Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the second paragraph in Reymundo Juan Armendariz’s letter to the editor published April 15 in The Dispatch.
As you noted, Americans from other countries do fly their homeland flags on ethnic holidays and celebrations. That is why they came to America, to be able to celebrate freedom and to share their life with other Americans in celebration. When people came to America they used to come to share their best food and holiday celebrations and others joined in. An example is St. Patrick’s Day. Not everyone who eats corned beef in March is Irish. You made no mention of Mexican flags flying each day in some homes and on cars. And just so you don’t think Americans celebrate anything Mexican with flags – Cinco de Mayo is coming (look around). Most of our families started somewhere else, with dreams of betterment; they came to America, to become an American – not to forget where they came from but to become an American and to enrich America.
I am a, so-called by you, “white” (I prefer to be called an American) and I do have a problem with people saying they want to be Americans, waving a non-American flag (from ANY foreign country in hostility for folks who are illegal (broken the law). There are consequences to breaking the rules and laws – any rules and laws.
I do not think much gets accomplished by hostility or upsetness. When folks get angry or upset they do not listen, hear or think clearly. There are two sides to each story and both sides need to get addressed.
Jacqui Holladay, Gilroy
