Celebrating the United States of America
Today, out of all days, it’s worth reflecting on what patriotism and being an American means to me. And I’m celebrating because, despite everything, I still believe in this country.
For a long time, I didn’t think of myself as particularly patriotic. To me, the stereotypical patriot was someone who believed America could do no wrong and that other countries should bend to its will. To me, patriotism taken to its extremes was a blind devotion to one’s country to the exclusion of the rest of the world. Even when I recognized that other forms of patriotism were possible, patriotism and American pride still felt to me as something that was a little naive, ignorant, and embarrassing.
This 250th anniversary comes at a difficult time for the United States, which makes it harder for me to feel that pride and patriotism.
America has never been perfect. Exclusion, prejudice, and violence against different groups of Americans is an undeniable part of American history, past and present. When we celebrate freedom every Independence Day, why should they join in when they are denied that same freedom?
As a Chinese American, I’m reminded of the prejudices that my forebears faced, especially during the early waves of immigration in the late 19th century. There were riots in several cities with significant populations of Chinese immigrants, and in my new city of Denver, one such riot effectively destroyed the Chinatown here. Immigration from China was essentially halted for several decades until World War II.
The great political cartoonist Thomas Nast condemned those attitudes and immigration restrictions. I point this out to highlight not just the fact that he opposed this prejudice, but how he did it. He did it by appealing to classic American ideals of liberty, fairness, and opportunity for all. Those are the ideals that inspired the American Revolution, and the “Charters of Freedom” that serve as records of the cause. And those same ideals have been the guiding light of countless people who have fought against injustice and for a better America.
Because of the progress those people achieved, my parents were able to come to America to build a better life for themselves and give me new opportunities, without fear of a mob that would seek to drive us out of our community. While it’s true that Asian Americans continue to experience prejudice and discrimination (and I’m no exception), it’s also true that real progress has been made.
I believe that the people who fought for that progress, driven by those American ideals, are the real patriots. True patriotism, I believe, means holding this country accountable to the promises of those ideals. While the stereotype might sweep injustices and imperfections under the rug, true patriotism means recognizing them and working to change them.
Today, I’m celebrating America, not as a perfect paradise, but as a country that has made great progress driven by the ideals of its founding. I still believe in those ideals, and I still believe in the patriots today who are continuing on that path of progress. I don’t know what this country will look like in another 250 years, but I hope Americans today and tomorrow will continue to strive towards the ideals which have brought us this far in the first 250.
