Expat Thoughts: American Independence Day

Today is July 4th, the day Americans celebrate their independence from Britain way back in 1776.  But what does this really mean for me? I’m not American and my country has not yet achieved their independence from Britain. However, this doesn’t mean that I cannot take something from this national day of celebration for my American friends, and use it to enrich my life somewhat. That is what travel is all about. And besides I like a party so I’ll always jump on that bandwagon.

I’ve been living in the States for 4 years total now and Independence Day really hasn’t  meant that much to me. My first year I watched fireworks from the Atlantic Brave Baseball stadium, standing up for the 7th inning stretch,  with a beer in one hand, a hot dog (pre-vegetarian days) in the other, and a free baseball cap on my head. We felt had experienced ‘America’. Every other July 4 has faded from memory and I still had not much of any idea of what it really meant.

That was until we went to Williamsburg just recently and I saw, in reenactment, scenes from the time when Independence was declared- the events leading up to it and after. The scenes brought to life the stories in the history books that I had fleetingly taught my students. Before this time, my only thoughts on it were a tinge of jealousy that Americans had the balls to stand up to Britain and become their own nation, wishing my own country would do the same. But then after I watched, and learned and thought maybe its not all bad.

(note: I hope I don’t make any people mad by my thoughts. Please read it with an open mind. This is me just understanding things and not bearing any malice. I love America and its people. I chose to live here for 4 years, it is and always will be my second home. )

On July 4 1776,   the colonists joined together to proclaim their independence from Britain. They were no longer willing to stand for Britain’s tyranny, and knew they had the ability to create a nation founded on their own beliefs; bringing forth a sense of freedom with it. The people fought hard for their independence, and through this belief in their own greatness, as well as determination and perseverance, they won. They were determined to keep themselves separated from the ‘Mother Land.”  They didn’t want anything to do with Britain or the outside world and so by thoughts and actions it became ‘us’ separate from ‘them.’

This was a revelation for me. It made me finally understand why Americans are so intent on not joining the rest of the world. Something I struggle with living here, is a sense of being cut off from the rest of the world. I miss the world when I am here. I never hear much about what is going on ‘out there.’  There is such a sense of us verse them.  The students I teach don’t know much of the greater world except the exposure of World series baseball of American football World Champions. When Brandon Donovan recently scored a World Cup soccer goal to advance the US team through to the next round, one paper’s headline the next day read ‘Donovan saves the World!”  World’s best travel blogs are rated based in part using a tool that only measures US traffic. And then there are the statements I always hear,  that America is the only free country in the world.

Things like this used to always make me mad. Why does the US not want to participate in the World with the rest of us? Why do they always refer to the US as the World? and why do they think that they are the only free country with the best systems? But now I understand and I’m not so mad anymore. Travel is so great like that, as it allows you to explore the why of things and with that comes a little more understanding and a lot less judgement. America had to become separate in order to win their Independence. They wanted to become the New World and yes they were an example of being free back then. The New World became great and it flourished and that is something to be proud of, but did the separation come at a price for this new New World- a global world?

What does this mean for me now and my own country? I admire America for making the break, and I still hope that for my own country one day. I think we are strong enough to stand on our own two feet. But now my thought is, did remaining connected to Britain somehow keep me connected to the world? And if it did, then for that I am grateful to still be part of the Commonwealth.

I love the world, and I love growing up feeling a part of it.  I love that I experienced English, and American TV shows growing up, and that I know the differences between the accents of all English speaking people. I love that I grew up knowing a lot about India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies through playing them in World Cup cricket. I love that Rugby has brought me to European countries and allowed me to celebrate wins and losses with France, South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina. I love watching the Commonwealth Games and seeing our flag flying amongst all the other countries and learning something new about another place in the World each time. I remember when there was talk of separating our selves from Britain my first thought was “Oh, that means we wouldn’t be in the Commonwealth Games anymore,” highlighting that sense of loss for me in separating ourselves from the greater world. I loved that when I saw other flags that had the Union Jack on it, I got excited, not because it represented Britain, but because it was somehow connected to me. I think growing up part of the Commonwealth allowed me to see more of what we all have in common. A felt part of a greater whole. Does that mean Americans missed out on this growing up? Not necessarily but I think maybe it made it more difficult to find it.

So what can I take from all of this. The hope that my country can follow America’s past and be strong enough to claim our independence, and have the belief in the great nation that we are. I love that America is patriotic. It’s important to love and value your own nation. But I hope that in claiming our independence we don’t separate ourselves from the world, realizing that it is indeed no longer necessary like it was all those years ago.

So today, I am going out to celebrate independence, freedom and also unity- the New World.