Peter Shr - Week 5 - Where is My American Pride?
When I see others patriotically state, “‘Murica!” I can’t help but feel a bit silly. Through the news and social media, this sort of pride has recently been embarrassingly associated with certain citizens from the South. Personally, I’m not sure how to feel about the US, but I definitely do not have that nationalistic feeling that has been displayed for a long time in movies, literature, protestors, and members of both political parties.
To outline my mixed feelings about my nation, I’ll weigh its strengths and weaknesses.
The US is huge, populous, and productive. It has the largest economy and oil production. It has the most prestigious schools. Its culture, music, and entertainment have spread throughout the world. The US has made huge contributions to technology, inventing airplanes, cars, cellphones, and so much more. It has the most Olympic medalists and Nobel Prize winners. It has basketball. The USA prides itself on its national parks, diversity, and prosperity. It has the strongest military. There are so many superlatives to describe the US. Yet, I feel that I can acknowledge these things and still not have personal connections.
On the other hand, the US is big, loud, and self-indulgent. Its history has been stained by racism, prejudice, and hypocrisy. Americanization has unfairly dominated other cultures, and Americans are notoriously obnoxious as tourists. The USA hasn’t switched to the metric system for some reason. It has corrupt businesses, monopolies, politicians, and billionaires while homelessness and school shootings are rampant. It has McDonald’s. Student debt is a common issue, and the US’s health care is more expensive than any other in the world. With all its technological developments, the US has contributed largely to global warming and pollution. It has taken part in unnecessary wars and is responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent lives. Other nations may also have terrible issues, but that doesn’t justify the US’s level of arrogance.
Maybe there’s another reason why my feelings are so mixed. From a fledgling embodiment of the Enlightenment to an industrial powerhouse to a cultural and military superpower, the USA’s position in the world has greatly evolved. Since my parents’ generation, outsider perception has changed from a land of equality and prosperity to a land of confusion and disorder. It’s almost as if something pure and full of hope has settled. Or maybe, the nation’s offenses are being revealed and this is actually a step forward. And maybe, my identity as a Taiwanese-American has blurred any feelings of patriotism.
My parents immigrated to the United States of America because it offered a bright and safe future. Even my father, with his broken English and our lack of conversations, has told me that the United States has changed for the worse since he first came. I think about that a lot and wonder if this is unique just to the United States of ‘Murica.
Article on prominent American issues: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/12/17/views-of-the-major-problems-facing-the-country/
Hi Peter! I can relate to your statement on not being a patriotic person because I often feel that way as well. The strongest American ideals are liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness, which is quite contradictory considering America’s vast history of slavery, colonization, and massacring Native Americans. While America today is immensely diverse and filled with opportunities, there are also a lot of flaws with America such as its problematic history and problems such as student debt and healthcare, which you mentioned. Although, like all countries, America has its problems, I’ve learned that it’s better to have faith and hope in the country that I live in rather than being pessimistic and focusing on all the things wrong with American society. It’s better to focus on the rasons to be patriotic instead of focusing on finding reasons to be a citizen that is not patriotic, although it can be hard. A lot of cultures view America as a place of plentiful opportunity and the only place you can become successful in, and while it is true that America has opportunities and good education, it isn’t the answer to all the problems people think it is.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter! I can partially relate to the feeling of disconnection that you feel between yourself and America. This lack of patriotism is honestly something that the entire world needs more—looking back, many conflicts in the world have been started due to the sheer amount of ego and attachment people have with their country. However your points about America being one of the most powerful and successful countries in the world helped justify the excessive patriotism that I see many Americans celebrate. This blog also explains how the public perception of America has shifted as time passed; patriotic Americans likely look back to America’s successful past, while more skeptical Americans reflect on the injustices of the past and their doubts about the future. This creates a polarized media, with some sources being heavily biased to support America, and others biased to portray the country negatively. As the country moves into the future, leaders need to return the country to balance, finding a way to induce patriotism into the entire population. However, with free speech being a prominent aspect of the American Constitution, this will likely be impossible. On another note, I really liked the conclusion of this blog post, since it raised questions about whether negative societal changes are occurring internationally or only in America.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, I find your view on the American Pride very interesting and I do agree with you a little. While the US has its achievements, none of them seem personal and none of them seem like they belong to us and they just define a specific group. The phrase “It has McDonalds” contrasts the negative descriptions of America you described before and still emphasizes the point that America really has no reason to make its citizens feel patriotic. While majority of the countries in the world do have a negative past, America’s past makes it hard to believe that people actually feel that pride from living here. America has its dream-like perspective to many outside the US but to those in the US, some can agree that it is not all sunshine and rainbows as the world makes it seem to be. Yet that is something we are not allowed to say because it will “ruin the image”. It is important to know both sides before putting all your pride and joy into something.
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