Brokers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement performed a sequence of raids all through Los Angeles and Southern California in early June 2025, sparking protests in downtown Los Angeles and different cities, together with New York, Chicago and Austin, Texas.
Some demonstrators expressed rising frustration with ICE by showcasing the Mexican flag, which has change into the defining image of the protests in Los Angeles.
The usage of the flag has additionally change into the topic of intense debate within the media.
Some shops have depicted the flag as symbolizing ethnic satisfaction, solidarity with immigrants and opposition to the Trump administration.
Others have known as it the “perfect propaganda” software for Republicans and conservatives, a few of whom have referred to the Mexican flag because the “confederate banner of the L.A. riots.” They level to its use as proof of anarchy and a metropolis taken over by immigrants.
However what do People take into consideration protesters waving the Mexican flag, and why?
A lot of our data surrounding this query relies on the 2006 immigrant rights protests throughout the US, which occurred in a a lot much less politically polarized period. Moreover, a overwhelming majority of protesters then introduced U.S. flags in contrast with different nationwide flags, together with the Mexican flag.
Analysis printed in 2010 discovered that although the general public was extra prone to be bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag than the U.S. flag, that distinction was largely absent when you divided the general public into subgroups, together with white folks, Latinos and immigrants.
To reexamine public attitudes towards protesters waving the Mexican flag, we performed a web based survey experiment amongst 10,145 U.S. adults in 2016.
As political scientists who concentrate on Latino politics and immigration-related points, we examined how publicity to the Mexican flag versus the American flag formed opinion about protests throughout Trump’s first presidential marketing campaign in 2016.
We discovered that although a lot of the general public continued to be much less bothered by the American flag than the Mexican flag, there have been additionally vital and maybe shocking variations in protest attitudes between white People and different racial and ethnic teams.
A demonstrator holds a Mexican flag in entrance of legislation enforcement throughout a protest on June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles.
AP Photograph/Wally Skalij
Kind of bothered
Within the examine, we randomly divided respondents into two teams: a therapy group and a management group. Respondents within the therapy group have been proven a picture of protesters waving a Mexican flag. Respondents within the management group have been proven a picture of protesters waving the U.S. flag. After viewing the picture, respondents have been then requested in regards to the extent to which they supported or have been bothered by the protests.
Total, 41% of the respondents mentioned they have been bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag, and 28% mentioned protesters waving the U.S. flag bothered them.
Our outcomes present vital variations in opinion between racial and ethnic teams.
White respondents have been extra doubtless than another racial and ethnic group to say they have been bothered by protesters waving Mexican flags. Sixty-nine % of white respondents mentioned they have been bothered, 31 proportion factors greater than the typical of nonwhite respondents.
Nevertheless, 51% of white respondents have been additionally bothered by the picture of protesters waving U.S. flags. Against this, simply 20% of Latinos, 33% of Black People and 34% of Asian People mentioned they have been bothered by protesters waving U.S. flags.
Put otherwise, giant majorities of nonwhite respondents have been supportive of exhibiting U.S. flags at protests regardless of their extra optimistic views towards Mexican flags.
What explains racial variations?
When taking a deeper take a look at what causes People to really feel bothered about protesters waving Mexican flags, some clear patterns emerge.
On common, older People have been extra prone to be bothered relative to youthful People. This was significantly true for People over 40 years of age in contrast with millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z respondents, born between 1997 and 2012.
Nevertheless, there are some nuances when analyzing age teams and whether or not they had attended a protest, march or rally within the earlier 12 months.
Our findings recommend that older People who had not engaged in protests have been probably to be bothered after they noticed photographs of protesters waving Mexican flags. Millennials and Gen Z respondents who participated in a protest have been least prone to be bothered.
On condition that this problem intersects nationality, race, ethnicity, gender and citizenship standing, it’s logical that these elements defined why People supported or opposed using Mexican flags at immigration protests.
A lady carrying a flag with particulars of the US and Mexican flags walks previous members of the US Marine Corps on June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Photographs
For instance, racial minorities who’ve a stronger sense of ethnic or racial identification have been extra prone to be supportive of protesters waving Mexican and U.S. flags. In different phrases, group identification is a powerful predictor of help for protests basically, no matter what flag is being flown.
Nevertheless, minorities who lack a way of ethnic satisfaction and identification have been probably to be upset after they noticed others expressing their First Modification proper to peaceably assemble.
The fact is that latest immigration protests throughout the nation are the primary time most of the Latino youth who’re residents have participated in a majority of these protests. Anybody below age 22 wouldn’t have reminiscence of, or been alive throughout, the final giant pro-immigrant protests in 2006.
The Mexican flag represents greater than nationalistic satisfaction. It represents their mother and father’ heritage, arduous work and their binational expertise as People engaged in politics.
