Expatriotic?

*This is the way my mind works: In the space of exactly 2 minutes I go from reading a friend's FB status about doing field research for her PHd in Brasil this summer, to thinking about how I always wanted to live abroad, to thinking about ex-patriots, to wondering if anyone has ever done research on American ex-patriot diasporas outside the US, to thinking I might have discovered an avenue approachable enough for a PHd of my own, to wondering about all the other subjects besides history that would need to be considered in addition to field work (ie; living abroad), to doing a little typing of my own and finding this article, to scanning through the first two paragraphs and asking myself if I would ever give up my own citizenship, all of which provides the inspiration of this blog post in which I evaluate my own patriotism because after all, July 4th is just around the corner.



A friend of mine is a Canadian citizen. While he was in college he participated in the ROTC but never entered the military because he'd have to give up his Canadian citizenship. He chose not to. At first I thought, what's the big deal? I mean, the guy has spent the majority of his life in the states. That makes him as 'American' as apple pie if you ask me. But after an attempt at putting myself in his shoes, I would have drawn the same conclusion.

After reading the article linked above and pondering my friend's decision, then asking myself if I'd ever give up my US citizenship for citizenship elsewhere, I was surprised at how I felt about that. You see, I've never considered myself hugely patriotic. Perhaps it is because I am a history major and have learned about the good, the bad and the ugly in regards to our nation's history. Not only do I learn about it, I study it, analyze it, and criticize it. There are incredible dichotomies between the 'national values' we are taught in school and the reality in the lives of US citizens. And don't get me started on all the historical fallacies and half-truths toted in school for the purpose of creating a national identity. Perhaps this lack of outward patriotism stems from my seemingly innate characteristic to question everything. Perhaps patriotism and its element of sacrifice which distinguishes the term from nationalism (which promotes a militarist element) are really just one and the same given the last half-century of our nations' history. Perhaps it is my disillusion with the government in general, my disdain for both political parties and my hopes that they will eat each other alive soon so our country can make some real progress (progress by my own definition, of course).



Whatever the reasons, perhaps I hold these critical concerns because I love my country. I couldn't imagine moving abroad, giving up my citizenship, then coming back. I would feel as if I had no place in my homeland. Yes, I just called America my "homeland" because it is. I would actually feel a deep sense of sadness to lose that. I believe I would also feel a sense of insecurity. I never thought my citizenship here provided security but it does. It is inherent in my individual identity. I suppose it would take traveling or living abroad to discover that because I would define myself as an American, whereas here, you look for other ways to distinguish yourself individually. After thinking about it a lot, I was surprised to discover that I would also feel very disloyal. It's not like denouncing your citizenship is selling secrets to the enemy or anything. Yet I still got this almost traitorous feeling at the thought of denunciation. Am I that indoctrinated? I don't think so, which is how I know my feelings are sincere.

So while I might not buy into the mass produced, media-based, reconstructed version of patriotism, I would still like to say, in the words of country music (which I detest):

I'm proud to be an American.


*Since I'm trying to cite my picture sources without all the ugly links, I figured out a way to make the picture itself a link, which will take you to the website I took it from. Or you can just Google it...