A "Love" Letter to the U.S.


Mari Soberal, York University

This paper presentation attempts to understand and share the complications of citizenship and belonging while straddling national borders. To have citizenship is to belong, but belonging in the age of political extremism is far more complicated (Bellamy, 2008) (Clarkson, 2014). In Marcela Mendoza's article "Belonging and Citizenship in Uncertain Times" they describe the strength of commitment and loyalty to the United States values and history. This commitment is both historical and present. Therefore, being part of a nation-state requires the people to trust/believe in The nation's history and traditions; if citizens fail to pass down public institutions to their descendants, they can be blamed for harming the nation's interests. While there is no shortage of legal, sociological, and historical resources on what it means to be a U.S. citizen, there is less information on what it means when you no longer trust in a nation's history and traditions. Using autoethnographical reflections, this essay attempts to find the roots of the popular concept of the American dream as a recurring symbol of dangerous nationalism and misguidance of American identity in the United States today. The American Dream is a concept that has been a central element of the United States cultural and societal identity and represents a significant amount of belonging in a common understanding of being American. Although the concept of the American dream varies between individuals, most believe that the American dream represents the belief that every individual, regardless of their background, social class, or status has the opportunity to achieve success and prosperity in the United States. But this "bootstrapper" understanding of American history and success is not without contention within the United States and global context. Some scholars maintain that the American Dream is an achievable reality for all to embark on, while others contend that social and economic inequalities and stark inequities make it difficult, if not impossible, for everyone to access such opportunities and bring their American dream to fruition (Cullen, 2003). The actual reaLization of the American dream can vary widely among individuals, which reflects the stark disparity between different cultural and economic situations between individuals in the United States. Despite the paradox of uncertainty and promise of this dream, it remains an important fixture in American life. This essay will not argue to remove this fixture but questions the strength of a dream. The idealism of this dream and the juxtaposition of political extremism and violence in the United States paints a very bleak picture of times to come, but a very important time to understand how history is made. As far-right extremism grows globally and domestically (Jones, 2018), (Worth, 2019); it has become increasingly important to understand and be accountable to understanding national histories and their role in continuing colonial narratives. While right-wing ideology and groups are not new in the US and more globally, the growth in immigration, change and migration within the European Union, and the mainstreaming of far-right ideas from popular politicians have emboldened and normalized far-right and extremist groups. Despite these horrifying realities, the strength of the dream remains constant in the American psyche.

This paper will be presented at the following session: