
RUGBY, England—Stuart Field raised his first flags in July: the English red cross of St. George and also a smattering of the British red, white and blue, hanging them from his hometown’s streetlights.
His daughter had just been sent home from her school’s annual cultural celebration day for wearing a sparkly dress designed around the Union Jack. Field was infuriated. A flyer from the school had described the event as a way to recognize the diverse cultures represented among the students. “Wear your traditional cultural dress to school instead of your usual school uniform,” it said.
“Your attire must reflect your nationality or family heritage.”
Field’s daughter, 13-year-old Courtney Wright, had prepared a speech about what British culture meant to her, focusing on everything from afternoon tea to the royal family to the British sense of humor. But she never got a chance to deliver it: When she arrived at the school, she was isolated from the other students and then told to go home.