Woman Irate That Ontario Family Is Flying Mexican Flag In Their Front Yard
ONTARIO (CBSLA.com) — A controversy involving the Mexican flag has one family in Ontario wondering why one woman made it her business, while the people she did business with, in turn, asked her to leave.
Tressy Capps, a local political activist in the Inland Empire, was irked by seeing the Mexican flag flying in a front yard and confronted the homeowner on a video she shot on a smartphone and posted to YouTube.
"Hi. Is that a Mexican flag in your front yard?" Capps is heard asking the homeowner, who is behind a window.
"You know we live in America right? This is the United States. So, why are you flying a Mexican flag in your front yard?" she is heard asking the woman.
KCAL9's Tom Wait spoke to Capps and the homeowner she confronted. The woman behind the window doesn't speak English and didn't understand the questions Capps asked.
Capps confronts her on video a third time.
"This is America. Maybe you can move to Mexico if you want to fly your Mexican flag. Does that make sense?" Capps says.
Wait spoke to the homeowner's husband, Sigifredo Banuelos, who didn't understand why Capps was making their flag her concern.
"I don't think it's offensive because this flag doesn't do anything," he said.
Banuelos says he and his family never meant to offend anyone. They were just celebrating their Mexican heritage. He says the family keeps both a U.S. and Mexican flag flying.
"We decide. We have one American and one Mexican," he said.
Capps said she was offended by the Mexican flag.
"I was offended. I was pretty upset. But I couldn't understand her," Capps said.
Capps says she's received threats since the video was posted and went viral. Capps insists she's not a racist, just a patriot.
"I don't understand what all the hatred is about. Why everyone is labeling me these names. Racist? I don't understand why everyone is so angry."
Capps says the fallout from the video caused her to lose her independent contact position with a real estate company.
As for the city, they say the flag is not in violation of any city, state or federal ordinances.