Mexican flag at City College Cinco de Mayo celebration

Picture taken 05 May 2009

San Diego is a cosmopolitan city with many different people from many different cultures. San Diego itself used to be part of Mexico. Further there are many generations of Mexican immigrants. San Diego has grown substantially in recent years. For many years San Diego was a quite border town. But there has always been a keen interest in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the battle of Pueblo where Mexican forces defeated European forces. The Mexican forces received substantial aid from Americans. This not Mexican independence day, and it is not widely celebrated in Mexico. This picture of the Mexican flag was taken at San Diego City College during Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Storm Drain Cover Painted with American Flag

Pictures taken 20 November 2008

Mostly this blog will be about San Diego. But there are some issues regarding the flag itself that will from time to time arise. For instance what is a flag. The Flag code actually has an answer.

The words "flag, standard, colors, or ensign", as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America. The Flag Code Section 3

For this reason the above painted storm drain cover would count as a flag. Strict adherence to the Flag Code would seem to forbid such art because it would put a representation of the flag lying on the ground, and in a position where it might get stepped on. I personally think that it is the sort of whimsical display that it is appropriate outside The New Children's Museum, where it is located. There is also the delicious irony that the top of the storm drain cover broadly proclaims it to be "Made in India". The information for The New Childrens Museum is as follows:

The New Children's Museum
Address
200 West Island Avenue
Downtown San Diego

Hours
Monday, 10am–4pm
Tuesday, 10am–4pm
Wednesday, closed
Thursday, 10am–6pm
Friday, 10am–4pm
Saturday, 10am–4pm
Sunday, 12pm–4pm
Target Free Second Sunday, 10am–4pm

Admission
Adults and Children: $10
NCM Member: FREE
Children under one year: FREE
Seniors (65+): $5
Military (w/ ID): $5
We accept cash and credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express

This storm drain cover is also featured on San Diego Covered.