Protesters’ prominent use of the flag evokes photos from more than 30 years ago, when thousands of demonstrators raised the same banner while fighting a ballot measure that sought to bar undocumented Californians from accessing public schools and other services.
That 1994 initiative, Proposition 187, was a turning point for Latino political power in the state. It served as an awakening for some California protesters who later became prominent leaders, including former Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León.
Angelica Salas, a prominent activist in the state and executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, noted protesters also hoisted the flag in 2006, during massive demonstrations against George W. Bush-era legislation to crack down on illegal immigration.
“When you attack the undocumented community, when you attack the immigrant community, there is a sense that — I mean, it’s a reality — the majority of the folks are Mexican,” she said.
When a single judge undid the will of the voters on Prop. 187: it changed California for the worse.