and that's good. But we're all under the same flag. That's what makes America great.
A few feet away, John Fisher shook his head and said: "t's a festive occasiona paradewhy do people ha
ve to get so uptight?
Fisher, 59, whose son is a U.S. Army Ranger serving in the Mideast, said opponents of the international flags mis
sed the point: America is about shari
ng freedom w
ith the rest of the world. We're a strong enough country that we can honor other nations at the same time as our own.
Sital Jassal, a native of India who has lived in Fremont 25 years, said he enjoyed the international flags because it captures the America he loves so much.
Even various groups from India all get along better here, Jassal laughed.
A few feet away, Faisal Ahmed, 30, who immigrated to Fremont from Pakistan three years ago, held his two small children and noted with pride the symbolism of the flag of his native country flying in the parade near those of Afghanistan and India, which have been historic rivals.
And our children will all grow up together here in Fremont and get along, '' Ahmed said.
A few residents were not upset with the international flags as a who
le, but had problems with specific ones.
Norman Tam, 85, was mad because the parade included the flag of the People's Republic
of China, which he fled 50 years ago. <
br>
" don't
want to see the Communist flag, Tam said. " want to burn that flag and spit on it.
Meanwhile, some African Americans were angry about a Confederate flag on a float of a dozen historical flags from different eras of U.S. history.
"'m happy to see all those flags from other countries, but that Confederate flag is a racist symbol, said Doris Enright, 43, of Fremont, who used the opportunity to educate her 11-year-old son about slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. "t's one thing to see it in a museum or something. But that should not be in a parade. It has been embraced by racist groups, and it is a sign of division.
Art Bouldin, who rode on the float dressed as Uncle Sam, said the inclusion of the flag was not intended as an insult or endorsement of a political stance.
"t's just a group of fla
gs from Betsy Ross and 'Don't Tread On Me' on up to today, Bouldin said. We did this exact same flo
at last year and there was no controversy. It's a shame that every
one is getting upse
t over flagskind of takes the fun out of a great parade.