Steven LaChance Blog

A lot of people keep asking this, so let’s be clear. If you’ve ever seen Mexican flags waving at protests in California, or Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, or anywhere in the Southwest, and wondered why, it’s time for a little history and a lot of truth.

California, along with large parts of the U.S. Southwest—Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and beyond—used to be Mexico. And long before that, this land was home to Indigenous peoples with roots that stretch back thousands of years. Civilizations thrived here long before there was a Mexico, and certainly before there was a United States. Many of those Indigenous nations, like the Mexica (often called Aztecs), the Chumash, the Tongva, and so many others, are still here. Their descendants are still here. They didn’t “cross the border,” the border crossed them.

So when you see a Mexican flag at a protest in California, you’re not witnessing some foreign intrusion. You’re seeing people express pride in a heritage that is deeply rooted in this land. These aren’t “outsiders” showing up to make noise. They are part of the story of this place, of its culture, its labor, its soul. They are descendants of people who were here long before the U.S. flag ever flew.

Let’s also be honest, if you’re cool seeing Italian flags in Little Italy, Irish flags on St. Patrick’s Day, or German flags during Oktoberfest, if you don’t question that, but suddenly have a problem with a Mexican or Indigenous flag being flown at a rally or protest, you’re not defending American values. You’re just showing a double standard.

Because this isn’t about patriotism. It’s not about love for country. It’s about who gets to belong, who gets to be seen as fully American, and who gets told to “go back” even when they’ve been here for generations. It’s about race. It’s about power. It’s about erasure.

You don’t get to rewrite history just because it makes you uncomfortable. The Southwest is layered with histories, languages, cultures, and peoples that go back way before state lines were drawn on a map. Flying a Mexican flag, or a Mexica or Nahuacan one, isn’t a rejection of American identity. It’s a reclamation of presence, of history, and of voice.

So the next time you see both an American flag and a Mexican one being carried side by side at a protest, don’t see it as division. See it as a reminder, this land has many stories.