How common in your area is it for people to wear or fly the flags associated with their ancestry?
Posted by Gallantpride@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 391 comments
I'm especially curious about this in areas with a lower immigrant population.
In NYC, everyone and their mom flies flags associated with their family's backgrounds. Puerto Rican flags, Cuban flags, Jamaican flags, Polish flags, Indian flags... it's hardly uncommon. It's also common to have those little fringed flags you see in cars.
*Wearing* flags (like as clothes or on a keychain) is less common but not mind-blowing. I mainly associate it with latinos myself, especially in the summer and during parades.
Intrepid-Entrance460@reddit
Our neighbor has both American and Sicilian flags on his garage.
I find it a bit odd that we often display the US flag, but not our individual state flag, except in schools, gov't buildings, etc.
stolenfires@reddit
I'm in Los Angeles, which was founded in part by Mexicans and has always had a significant Mexican population; so seeing the Mexican flag is extremely common.
I saw so many Brazilian flags in my neighborhood when Brazil was about to win the World Cup a few years ago (and then lots of crying when they didn't).
Otherwise, I generally see flags if I'm in a place associated with that culture, like a grocery store or restaurant. I don't see people flying, say, Korean flags in Koreatown.
The Pride/Progress Pride flags are extremely common year-round, but are especially prominent during Pride Month and on/around Juneteenth.
rosycross93@reddit
Some communities here do (Boise). The one you see most often is Basque, as the largest population of Basques outside Spain is here.
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
In ethnic communities this is more common.
I'm from CT and grew up near New Britain, which has one of the largest Polish populations in the US. You don't need to know English there. They have a sister city in Poland as well. Naturally, you see a lot of Polish flags.
ocvagabond@reddit
What ethnic community do the people in the South flying their Stars and Bars belong to? Losers?
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
That's different vs. immigrant communities
ocvagabond@reddit
You stated flying flags associated with their ancestry is more common in immigrant communities. I gave you a counter argument based on objective observations traveling throughout the American South that direct contests this statement.
How is this different?
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
The vast majority of people waving that flag are ignorant and do not even know their lineage or if it traced back to the Confederacy, which isn't related to ethnic group or immigrants at all
I do not understand your point and it's kind of reaching
ElijahNSRose@reddit
People keep lying about what language remote communities speak.
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
What? Lmao
ElijahNSRose@reddit
I meant that literally. It's an American thing.
cephalophile32@reddit
I moved from CT to NC and man do I miss all the amazing Polish and Italian food.
creamcandy@reddit
Name some Polish food, I'm curious!
cephalophile32@reddit
I mean, the old standbys of kielbasa and pierogi are fantastic. Golabki - cabbage roll, placki ziemniaczane - like a potato pancake thing, paczki - which is like a donut with filling. Tbh I'm not Polish at all. So I had to look up the spellings on these lol. They were just around so you didn't have to have some intimate family custom to be able to sample them.
The thing I miss most about CT though is New Haven style pizza. I miss it so, SO much. I only make it at home now because all the pizza elsewhere is absurdly disappointing. Even still... it's not the same because I don't have a 900 degree 100 year old coal-fired brick oven.
rexeditrex@reddit
Me too!
costcohotdog15@reddit
Hard hitting New Britain, lived there when I was young and moved to the West Coast about a decade ago…
SirDarwin_Fingerbang@reddit
Pistol Wavin' New Haven!
costcohotdog15@reddit
Haha I like that… I’m hearing New Haven is getting a lot better and becoming much safer.
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
Gentrification lol. It's always been a weird split with the Yalies
rexeditrex@reddit
It’s always been like that.
wounds-of-light@reddit
theres still rough parts for sure, but my time there didnt match up with the horror stories i'd read online before moving there for college
SirDarwin_Fingerbang@reddit
Oh yeah it's def better than it was in the last. Not sure if the nickname is still valid
Bigmtnskier91@reddit
Wallingford checking in!
Zealousideal_Crow737@reddit
my mom picked up some babka, kielbasa, and pierogi for Easter there. Incredible.
My grandmother was Polish and I miss her cooking so much!!
rexeditrex@reddit
We used to go to a great Chinese-Puerto Rican restaurant in New Britain!
r2d3x9@reddit
That’s called Fusion Confucian Confusion
rexeditrex@reddit
Chino-Latino
AffectionateWay5783@reddit
Hartford also has one of the largest Puerto Rican populations outside of NYC and Danbury has one of the largest concentrations of Brazilians in the country. CT is really diverse of people leave their suburbs haha
vanillablue_@reddit
RIP Staropolska
PhilTheThrill1808@reddit
Houston area here- not very common at all, at least not that I've noticed.
AineDez@reddit
Houston I feel like it really depends on the neighborhood. Although I do wonder if folks have taken them down recently to avoid anything that might encourage la migra...
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
Really? I figured it'd be popular amongst people of Mexican heritage.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
It certainly is in my part of California. And car decals proclaiming your love of Michoacán or Oaxaca.
Drew707@reddit
Not many flags, but I do see the car decals often.
MEXICOCHIVAS14@reddit
Oh it is very common, also in Houston myself. Its just more common in areas of the city where there’s a large ethnic minority. You’ll find tons of Mexican flags, as well as South Vietnamese, Honduran, Salvadoran, Nigerian, Filipino, and ofc Texans like to fly the state one a lot.
ScrimshawPie@reddit
it is...but you also have to consider that Houston, though famous for no zoning, has a lot of rules, the apartments won't let you fly sport or nationality flags because it could Lead to Confrontations; and HOAs don't frequently allow that for the same reasons or it Looks Tacky. There are neighborhods that aren't those two things, but they are less than you might imagine.
PhilTheThrill1808@reddit
More common in some areas than others. It's a huge metroplex and my area specifically (outside the city proper, FWIW) tends to be a lot more middle eastern and indian influenced as opposed to latino, and they don't seem as heavily into flying different flags for whatever reason. Also, I may just be wildly unobservant haha
RhinoPillMan@reddit
I stayed a couple hours outside of Houston in Matagorda county and Mexican flags were pretty common.
Great_Chipmunk4357@reddit
I always think of that as a New York thing. Wherever I've lived, people would say, "Who cares?"
davdev@reddit
Irish and Italian flags were all of the place in the town I grew up in. They arent up as much anymore but I still see them. Now, I think Brazilian flags are pretty common
Awkward_Macaron6222@reddit
I think you must live in my neighborhood.
omnipresent_sailfish@reddit
In my neighborhood of Boston it’s mostly Irish flags, although I do see a Puerto Rican flag the other day
Awkward_Macaron6222@reddit
In my neighborhood, just north of Boston, I mostly see Brazilian flags.
InevitableRhubarb232@reddit
I live in Phoenix so there are Mexican flags about as common as American flags
Hungry-Notice7713@reddit
I would say it's very common for immigrants everywhere in the US. It is not common for people who are not immigrants.
SavannahInChicago@reddit
Same in Chicago. We have a large Puerto Rican population. Mexican Independence Day the flags are all over the city, especially downtown. I have seen random flags of different countries. Then we still have some enclaves like Andersonville which was traditionally Swedish and the Swedish flag is everywhere.
ContributionPure8356@reddit
In the coal region of Pennsylvania, there’s Irish, Ukrainian, Polish, Italian, and German flags everywhere.
shivilization_7@reddit
Any Welsh flags there?
ContributionPure8356@reddit
I can’t recall seeing a welsh flag just out and about. I know there were many welsh coal miners…
I do know they fly the ulster flag alongside the Irish at our St Patrick’s day parades.
Electrical_Cut8610@reddit
In Rhode Island I see a lot of Portuguese flags. Not as many Italian flags as I would expect.
BigReception7685@reddit
In Texas, you'll see a lot of Mexican flags (big shocker, ik). On a drive I'll usually spot a handful. Other flags, not so much, though I've seen some Cuban ones.
Ratatoskr_The_Wise@reddit
I’m in Chicago and my neighbors across the alley painted their entire HOUSE to be the Greek flag. 🇬🇷 it’s beautiful. I love it.
tsukiii@reddit
Pretty common. Mostly Mexico and the Philippines where I live (suburban San Diego)
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Uy Philippines mentioned??
(My fiancée is Filipino and yeah her brother has a Filipino flag tattoo)
javiergoddam@reddit
For white guys the equivalent is mentioning their Filipina partner
Chad-Ironrod@reddit
I hope they never go to war, turning over a tattoo seems inconvenient.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
Getting a tattoo of flags is pretty hardcore.
cool_chrissie@reddit
I guess you don’t know any people from Colorado. They’re are obsessed with their state flag.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
meanwhile state flags tattoos are not uncommon here.
Dazzling-Low8570@reddit
Yeah but only because you have one worth tattooing. Not a lot of "[Your state here] state seal on a field of blue" tattoos out there I'd bet.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
It's still ridiculous and I will not be convinced otherwise.
Personally I love Jersey's flag because "The Great Seal of the State of New Jersey" cracks me up every time. We won't claim we're great... but look at this fuckin seal!
Dazzling-Low8570@reddit
No no no, that's just the Great Seal, as opposed to the Lesser Seal.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
Personally my favorite is my county seal growing up which depicts the fine American tradition of shooting innocent bystanders.
Dear_Milk_4323@reddit
It’s usually not the entire flag but the Philippines sun and stars
Piper-Bob@reddit
Here in South Carolina it’s not that common on a normal day. Even US flags aren’t that common.
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
Fairly common. Can’t quite put a percentage on it but I probably see it at least once a week. More than that if we are also counting the US flag. I live in a fairly diverse area, but with a heavy Portugese influence. I see that and Brazil’s flags everywhere.
oolongvanilla@reddit
Yes. Lots and lots of Irish flags, especially around St. Patrick's Day.
Main_Needleworker661@reddit
I go to New Orleans often because that's where my fiance's parents are. The homes usually have the French flag (so probably ancestry) and the Ukraine flag for obvious reasons. In the French Quarter there are typically many European flags at the non-home buildings to indicate the city's ancestry. England, France, Spain, Germany etc
ElijahNSRose@reddit
I am not aware of anyone that does this because this place is full of whites/blacks whose ancestry is mixed beyond recognition, and some Mexicans who ain't trying to claim territory on behalf of foreign states that hate them like the Arabs are.
Per_sephone_@reddit
I don't know anyone who does that.
IsThisDecent@reddit
Almost never anywhere but ethic restaurants
goodtipsareneeded@reddit
Very normal. In the south they like to fly a specific flag I can’t mention here.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
I've never seen that flag IRL myself. Maybe if I went to Long Island or upstate more often.
Drew707@reddit
When living in Nevada, I saw a truck flying both the CSA battle flag and the Battle Born flag. Nevada is also ranked very low on education, so, I guess I get it.
chirop1@reddit
Long Island... upstate... Confederate Battle Flag...
Maybe my impression of New Yorkers is not as accurate as I once believed...
Individual99991@reddit
NY City is super liberal, and the areas around it mostly are. But NY State is pretty red in the rural upstate areas, and as you go further out you'll start to see towns where the lawns alternate "Vote (Democratic candidate)" and "Vote (Republican candidate)", and those dumb "Don't tread on me" flags, and then bleeding fully into Trump country.
But even then, you still have big cities that vote Democrat, and small towns that are clusters of libs, progressives and a surprising number of wiccans.
People in the North flying a Confederate flag is pretty wile though.
Turbulent_Table3917@reddit
You would be surprised how many people in rural Maine fly it. These are often flown in conjunction with their Trump flags.
Individual99991@reddit
Of course. They love their traitors.
IKnowAllSeven@reddit
I have seen the “rebel flag” in Canada. Canada!
Dazzling-Low8570@reddit
"New Yorkers" live in the city, those other groups are just people from the state of New York.
Forward-Specific5651@reddit
Exactly! lol
sparkpaw@reddit
New York is a big state and most of it is rural and agricultural. The Confederate Flag is much more a symbol of a state of mind and preference for economy/politics than it is to represent an area.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
There's a lot of people from Northern states who somehow like the confederate flag.
I feel part of it is a generational thing, though most of it is conservatives being conservatives. My liberal boomer Puerto Rican doesn't understand the politics behind disliking the Confederate Flag. To him, it's "a Southern thing" and "that was all in the past".
Back in the 70s and 80s, it was associated a lot as a vague Southern pride thing. Or a Dukes of Hazard thing. Heck, Rogue from X-Men (who is from Mississippi) had a Confederate Flag beach towel in a 1980s era pin-up. It was supposed to imply she was from the South, not that she's racist.
Ozone220@reddit
that's crazy to me. Even in an urban part of NC I've seen so fucking many in my life. Makes sense that they wouldn't be prominent in the North though, especially not in cities. There's some ungodly huge ones on some highways down here
c8bb8ge@reddit
I've seen it upstate and in Jersey.
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
parts of south Jersey geographically and spiritually south of the Mason Dixon
(yes I know technically it went down around Delaware, but latitude wise Atlantic City is roughly as far South as Baltimore.)
LatterStreet@reddit
I’ve lived in NJ, PA and FL and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in person.
findingeros@reddit
Oh boy should’ve seen South central PA a couple years back
goodtipsareneeded@reddit
There’s a giant 50 by 30 foot one flying in Florida as we speak.
paulnuman@reddit
Should be illegal
FormerKey3258@reddit
Then so should other flags that are associated with hate speech.
ayebrade69@reddit
Darned first amendment
UltraMegaboner69420@reddit
Ugh gross im driving by it right now
Practical-Basil-3494@reddit
It is exceedingly uncommon to see a Confederate flag in the South. They're not everywhere the way some people like to share. I see one maybe once a year, and that's only if I travel to my Deep South home.
dangleicious13@reddit
I see multiple ones every day.
TheRealIdeaCollector@reddit
In cities? Yes.
If you're driving on a back road that happens to be the Google Maps recommended route? There's a good chance you'll see one.
DearDarlingDollies@reddit
I used to see a lot of them, but they're slowing being replaced by Trump flags here. Although, some of them are side by side. Some people (very few) here also fly Swastika flags.
schleepercell@reddit
In my neighborhood in Chicago there are tons of Polish flags, and red/white painted stuff. Also Puerto Rican and Mexican, during their national holidays they put flags in their cars and drive around all over. There's a giant Puerto Rican arch flag over the road in Humboldt Park:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Puerto+Rico+Flag+Arch+-+East/@41.9030261,-87.6877486,3a,75y,278.38h,101.08t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sMhPaPbVWw0rxEEsG0fqtiA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-11.081797631875375%26panoid%3DMhPaPbVWw0rxEEsG0fqtiA%26yaw%3D278.3827961694205!7i13312!8i6656!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x880fd2ae24657633:0x320e27b34eb1a888!2sPuerto+Rico+Flag+Arch+-+East!8m2!3d41.9030476!4d-87.6881477!16s%2Fg%2F11b6h_d0_h!3m5!1s0x880fd2ae24657633:0x320e27b34eb1a888!8m2!3d41.9030476!4d-87.6881477!16s%2Fg%2F11b6h_d0_h?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQxMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
TwoHungryBlackbirdss@reddit
Agreed, Polish, Mexican and PR are most common here. I love chicago!
Jas62021@reddit
I see it where we live too. Not as often as we used to though. They traded them out🙄
bartokat@reddit
came here to see if anyone brought this up. I live in a border state but there are definitely areas where you still see the stars and bars :(
Maleficent-Hawk-318@reddit
The Confederate flag? You can mention it here. This isn't TikTok.
holymacaroley@reddit
Only place I've seen them in NC is rural areas. Not but a couple times in the medium to large cities that I've seen in my 50ish years.
pikkdogs@reddit
North Dakota. Some people do. They are pretty proud to be Norwegian.
Lumpy_Branch_552@reddit
Same in Minnesota. Norwegian and Swedish flags.
lyndachinchinella@reddit
UP of Michigan and same
Discount_Plumber@reddit
Can forget the Finnish flags too.
CommandAlternative10@reddit
I’ve seen Norwegian and Swedish flags in Seattle. We’re diverse like that.
whippersnapper123123@reddit
Hah I’m active in the Seattle sub. We’ve got Swedes here, even a town called Lindström.
kinkybiguynj4tv@reddit
No Saint Olaf?
Nemoudeis@reddit
Hang on, hang on. I've been to Lindström many times, and have a lot of friends from there. And as far as I know, the only Lindström that spells it THAT way (with the umlaut) is in Chisago County, Minnesota.
whippersnapper123123@reddit
You got that right haha. I’m Danish-Colombian but speak enough Danish that I can somewhat understand basic svensk/norsk (at a dumb level). I live in minneapolis.
Dazzling-Low8570@reddit
Seattle is just a western outpost of the upper Midwest.
CommandAlternative10@reddit
🇳🇴💯🇸🇪
NomadLexicon@reddit
In Wisconsin, I’ve seen Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Swiss, Belgian, Polish and Czech flags on houses and farms. Pretty common as lots of people have relatively recent immigrant ancestry (19th to early 20th century) and live in settlement towns with some connection to a specific country.
I don’t recall seeing a lot of German flags despite that being the biggest ancestry, but that could be for a lot of reasons. Modern Germany was created after most German immigrants came over and omits lots of German speaking territories people came from. German heritage became more low key during the world wars. You’ll see it in German restaurants and Oktoberfest celebrations, but even there the Bavarian flag tends to be used more.
whippersnapper123123@reddit
Minnesota too I see the Norwegian flag on bumper stickers and whatnot. Not super rare at all.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
Interesting. That's a flag you really never see in NYC.
Some_Cicada_8773@reddit
They fly the confederate flag🙃
TillPsychological351@reddit
I grew up near Philadelphia, extremely common to see Irish and Italian.
Wild_Owl_511@reddit
I live in the south - you can guess which type of “ancestry” flag gets flown here.
farson135@reddit
I wouldn't say it's common overall (central Texas) but I do see national flags at people's houses that I assume are related to their ancestry. I can't see any other reason for that one person I drive by to have a French flag hanging next to an American flag.
PlanMagnet38@reddit
I wouldn’t even know which flag(s) to choose since my family is pretty mixed at this point (I think I would need at least 12 flags).
jvc1011@reddit
Maryland isn’t a state; it’s a cult.
I married a Baltimorean. She got a sequined Maryland flag jacket for Christmas and she basically hasn’t taken it off.
El-Viking@reddit
Marylandians puts their flag on everything! It is a pretty good flag, though. Just ask the nerds at r/Vexillology. Meanwhile, the Baltimortians are still trying to figure out what "Aaron did with the iron urn".
MrDBS@reddit
What do Old Bay and the Maryland flag have in common?
El-Viking@reddit
They put that shit on everything?
js_eyesofblue@reddit
That is correct. Your wife has impeccable taste.
futurearmysolider@reddit
The Women’s Memorial at Arlington Cemetery has a gift shop that has crab earrings that have the Maryland flag too. Or it may had been a necklace
brilliantpants@reddit
Shoot, I’m from Delaware, but I’d probably rock a sequined Maryland flag jacket if someone gave it to me.
jvc1011@reddit
It’s kind of amazing, truly.
bartokat@reddit
we do not deny that :D
brilliantpants@reddit
Maryland definitely has the best state flag.
El-Viking@reddit
I don't know. Just cross a state line and you get nudity, violence and anti-tyrannical rhetoric. Admittedly, it's just another in a long list of blue flags with a seal on. But there's a boob!
badtux99@reddit
South Carolina begs to differ. It's got a tree on it. It's got an Islamic moon on it. What more do you want? The only thing that would make it better would be a bear. But California already has the bear monopoly. ;)
The Maryland state flag looks like that "dazzle" aquaflage from WW2. (Google "dazzle camouflage"). Except with more colors, lol.
relikter@reddit
I grew up in South Carolina, and now live in Northern VA where I have to suffer horrible Maryland drivers, but even I will admit the MD flag is better than the SC flag.
The SC flag is good (simple, easily recognizable) and gets plastered on a lot of things for state pride/tourism, but it doesn't hold a candle to the number of things the MD flag is plastered on.
orcas-@reddit
native NYer who now lives in MD - MD DEFINITELY has the best state flag. But agree that on the block where my fam lives, most houses have a US flag + 1 (Italian/ Albanian/ PR/ Irish)
bartokat@reddit
TRUTH!!!
likemy10thaccount@reddit
S Tier flag
Elivagara@reddit
Some state flags, or the territory Puerto Rico, but generally just the American flag. Except of course for racist pieces of shit who fly the confederate flag, and assholes with the Gadsden flag.
Saltpork545@reddit
Outside of events specific to said communities...basically never.
There was a Greek event I would attend in the small Midwest city I lived in for a couple of decades. Food was good, it was fun, I'm not Greek at all but it was fun. That was the only time I saw a Greek flag on display in public.
BearsLoveToulouse@reddit
I’m in South NJ and I think I see more car accessories. Little mini flags on the rear mirror, bumper stickers, I had a neighbor with a big giant eagle decal on their hood matching the flag.
Mamapalooza@reddit
In the Catholic neighborhood in town they fly Irish flags in the spring. Some houses fly them year-round.
I've almost never seen any other flag. But sometimes I'll see someone wearing a sports shirt related to their background.
Atlas7993@reddit
Not very, unless you're Latino or Pella Dutch (but I don't think I've ever seen a Netherlands flag in NW Iowa). In Cedar Rapids you see a few Czech, Slovak, and Bohemian flags because of the diaspora there. But mostly in the Czech village and New Bohemia.
xxxxxxxxxooxxxxxxxxx@reddit
I’m an immigrant and I always found that a little weird.
I fly old glory. America is my home and I love our flag.
RioTheLeoo@reddit
People don’t fly any flags that much in my area (aside from Dodgers flags, which don’t count)
That said, a lot of us own them. Like I have a Mexican flag I bring to protests
RektInTheHed@reddit
Dodger flags definitely count
RioTheLeoo@reddit
You know what, you’re right. Viva los Doyers 😎💙
jvc1011@reddit
I have a car Dodgers flag. Does that count?
kinkybiguynj4tv@reddit
Not unless Dodgers is preceded by Brooklyn.
RioTheLeoo@reddit
Yes! xD
jvc1011@reddit
Also Los Angeles and we’re just not flag-fliers in general.
Lots of flags as decals/bumper stickers on cars. I’m not shocked or surprised to see any kinds of flags on homes. They’re just not terribly common.
I have a pride flag for protests and would love to get one of the CA/MX or US/MX ones but haven’t gotten around to it.
badtux99@reddit
One problem with flags on homes here in California is that most of our homes are stucco, and it's hard to find a place to mount a flag outside. Can't just screw them to the wood siding like in a lot of the country. Even brick siding is better for mounting flags, most places with brick siding have at least *some* wood siding to screw them to, maybe a gable or something.
mmarkmc@reddit
We have a 2025 Dodgers championship banner out front at the office. It replaced the 2024 banner and I expect it to be replaced by the 2026 banner.
PlatinumElement@reddit
I don’t have enough storage space for all the flags my family would need.
NagathaChristie91@reddit
I suspect this is the case for most of us
GOTaSMALL1@reddit
Ohhhh! Where do I attend these Dodger protests?
Signed - Padre fan
RioTheLeoo@reddit
Oh we don’t call them Dodgers protests, we call them Dodgers Parades. Kinda becoming an annual event after we win the World Series 😜
Metroid_cat1995@reddit
It's probably not super common and it's probably among a very specific group of people, but I did legitimately have a shirt that had the Irish flag on it and it said Ireland. It everything was all made out of like little beaded I think they were little little diamonds or rhinestones or something. I even had a shirt that was covered in shamrocks and had a kitty cat on it. But that is probably very very specific to St. Patrick's Day. But it's just one of those things that I have seen and that I have had on a shirt. No we don't fly the Irish flag around here of course. Lol that would probably be insane because we are not from Ireland. Even though my mom and I can trace some ancestry back to a specific location. Lol
TectonicMongoose@reddit
You'll see this amore in parts of town where an ethnicity forms a majority or close to it compared to where people are a small minority in San Diego. I don't know about other places a whole lot. There is a Mexican flag painted car at a taco shop I go to sometimes though. At least here in southern Cali people aren't super big about their specific European heritage in my experience even the people whose families immigrated here more recently though the more recently immigrated families tend to be Jewish from the former Eastern Bloc and many left because of antisemitism and so it's pretty understandable that they wouldn't have as much Russian or Ukraian or Moldavan etc pride at this point.
So I live in a suburb that is probably 85% white and then mostly the rest Asian with a few people of other backgrounds living here as well and of the people that live on my little street of 11 houses we have 8 White families, a Japanese family, a half Chinese half White family and a family that has a 1/2 Japanese, 1/2 Jewish mom(no idea her specific Jewish ancestry like Ashkenazi, Sephardic etc and she's also half Japanese so that makes it harder to tell I think she's European Jewish though) and a Christian European dad. I don't think I ever discussed the ethnic heritage of any of my White neighbors with them and I've lived here for decades. And to answer the question further I've also never seen any flag but an American one so I couldn't tell you the ethnic heritage of any of my non Asian neighbors. Other factors that sort of play into not seeing a lot of flags is a lot of White Americans whose families have been in the country for a long time won't actually know their specific ethnic background and can really only guess by their last name and virtually no Black Americans who are descendants of American Freedmen know their specific African heritage either so you will almost never see them fly the flag of a specific African country either.
Butitsadryheat2@reddit
I'm in Phoenix, clearly a lot of Mexican flags here in AZ! 🇲🇽 🇺🇲🌵
chrisridge741@reddit
Italy in New Jersey is everywhere
Duncan-Edwards@reddit
We used to fly a confederate flag in association with our heritage. Everybody had one on the front of their truck. It was the Hallmark of a popular automobile on the Dukes of Hazzard. Now we are told we are evil for remembering our heritage. Unlike everybody else and the flaws in their respective background. 🙄
sweettea75@reddit
I'm from and live in the US south. Plenty of people fly the US flag (and wear it, use napkins with it, etc). And of course, plenty of confederate flags around. I have noticed Hispanic people do frequently fly their country of origin flags, as well.
lolwatokay@reddit
I’d say actual flags is pretty rare but merch like t-shirts and whatever with the flag, the country name, or the flagpattern on it? Not unusual at all.
Limp-Plantain3824@reddit
Boston suburbs, pretty common.
More Brazil and DR, less Ireland and Italy than 40 years ago, but flag count is similar.
Exact_Programmer4080@reddit
Businesses? Yes it's pretty common. But for residences I don't see it so much, I believe the last one I saw was a Portuguese flag
MeTieDoughtyWalker@reddit
I’m from the South. You don’t see many confederate flags anymore, but our culture is heavily related to college sports so you are more likely to see a college flag outside someone’s house than anything else. That’s our ancestry now.
Wartz@reddit
For me never until the school did a thing with the kids talking about immigration and whatnot and every kid was doing a project. So we made some German food and learned a short song in German words and made a map of Brandenburg and got a small German flag.
That was fun.
original_greaser_bob@reddit
i live on a reservation a lot of people fly our tribal flag.
nomadschomad@reddit
*laughs nervously in Texan*
Dorkinfo@reddit
I was about to say, around where I grew up these old hats all still thinking about the confederacy.
Demiurge_Ferikad@reddit
Not rare, but not common, either. Displaying flags in general is somewhat uncommon, and when they are displayed, it’s usually just the US flag.
OkayButFirst@reddit
I live in north Idaho, apparently some people around here think this is the Deep South, and are very prideful of it. Unfortunately.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
I fly a pansexual pride flag.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
Why did I get downvoted? Fucking homophobes.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
I have more than one Puerto Rican lgbt flag. It's fun for both Pride Parades and Puerto Rican Day Parades!
eyetracker@reddit
I bet this isn't common outside of NV and ID. Maybe some rural parts of CA. It shows up in "what's that flag I saw" posts a bit.
Minute-Frame-8060@reddit
Not at all common in my area. My great grandparents were Polish and I have never seen the flag. Now I'm sad. Same with another set, one from England and one from Wales. I didn't even know that until I was in high school and my grandmother was talking about how much her mother would have loved Charles & Diana's wedding. Me: why is that? Grandma: because she was from England." What??? Damn assimilation generation.
Tbh I don't see a lot of people flying the American flag at their home.
AuburnFaninGa@reddit
I’m from the south and you’re more likely to see Someone’s favorite college team than anything else.
the-quibbler@reddit
Outside of the occasional person who considers their Irish ancestry their identity, it's rare in New Hampshire.
erilaz7@reddit
Not super-common, but it happens. I have my grandmother's vintage flag from the first Armenian Republic on my living room wall, and the Armenian flag is on my keychain, too. I don't have a shirt with the Armenian flag or coat of arms on it, but I do have one with the Armenian alphabet.
Additional_Low8050@reddit
Texan here~ we’re pretty queer’bout the flag. We travel highways often & they are more prominent here.
shelwood46@reddit
I am pretty sure 50% of the business at t-shirt shops down the shore (NJ) involves flags, mostly of other countries.
BlueFuzzyCrocs@reddit
Northern Wisconsin here. Only American flags. It would be seen as disrespectful to fly anything else here
Neat_Shallot_606@reddit
Portland area, not common
According-Couple2744@reddit
Not everyone is the US has a recent immigrant ancestor. Every single one of my ancestors from both sides of my entire family tree immigrated prior to the Revolutionary War. Seven of my eight great-grandparents were born in Virginia and the other was born in North Carolina near the Virginia border. I did a DNA test and I’m 90% UK ancestors and 10% Swedish ancestry. I neither identify with the UK nor with Sweden. The US flag and Virginia flags are the only flags I would wear.
Myfreakinglyfe@reddit
Pretty common. The ones I see most (Rochester,NY) are Italian, Irish, Ukrainian and Puerto Rican.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
Not very. I’ve never been a fan of the practice.
Secure-Ad8196@reddit
Nobody where I’m from in Georgia does, I’ve only seen the American and Georgia flag fly high, I see the occasional background flag stickers on cars. Also down south of my county there’s a high Asian immigrant population but Asians don’t seem to fly their flags how Latinos do
GreenBeanTM@reddit
Not a thing here.
examinat@reddit
In some beach towns in southeastern Massachusetts, it’s like an Irish flag store exploded on all the buildings, cars, flagpoles, & corner stores.
FemboyEngineer@reddit
You don't gotta wave a flag around in Flushing. We all know
Chickadee831@reddit
My dad flew the Finnish flag. It's uncommon in my neck of the woods, but you do see it.
Forward_Tank8310@reddit
In my Florida neighborhood, we have the Stars and Stripes on many houses, and often smaller college or pro football team banners or flags. That’s all I’ve ever seen here. When I lived in Northern California, one house in my neighborhood flew the Stars & Stripes, and below it a Union Jack.
BrotherNatureNOLA@reddit
It's incredibly common. It's an easy way to find each other.
Pomeranian18@reddit
We have tons of different ethnicities in my area, but all I see are American flags. I do live in a working class neighborhood, not sure if that matters.
Tamihera@reddit
I have a Liverpool flag out. Scouse family. My grandad knew one of the Beatles as a kid.
Emeah824@reddit
I see the Mexicans doing this a lot but only if they were born there.
officerboba@reddit
Yep and it’s what i love about my country 🇺🇸 I have the American flag and Philippines
el_goyo_rojo@reddit
Flying a flag associated with my specific ancestry would probably invite a hate crime.
AtlantisSky@reddit
I live in a college town with a large international population. They may not fly flags (for obvious reasons) but they may have a flag patch on a school bag, or a hoodie with their favorite sports team or coubtry of orgin. We do have several international fests in campus each year (with food trucks!) So flags may be more prominant then.
fierce_turtle_duck@reddit
I rarely see it unless it's someone who's family is pretty recently here. Most of the people around me are such European mutts if they did they'd just end up making their houses look like a UN headquarters 😂
Defiant_Finger4011@reddit
I see a lot of Italian and Irish flags where I’m at.
Designer-Travel4785@reddit
There are a few Irish and Italian flags around, but that's about it. Our area is not exactly culturally diverse.
gadget850@reddit
US flag here.
Weightmonster@reddit
Very common.
Sal1160@reddit
Same here in CT
IHSV1855@reddit
Very common among certain communities and nearly unheard of among others. Strangely, it is the less recent immigrant communities that fly their flags most. I see countless Norwegian, Swedish, and Irish flags, but almost no Somali, Lao, Vietnamese, or Thai flags.
One-Scallion-9513@reddit
very rare except with latinos in nashua/manchester
Hooligan8403@reddit
Get a lot of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Hawaiian, Samoan, some Fijian and Tongan flags around me. If I go further out to some of the "little" neighborhoods you get Ecuador, Guatemala, Thailand, Cambodai, Laos, Turkish, Greek, Ethiopia, Senegal. That surprised me when I first moved here. Foods awesome. Jamaican flags here and there. Some Brits, some Germans, some Irish and Scots. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch.
Relevant_Elevator190@reddit
The only ones I see are Mexican flags, hats, shirts etc.
OldStyleThor@reddit
Yes. I fly the U.S. flag every day.
Thin-Telephone2240@reddit
I've no problem if they fly the flag of their origin country provided they simultaneously fly the American Flag above it.
Soft-Ratio3433@reddit
This is against US flag etiquette
SlyHutchinson@reddit
I would fly a Norwegian flag if the morons around me were smart enough to realize it is not a confederate flag.
coddat@reddit
I’ve seen more Texas and San Antonio spurs flags than any other, including Mexico
Bubbly_Following7930@reddit
Not common. I've only seen one or two.
minnick27@reddit
Suburban Philadelphia. TONS of Irish flags. Also Notre Dame shirts, even though most of them don’t know what state ND is in. Italians like to get tattoos and bumper stickers
Vachic09@reddit
Not often
Hey-Bud-Lets-Party@reddit
Here in Denver, not very often. But on Cinco de Mayo certainly boulevards become a giant procession of cars flying the Mexican flag.
boomer-rage@reddit
In my part of semi-rural Pennsylvania it is usually Italian and Irish, with an occasional Ukrainian or Puerto Rican flag. There are more confederate flags than all the others combined - does that count?
hx87@reddit
Cambodian, Laotian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Brazilian, and Portuguese flags are commonly flown in Lowell
albertnormandy@reddit
My ancestors fought a war to break away from the mother country. Hence, we do not fly the flag.
TheBimpo@reddit
Not at all, like, ever.
heybud_letsparty@reddit
I feel like it's very dependent on what ancestry they are from. Some do it way more than others. And it's usually in big cities. The ones you listed are the ones I see most. In Chicago it was usually the Polish, Italian, Mexican, and Irish flags. Can't say I ever saw someone flying a German or French flag.
Turbulent_Table3917@reddit
Lots of people with French-Canadian heritage where I live, so you’ll see the occasional Canadian flag and sometimes Fleurdelisé.
Electronic_Gur_183@reddit
i live in indiana and i don't think i've seen citizens flying a foreign flag once in my entire life
Pretend_Spring_4453@reddit
We have to do dna tests to figure out where our ancestors came from in the first place. In my experience the only ones that fly their flag are first or second generation citizens.
ChronicBedhead@reddit
DC has them everywhere it seems like (but I do wish there were more, they’re pretty), Maryland and Rhode Island? Not as much. Maryland definitely has more than RI.
kayakkkkk@reddit
Lots of Irish in the Northeast put up a shamrock rather than the Irish flag.
Ok_Coconut4898@reddit
I’d say it’s not super common in the west where I’m from. If you do see it, it’s usually either the Italian flag or the Mexican flag. My husband is Mexican, as in actually a Mexican citizen who grew up there, and he has zero desire to fly a Mexican flag. It seems more common for second or third generation folks who never actually lived there, more as a symbol of their ethnic background.
A little boy in my daughter’s class is from a proudly Italian American family and I’ve seen him sporting the flag of Italy on his clothing and accessories before. He also has a very Italian first name, but they are also quite American. It’s probably been at least three or four generations since anyone in his family could speak Italian.
jreid1985@reddit
I see it most common around here in people who are recent immigrants and nonwhite, hispanic or Brazilian. Someone whose family immigrated from Germany 200 years ago isn’t going to display a flag except at Ocktoberfest.
Duque_de_Osuna@reddit
Some people do. Or putting a license plate on the front of the car.
rebelopie@reddit
I am in Arizona and it seems to be pretty common. People come from all over in this area and proudly fly flags to announce their heritage. We also see different colored porch lights to show support for certain groups. In my household, we have people who are Canadian, Choctaw, and Apache. Every Nation gets their flag flown on our porch, so we look like a mini-UN.
RsonW@reddit
I have a Cornish flag hanging in my bedroom
TK1129@reddit
I’m in the New York suburbs in an area with a large Irish population. Very common to see the Irish flag.
ABelleWriter@reddit
This is pretty common where I am. Not as much shirts as little flags that hang on the rearview mirror.
Common_Cut_1491@reddit
Miami, here. 🙋♂️ Very common.
crowmagnuman@reddit
I want a big, ostentatious flag with an Australopithecus climbing down from a tree.
Antitenant@reddit
You already described NYC, so I can't add too much. I think it's definitely most common to see on personal possessions: keychain, backpack, phone case, on/in the car. I don't see too many flags in people's yards. Occasionally some hanging out of an apartment window and probably more prominently if you are in a specific neighborhood of that country.
athenank@reddit
I don’t think I really see that much in my area. But as a mixed race person, it’s pretty common in online communities at least. I have a shirt with the Korean flag on it that I got during a community event in Denver.
Flolita115@reddit
lol I was also gonna say literally everywhere, but I’m also in nyc.
Living_Fig_6386@reddit
I see it as restaurants a lot. Italian restaurants with Italian flags, Greek restaurants with Greek flags, Mexican restaurants with Mexican flags... I can think of people doing at home. Sometimes you see a bumper sticker or something, though. I see some people with flags dangling from their rear view mirror sometimes.
Jas62021@reddit
Most people in my area do. We’ve got a large Finnish community here. But I’ve seen Ireland. Puerto Rico. Greece. Poland. And recently Zimbabwe.
ChirrBirry@reddit
My family, both sides, went through a phase in the 90s where they would wear shirts related to ancestry or apply ancestry oriented stickers…but over the last 25 years we all seem to have just accepted that we are thoroughly American and have very little in common with people that never left those countries.
FormerKey3258@reddit
I'm 50% Scott, but from immigrants who moved through Appalachia, the midsouth, and Ozark/Ouchitia reagions over generations. I have nothing in commong with Scott culture, perhaps maybe some distrust of big brother that's carried over a couple hundred years.
serpentjaguar@reddit
This is why, if your family came here during the colonial period, the genealogy industry just refers to them as "old stock" American. Apart from a few dozen traditional Appalachian songs, nobody descended from those immigrants has any real connection to the British Isles.
It's also why there is no Welsh ancestry remembered in the US the way there is for the Scots or the Irish or other groups; the Welsh came here well before the revolution and were already thoroughly Americanized by the late 1700s. A surprising proportion of the founders were of Welsh ancestry, for example, but no one remembers it because they were Americans first and foremost.
FormerKey3258@reddit
Actually, some Welsh came to the Ouchitia region around the beginning of the 20th century, including one of my ancestors. Probably the newest American I could find in my lineage. The Welsh during that era came over as skilled coal miners and ran many of the mining operations that had mostly Italian and some Russian laborers. But that's an obscure detail and a minor immigration event.
LizardHunters@reddit
My son had a "share your heritage" event when he was in elementary school. We dressed him in red, white and blue, and he carried the American flag.
His teacher complained that he was not representing another country.
My reply: our ancestors have been in the United States since 1716. Many generations of ancestors are American.
Aquarius_K@reddit
Other than the Mexican restaurant in town I've never seen it in my rural area. There are undoubtedly many Scottish, Irish, and other groups who are rolled into white but most of us have lost touch with our ancestry. Hopefully not forever though, I was able to dig up some of mine.
AppropriateDark5189@reddit
Not common in my area. However college or pro sports teams flags are common.
Logical-Pound-1065@reddit
In Florida where I live, people fly all sorts of flags. I have seen flags from most Latin American countries here.
Serious-Mongoose-387@reddit
i’m five kinds of european, but irish is my single biggest piece and also my paternal line+surname, so i fly the irish flag on paddy’s day.
i don’t even fly the US flag every day, just the 4th, veteran’s day, and memorial day.
serpentjaguar@reddit
Ukrainian flags are pretty common in my area, but it's a relatively recent thing, obviously related to the war. My area has a huge former-Soviet population ( one of the largest in the country) so I wouldn't expect it to be as common elsewhere.
uninspiredclaptrap@reddit
Very uncommon.
Sufficient_Cod1948@reddit
Very common. Irish and Italian flags are ubiquitous, and depending on the area it is common to see Brazilian, Colombian, and Dominican flags.
wmass@reddit
In my neighborhood in Western Massachusetts some clever entrepreneur came up with the idea of offering a service that will paint a bright, green Shamrock on the end of your driveway. I don’t know what they charge but there are a lot of them around. A few people fly an Irish Flag, usually in addition to an American flag. I also see Puerto Rican flags, Polish flags and since the war, Urkraine’s flag.
asexualrhino@reddit
My town is over 50% Mexican so that flag is common. I see Palestinian and Ukrainian flags, but that's more likely to be in support than from the people actually living there. I really can't say I've seen a national flag other than that
ColonelBoogie@reddit
Most native South Carolinians' families migrated here between the colonial era and before the Civil War. Our ethnic identity is not generally important to us. Our regional identity as Southerners and South Carolinians is extremely important to us. You'll see our state flag, the Palmetto Flag, literally everywhere.
Boring_Pace5158@reddit
Here in Boston, you'll see more Irish flags flying than in Dublin. Other flags you'll see flying include: Cabo Verde, Haiti, Puerto Rico (which is an American flag), Colombian, Ecuadorian, Italian, and I've seen some Polish flags.
However, you'll see a lot more Sox, B's, Celtics, and Pats' flags
serpentjaguar@reddit
It's the same in certain neighborhoods in SF as well, but to be fair, most of them are flown by younger Irish people who may or may not be planning on returning to Ireland after doing a few years in the US.
Most of the Irish people I knew when I lived in SF have since moved back home to Ireland, with only a handful actually staying here permanently, usually with an American spouse. It's a very different pattern from the original Irish-American immigration, which was almost always permanent and irreversible.
Boring_Pace5158@reddit
Here, you'll find people who have only an Irish grandparent wave the Irish flag, get shamrock tattoos, and say they're Irish, despite the one time they went to Ireland, they went to the Temple Bar
Sloth_grl@reddit
I live near Chicago. We have Mexican flags, puerto rican flags and American flags but most are only out on special holidays. For example during cinco de mayo, lots of Mexicans put flags on their cars.
Embarrassed-Base-143@reddit
Very, especially in football matches
Dapper-Presence4975@reddit
Somewhat common. Nowhere near as common as the American flag though.
pinniped90@reddit
Very little in Kansas.
Occasional Irish flag.
Everybody puts out their alma mater house flag. (Usually a Jayhawk or Wildcat) We came from Big Ten Country so we're kind of like expats. 😀
DepthPuzzleheaded494@reddit
Fellow New Yorker here, you already know the answer lol
_Barbaric_yawp@reddit
‘Round these parts, all the flags say, “Don’t Give Up The Ship”
KillBologna@reddit
It’s the same in Western NY.
helen790@reddit
I’ve seen a few Ukrainian flags pop up in the last several years. My mom flies the Irish flag sometimes, usually it gets put up for St. Patricks day and then stays up for like half the year.
Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit
You see a lot of Mexican Flags in Texas. Of course Texas was part of Mexico at one time.
HurtsCauseItMatters@reddit
For the most part I rarely if ever see anyone whose family has had at least 3 generations born in the US concerned about flying country of origin flags. And, for the most part in both states I've lived, Louisiana and TN that applies to most of the ppl I meet.
My most recent immigrant ancestor is my Italian great grandfather. On my other side I haven't counted but I would have to go back to at least the early 1800s and for most of them I'd have to go back to the 1600s.
Now state flags at universities? That I've seen....
JudgeWhoOverrules@reddit
Unfortunately, Mexican flags are extremely prevalent throughout the Phoenix area and people even bring them and wave them at events that are supposed to be honoring America.
crosscountrycoder@reddit
It is common in southern California. I see a lot of Mexican flags.
Jazzvinyl59@reddit
It’s pretty common in the NY metro area. It’s pretty cool in my opinion for the most part but sort of cringe when it’s past 1 or 2 generations in the US, or when McMansions, boats, or trucks are involved.
dreams1ckle@reddit
Highly dependent on ancestry. I’d reckon in order of likelihood, it goes something like this: 1. Recent or highly visible immigrant populations (Mexicans/Filipinos in CA, Dominicans in NY) 2. Regional 19th/20th century European groups (Poles in Chicago, Portuguese/Irish in New England, Norwegians and other Scandinavians in the Midwest 3. Old-stock colonial Europeans (English/Scotch-Irish/German) that settled all over, with few regional exceptions, are much more likely to just identify as American
confusedrabbit247@reddit
Very common
MM_in_MN@reddit
Not common- unless it’s something around that countries national days and holidays.
I’m in Midwest. Lots of Canadians, Scandinavians, Germans and Polish people. So, you’ll see German flags around Oktoberfest. I’m starting to see Polish flags popping up now for their May holidays.
But everyday flying a Swedish flag? Or a bumper sticker? A patch on your backpack? No, not common. If anything, I’ll see a maple leaf flying below a US flag.
shwh1963@reddit
Bay Area not very common.
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
Really? I thought California had a strong Mexican population. Is the Bay Area more gentrified, or are people just more... I don't want to say "assimilated", but less in touch with their ethnic heritage?
clunkclunk@reddit
California in general has a sizable Latino population (about 40% - not all from Mexico), however the Bay Area specifically is a fair amount less (about 23-25%). The Bay Area has a large Asian population (30%) as well.
I would say in general Californians don't fly nearly as many American flags as other states, and other national flags are also fairly low.
Before the Trump era, I'd see a Mexican flag once in a while on a car or home, but almost never now. My city in particular is almost 2/3rds Asian, many immigrants or children of immigrants and I've never seen a national flag of their origin country being flown on a regular basis - only really for cultural events, like parades or gatherings.
I see far more pride flags than national flags here.
QueenMackeral@reddit
I'm in Southern California. You don't really see flags on peoples homes. I can think of a few reasons, one they probably don't want to advertise to the neighborhood that they're Mexican or immigrants due to reasons. Another reason is possible gang identifiers, people from different South American countries have beef with each other and flying a certain flag could have implications. I'm not completely sure this but I did have a friend who had to deal with that stuff and laying low and not admitting his country of origin to not get roped into a gang.
shwh1963@reddit
Oakland has a strong Black population, Contra Costa has more Hispanic but I rarely see a Mexican flag.
To be honest, many people don’t fly flags.
SassyGirl0202@reddit
The US flag hangs daily on our house and I have alot of shirts hats towels etc with the flag on it.
PracticalBreak8637@reddit
I'm in a very Mexican neighborhood. There are Mexican flags everywhere. Even the hoods of vehicles are painted with the Mexican flag.
ech0cide@reddit
I feel like flying a German flag would not be well received in my area.
macoafi@reddit
My old next-door neighbors flew a Salvadoran flag on their house.
I'm around a lot of Argentine flags, but that's because I dance Argentine tango.
HotButteredPoptart@reddit
I live in a VERY white rural area. You're more likely to see a confederate flag than anything else.
Foxy_locksy1704@reddit
My neighbors are a Somali couple, they have their nations flag as a sticker on their car, my other neighbors from Brazil have their nation’s flag in one of their windows.
I’m in Colorado so not necessarily a state known for its multi-cultural population, but I do live in a fairly diverse area of the state.
lyndachinchinella@reddit
Michigan and some people have them in their front yard or on the porch.
serpentjaguar@reddit
It's more common in more recent immigrants. After about 3 or 4 generations of being American, any connection with the nation of origin gets pretty tenuous and is largely theoretical.
That said, people do like to feel some kind of connection to the past, and to have a sense of their origins.
Dalton387@reddit
I see a lot of American flags around my area. Not a lot of actually wearing it. Mostly hung on peoples houses or businesses.
You see a smattering of other flags, like the Mexican flag, but that’s mostly in Mexican restaurants or around what I assume are soccer game and Mexican holidays. They don’t leave them out.
I can see it becoming obnoxious, depending on why they do it. It’s like a lot of things, where most people don’t care. You see another countries flag come out around a major event or Holliday, and it’s cool to see.
I could see it being obnoxious if these people are just doing it to be able to hammer people with politics or because they live in America and fly their flags to talk about how much better it is in their country. That’s just annoying behavior.
We do get that where I’m at to an extent, but it doesn’t involve flags. Just lamentation about how much better things are in “the mother land” compared to America.
I kind of hope that fades out. White people already wore that one out. Talking about how their ancestry is Irish, German, Scottish, whatever, and wearing paraphernalia and being obnoxious about it. Then doing a DNA test and finding out they aren’t even from there.
OkayDay21@reddit
Extremely common. I live in an area where a lot of Irish immigrants settled. There are Irish flags everywhere.
ophaus@reddit
I fly the Brown Star flag of my asshole ancestors proudly.
RightToTheThighs@reddit
Puerto ricans do this waaayyy more than any other group from what I've seen. 9/10 of those little fringed flags I see in cars is Puerto rican
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
I think it varies based on how long your family has been here and the culture and connection to your ancestral land(s). As someone with 100% European heritage who's family has been here over 100 years flying/wearing the flags of heritage other than for Feast Day Festivals (Paddy's Day, San Genaro, etc) would be too white supremacy vibes for me.
Emily_Postal@reddit
You see a lot of Portuguese, Brazilian and other country flags in Newark NJ. You don’t see them so much out in the suburbs but occasionally will see an Irish flag.
meowmix778@reddit
Im not sure about other groups, but im Puerto Rican and thats kind of our thing.
theShpydar@reddit
I currently live in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in NY, and it is very common to see (in particular) Dominican and Puerto Rican flags, mostly on cars.
TankDestroyerSarg@reddit
Illinois. Most people I see publicly displaying another nations flag are probably Mexican. Especially right around Mexican Independence Day. Or people pretending to be Irish waving the Tricolour on St. Patrick's Day. But that's just devolved into an excuse for a nationwide drunken rager.
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
I’ve never seen anyone fly the flag for another country around here in Minnesota.
ShakeWeightMyDick@reddit
Pretty common in Los Angeles. Most notably Mexican and Armenian flags.
samanime@reddit
I'm in the general Cincinnati area. We have a fair number of immigrants, but probably far less than NYC.
It's fairly common I think.
My stepmom is German (born and raised until she married my dad and immigrated over here) and she has lots of German flags in her house.
My parents' neighbors immigrated from Nepal and they have a few Nepalese flags. They don't have a cloth one flying, but they have a bumper sticker one on the back of their car and stuff. I had a Nepalese coworker who had a little mini one on his desk at work.
I see lots of others dotted around everywhere.
little_miss_rainbows@reddit
Also in Cincinnati. I don't feel like it's common to see, except inside of people's homes or in a restaurant. I work with people from various countries but I've never been to their houses. But i'm going to see if I notice it more now.
I'm surprised about your German stepmom because I heard from a German student here that having German pride and flying flags is much more tempered because of WW2. But maybe they break it out once they're here.
Emotional_Ad5714@reddit
I fly flags of countries I have visited. Argentina, Croatia, Ireland, Germany. I switched to Mexico in January as a subtle protest to ICE activity in my state.
cranberry_spike@reddit
In Chicago we have a lot of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Polish, and Irish flags. Some others too but those are hard to miss.
TokyoDrifblim@reddit
As far as flying a flag, extremely uncommon here. I see bumper stickers a lot, specifically with jamaican and brazilian flags, with some regularity.
Top-Web3806@reddit
I’m from Manhattan and it’s not super common here but lots of Italian flags in Staten Island.
cailleacha@reddit
In the Twin Cities metro: common enough that it’s not remarkable, but not particularly widespread either. I do associate it most with a few communities, though I’m not sure how is my own observational bias and how the frequency of flag-flying relates to proportion of the overall population. I see Norwegian, Swedish, Somali, K’nyaw (Karen), Laotian and Mexican flags on bumper stickers regularly. In terms of a flag being flown on a flagpole/house flag, it’s usually Irish, Mexican, American or the Minnesota state flag. I used to live by house with a wooden Welsh dragon carved above their front door, which was notable. Never seen that before or since.
Western-Willow-9496@reddit
New England, flags from Italy, Ireland, Scotland, DR and Brazil are very common.
anneofgraygardens@reddit
I see Mexican flags often and Portuguese flags periodically. I don't really see others too often. Well, there are one-offs, here and there. I used to see a car with a Haitian flag bumper sticker pretty often when driving to the office, I guess a Haitian person worked near me. But I wasn't see Haitian flags all the time.
SnazzleZazzle@reddit
I’m in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia and there aren’t a lot, but every now and then I see an Irish flag or an Italian flag. There’s also one family that has a Greek flag, and on my way to work I see a Swiss flag.
There’s also are also some Ukrainian flags to support Ukraine.
I don’t currently fly any flag, not even the US flag because of its association with maga.
Forward-Specific5651@reddit
Fr. I no longer feel comfortable wearing my jean jacket that has a US flag printed in the back bc MAGA. 😩
165averagebowler@reddit
I live in a very Norwegian settled area and you will see Norwegian flags all over in several towns. A town over, you will see Swiss. Individuals are less likely but as a community there are still often strong ties to the settlers’ heritage
HottestestestMess@reddit
In the urban upper midwest I would say it’s pretty common for immigrants from Latin America and Africa (somewhat the Carribean, too, but there aren’t as many people from that region where I live). I don’t see many flags from Asian countries, even though there’s a significant number of people from India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, and some other countries here.
The weird thing is that the only other groups I see doing this are 1) Irish Americans who are at least 2 generations away from the old country and 2) very affluent people who have some tenuous connection to Scandinavia, France, Germany, and occasionally the UK. It’s really strange.
Mad-Hettie@reddit
Central Kentucky: I've seen one Swedish flag and one Ukrainian but that's about it!
Eastern Kentucky: I don't think I've seen anything other than the US flag.
Traditional_Entry183@reddit
Where I grew up, some Italian people did. Not really anyone else.
Longwell2020@reddit
Its far far more common to see a football teams flag than ethnic flags in my town. We not super diverse.
Diligent_Pineapple35@reddit
Immigrants in my area usually lean heavily into flying American Flags - to the point where if you drove by their home you could probably mistake them for MAGA - so they aren’t targeted by racists looking for a fight.
Unfortunate reality.
RickySlayer9@reddit
If they’re American? Common. If not, not very common
Enough-Moose-5816@reddit
Cleveland, Ohio checking in. My 59-year old brother flies an Italian flag and he’s no closer to being an Italian from Italy than I am to being the atheist pope.
He will also sometimes talk with a Brooklyn accent because he thinks it gives him some sort of ethnic credibility.
The irony of it all is that he virtually disregards the French Canadian heritage from our mother’s side. I think it’s driven by the fact that he’s always sought our father’s approval but never really got it.
He is also a dope.
paka96819@reddit
Only Hawaiian flags are flown
Dear_Milk_4323@reddit
I see a lot of Filipino flags too
paka96819@reddit
Yes, forgot about that. And Puerto Rico too. Just not in my neighborhood.
moles-on-parade@reddit
We're almost five thousand miles away, but ten years ago we had a neighbor from Hawai'i and for her birthday her husband got her a flag to fly off their porch. She was DELIGHTED. It looked real good and likely confused a few people driving by.
iowanaquarist@reddit
Around here, in Iowa, it happens. It's pretty uncommon, unless you are claiming to be from the Civil War south, and unaware of the flag's actual origin. Then it's very common.
mads_61@reddit
My grandma flies the Italian flag at her house in South Dakota
badtux99@reddit
I sometimes wear a cap with the Acadiana (Cajun) flag. Mostly when I'm visiting family back in Louisiana. It denotes that my family is of French Acadian (Cajun) ancestry. I don't fly the flag however. Maybe I should, it would be a conversation piece here in California!
mmarkmc@reddit
Very uncommon where I live on the central coast of California. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is the Italian flag at the home of the family of a police officer of Italian descent who was shot and killed serving a warrant in the kind of duty.
clekas@reddit
In my area, it's more common in specific neighborhoods. It's not unusual at all to see Puerto Rican flags in a specific neighborhood with a lot of residents of Puerto Rican heritage, but it would be more unusual to see them outside of that neighborhood, even though there are Puerto Rican people scattered throughout the area. The same goes for Italian flags, Polish flags, etc.
judijo621@reddit
I keep a Mexican flag sticker on my car to confuse ICE. I am translucent white. 😈
brilliantpants@reddit
Pretty common where I’m from (Philadelphia suburbs) Irish and Italian are the ones I saw the most, but you could see a flag from anywhere and it wouldn’t be out of place.
Ti_Cocodrie@reddit
I see more than a few people waving Irish and Scottish flags where I live now. I wouldn't say common, but it's not abnormal.
I would say in Louisiana it's more uncommon. You see Drapeau de l'Acadiane quite often, and very very rarely would you see Drapeau national de la France.
judijo621@reddit
I'd have to hang 5 or 6 flags!
Imaginary_Roof_5286@reddit
On a daily basis, usually only the Mexican flag is seen other than the Stars & Stripes. Others may be seen at specific festivals of different ancestries. There are plenty of 🏴🏴🏴 (Scotland’s flag) at Highland Games & Gatherings, but they are pretty rare to see elsewhere.
Individual99991@reddit
I used to live in Manhattan, and as you note there, flags are very common. Although in some cases, I don't know if it's to show ancestry or allyship - the Ukraine flag was everywhere in the early years of that war, and I'm sure a lot of it was just a common sentiment of support for an occupied people.
Probably worth pointing out that NYC also has lots of students and other immigrants who might actually be from those countries and want to represent, although I'd be surprised if that was anything more than a minority.
I now live in Westchester, near a largely Latino area, and I don't really see it any more. I don't know if there's a chilling effect on people here not wanting to stand out in case they piss off some asshole, or whether people just don't feel like it's a relevant thing to advertise.
OpposumMyPossum@reddit
Common if people have come here in the last 25 years or are Irish American.
Ms-Metal@reddit
Pretty common in southern colorado. Lots of military bases, so lots of people who have spouses from other countries. Especially Filipino and Germans.
mechanicalcontrols@reddit
Flying foreign flags isn't super common around me, but for wearing them, I'm likely to see flags of half the Spanish speaking countries on people's hats or shirts any given work day. Mexico and Honduras are the two most common at my store, but I did once have a very pleasant conversation with some customers who were white Panamanians.
lucifersperfectangel@reddit
It's not very common in this area. Unless the family more recently immigrated to the US. But ancestral? Not common.
Lumpy_Branch_552@reddit
The US state I’m in, Minnesota, has a fair amount of Scandinavian country flags that descendants of those country’s will fly. My grandma immigrated from Latvia, so I have had the Latvian flag as a magnet on my car. More because I feel like everyone forgets about Latvia and their flag should be out there too.
tn00bz@reddit
I live in a ship animal majority area. I see mexican flags more often than I see american flags.
rojoshow13@reddit
The only flags I see in northern WI are US flags, Packers flags, Brewers, and Badgers.
Maleficent-Hawk-318@reddit
I live in New Mexico and it's pretty common to see Mexican flags, as well as "flags" signifying indigenous connections (scare quotes because they're not always literal flags).
Also not quite the same, but I feel like New Mexicans tend to feel a really strong affiliation with our state that I haven't really seen in other places I've lived. It's kind of a joke how common it is to get a Zia sun sign tattoo, which is our state flag.
Pitiful_Fox5681@reddit
I have one neighbor (maybe 8-9 houses down the road) who flies an Irish flag. Well, several Irish flags.
I see the Mexican flag fairly frequently as well, though not as often in my direct neighborhood.
There used to be an apartment nearby that had a Spanish flag in the window. I think they've taken it down.
So not uncommon, but not super common.
Prior-Soil@reddit
I am from Iowa. Very uncommon to see flags unless you are in an area with newer immigrants but even then, very rare. I live in a city with a very large refugee population from two different African countries and I never see their flags either.
SensibleBrownPants@reddit
I’m in Chicago. There are a handful of homes in my neighborhood that fly ethnic flags (Ireland, Canada, etc). But far more represent sports teams, Universities, or the Police.
poisonedkiwi@reddit
I think the only flags I've seen being flown in my area (other than the US flag) are Irish, Dutch, Israel, Jamaican, and Mexican (which is much, much more common than the other four). Most people just fly the US flag though, if any.
There are also a handful of Ukrainian and Palestinian flags scattered around too, but I wouldn't really count those for this question since 99% of them are for protest instead of ethnic background.
southstrandsiren@reddit
It's extremely uncommon except for Mexicans and transplanted Yankees (mainly from NYC, NJ, and MA).
Also, contrary to the stereotype, confederate flags (even as bikinis) are also extremely uncommon. You might see them on a truck or motorcycle here and there during tourist season, and there might be a few country edgelords who actually buy the stars and bars beach towels at the sketchy Pacific Beachwear, but even in tacky ol' Myrtle Beach that's extremely frowned upon.
NemeanMiniLion@reddit
Almost never. Most people I talk to anyway don't know their ancestry.
sparkpaw@reddit
Experience from living in and around Atlanta and the metro areas: depends on the neighborhood and general population. I also think it depends on the home country- and I will caveat that I don’t know how many of these people are direct transplants/immigrants themselves or flying “ancestry” flags.
I see Jamaican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban flags everywhere. I see some Mexican and other Latin or South American flags (I’m awful at flag ID but im pretty sure Brazil and Venezuela are the other main ones I see).
I’ve also seen African flags, countries I didn’t know existed (oops, sorry Paraguay), and a few European flags. I usually only see Indian/South Asian/Islander flags in like stores or restaurants, less at homes or on their cars. I almost never see Chinese or Russian flags, lol. But I know we have immigrants and descendants form those countries too.
The more rural you go the more likely it’s a small window flag or sticker on the car. The more in town you go the more you’ll find whole neighborhoods of similar ethnicities/original regions. In middle of nowhere Georgia, you try not to draw attention to yourself unless you want to pick a fight.
LexiD523@reddit
My parents once lived next door to a couple that flew Polish and Irish flags for their heritage.
I made sure my parents knew in no uncertain terms should they do the same (my parents are of German and British heritage.)
IainwithanI@reddit
I’ve only seen it from people who were born in another country, apart from maybe a sticker on a car or laptop.
audvisial@reddit
I rarely see it. Sometimes you'll see those mashup flags that are supposed to represent multiple places/organizations. Other than that, it's usually just occasion flags (holidays and teams) or the U.S. flag.
SallyAmazeballs@reddit
Pretty rare. Where I live, most people immigrated before WW2, so modern European countries and flags didn't exist yet. Like, they immigrated from Prussia, and Prussia doesn't exist anymore. I didn't even see that many German flags during Oktoberfests, compared to Mexican flags at Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Uncommon. (Unless you're Mexican or Irish)
I live in a >50% german county and flying a bunch of german flags would be... weird.
Perplexio76@reddit
I see a lot of Mexican flags around September 16th every year. And I sometimes see Puerto Rican flags in June.
After Putin invaded Ukraine I started seeing Ukranian flag bumper stickers on cars. My wife used to have a Union Jack on her car as she was born in the UK.
I have seen a few pickup trucks with 2 American Flags and Trump/Vance bumper stickers driven by living/walking/breathing stereotypes.
skuzz_buckett@reddit
It is very common in NYC (mostly the outer boroughs). In my opinion the most common are Italian, Puerto Rican, and Albanian. In recent years I’ve seen more Ukrainian and Palestinian flags.
the-magician-misphet@reddit
Semi common. It’s not a zero number of people, but I see in Michigan people are more interested in flying the American flag, the state flag, sports teams flags, or political flags.
BrettScr1@reddit
Growing up we put a string of Danish flags on our Christmas tree every year, but we never flew any flag.
tacobellgittcard@reddit
Pretty common. I can think of several businesses/homes I pass pretty regularly that have Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish flags, also see plenty of Canadian flags
prezzpac@reddit
I live north of Boston, and we see tons of Brazilian and Portuguese flags. My city has more asian immigrants, but I haven’t noticed many flags for them.
DOMSdeluise@reddit
recent immigrants and their descendants might do this, but otherwise it's not really a thing
Gallantpride@reddit (OP)
In Texas? That's surprising considering the high latino population. Latinos in the North-East love flags. (I would know, being a latino who loves flags)
ron_mexxico@reddit
Anybody living in country A that owns or waves a flag from country B is a big time weirdo
Aggravating-Key-8867@reddit
I don't notice people flying flags, but I see a fair number of car decals with flags for Puerto Rico, DR, Guatemala, and Venezuela.
Timely-Youth-9074@reddit
It’s not that common.
I’ve seen more Virgin of Guadalupes than flags.
crunchyfoliage@reddit
Not very common in Michigan. You'll see a lot of American flags and the weirdos in the boonies will fly Confederate flags for some reason
44035@reddit
My wife and her family are really into their Scottish heritage and they have window stickers.
houdini31@reddit
I wouldn't say ancestry outside of the United States really at all and I work in a strong Bosnian area so people who aren't here generationally.
KindraTheElfOrc@reddit
no one in my area does this, the main flags i see are the american, trump, and pride
Tangled-Lights@reddit
PNW. Never see it. Except stickers on cars, from specific Mexican regions.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
It’s somewhat common here (especially Irish flags in March, Mexican flags in September, Italian flags all the time), but Eagles flags are way more common.
eternal_casserole@reddit
Pretty much not at all in South Carolina, unless the confederate flag counts. (Technically not American, and does tie to ancestry.) I probably see that once or twice a week where I am.
claudiatiedemann@reddit
My husband and I are in metro Atlanta in a neighborhood of immigrants. A few fly the U.S. flag but most don’t have a flag at all.
back-better007@reddit
I live around a lot of Ukrainians, they’ve been pretty visible for the last few years. Mexicans an Puerto Ricans come out for their parades. Many others have restaurant areas in the city— Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, paki
DruncleMuncle@reddit
In areas of New England, it's more common to see Irish flags than US flags.
DadPuncher69@reddit
Very common in areas of Chicago and the suburbs with lots of immigrants.
dgmilo8085@reddit
I see mexican flags on cinco de mayo or when there are cultural events like Chivas or the Mexico national team playing, and you'll see Irish flags out for Paddys day but other than that, not too common.
HoldOnHelden@reddit
So… I live on Embassy Row in Washington DC.
Flags… have been known to happen here and there.
SeaLeopard5555@reddit
not common where I live. I see a fair number of Ukrainian flags still, but that has nothing to do with ancestry...
Kyle81020@reddit
I really see this mainly with Mexican and Puerto Rico flags. I also see some UK flags and some from other Latin American countries.
cwcam86@reddit
Never seen it.
CharlesAvlnchGreen@reddit
Lots of Pride flags in Seattle.
elphaba00@reddit
Only if you're really into vexillology, like my oldest and Sheldon Cooper
RhinoPillMan@reddit
South Florida. Very common. The majority of Dade county residents were born outside of the country, and many of the other residents that were born here are still very close to their heritage, often first or second generation Americans. Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican flags are everywhere. Among basically every other nation’s flag. Very diverse area.
BuildNuyTheUrbanGuy@reddit
Well NYC is full of immigrants. Many immigrant populations or areas where they have ethnic neighborhoods and such like the northeast or Miami will do that.
Gini555@reddit
Oregon here - I don't think I have seen any at all.... maybe possibly a bumper sticker on a car.
KJHagen@reddit
I don’t see it in my (rural) area. Maybe on Cinco de Mayo some people will fly a Mexican flag.
FernerWassbinder@reddit
Here in Germany you're gonna see plenty of Turkish flags. I'm not judging just saying
Dr_Watson349@reddit
Tampa Bay Florida. Extremely rare.