The most globally anticipated day of the year is on our doorstep and the political climate is the most tense and pessimistic that I can remember since events of 9-11. News articles of certain doom, mudslinging that would put early 20th century muckraking to shame, and extremely disconcerting parallels with pre-WWII causal events have the most-revered leaders of our times basically on their knees asking us to think about what we are planning to do for our country (and the entire world) in just a few hours. How did we get to a point where the election of one man or one woman has become the most pivotal event of the year? I have visions of history textbooks, presidential debates, and monumental speeches from years passed swirling around in my head. Throughout all the tense confusion I am striving to hold onto one thing: what being American means to me.
It sounds like a patriotic writing prompt given to a fifth-grader around Flag Day; but it’s an important aspect of identity to hold true to when our political values are called into question. I’m no longer the 10-year-old that probably would have written about fireworks on the 4th of July, the Pledge of Allegiance, and freedom. I recognize that all those things are symbols and rituals used to reassert a very generic point of view which many people still hold, but that truthfully only scratches the surface of all the ways American is used and interpreted. There are multiple denotative and connotative meanings. If you want to get technical, calling someone American could refer to anyone in North America or South America, but it is globally understood not to use it that way.
Trying to understand the true meaning of being American is in fact a fool’s errand. There is no one way to correctly label people and then assume that everyone will view these people the same way; this principle is exactly what the United States of America claims to be based on. But don’t we violate it when we say something or someone is un-American? This question is abstract and unanswerable for the moment. But if you view yourself as American it is important to ask yourself why, as well as what the implications of being American are. For starters, it is not something to take for granted.
My understanding of what it means to be American was largely altered when I traveled outside of the United States, and my nationality became a salient characteristic. At home, I am not often described as an American, because to any other person from the U.S. it is just a given, but in Europe there were times I could have passed for a number of nationalities. I was misjudged as French, British, and oddly enough Paraguayan. The irony was that when I was in Spain, I felt freer and less bound than I sometimes feel in the United States. I was taught that I was from “the home of the free and the land of the brave”, but it didn’t seem like any of the Europeans were less free or brave than any Americans I knew, in some respects they appeared to be more so than Americans. I needed to re-evaluate my definition of bravery and freedom, and then I needed to do it again in Guatemala when I was presented with a whole new scenario. In the 20th and the 21st century it is evident that freedom is more than just the right to vote and the right to maintain your opinion.
Once upon a time, a little over two hundred and forty years ago, our ancestors were the first to attempt a new form of democracy, after some centuries of it being an impossible dream, but like all the best plans and intentions there were flaws. We are still trying to solve some of the flaws of our democratic practices and mending some of the wounds that our well-and-not-so-well intentioned ancestors inflicted. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, but there is something very incorrect about acting as if we as a united front are without fault. It is wrong to adhere to the traditions that cause harm, because it is the American thing to do.
There is a popular slogan that suggests we need to make America great again. When did it stop being great? When did it start being great for everyone? How do you define great? How can you even be sure what to aim for with such a broad and opinion-based goal like this? I do believe that we are great nation full of great people, but I don’t believe there is a reason to say that any one country is greater than the rest. If we are a country that believes in individualism then we should see each country as great in its own right and flawed in its own right. The great aspects and the not-so-great ones can be shared among countries and vary across them. No human can be any closer to perfection based on where they come from.
Across the globe we focus on issues that are less opinion based, like literacy rates, job unemployment, food production and distribution. The United States is equipped to contribute on a grand scale, which makes us undeniably powerful and therefore responsible in ways that transcend our nation’s physical boundaries. How we choose to impact the rest of the world depends on many things and many people, but there is no avoiding it. Being a U.S. citizen offers great benefits, but viewing yourself as an American means that you recognize the benefits with the responsibilities. You can’t receive something for nothing. We have domestic and global duties. Among the most important are to strive to be the best we can be and pay forward the kindnesses that life has granted us in large and small ways. If there is one thing I’ve learned in traveling abroad it is that where you come from and the language you speak does not have to act as a barrier against reaching out to others. We aspire to be a multicultural, thriving country in a multicultural world. Being American should not stop you from being a part of the global community, it should make you a wiser and more prepared global citizen.
