What would I do if China and the United States went to war? Critical Patriotism and Cultural Identity
by Linda Yu
What would I do if China and the United States went to war?
As a preschool-aged child, this question was a frequent dilemma in the back of my mind. Although I didn’t know what “citizen” or “resident” meant, I knew that the United States was my home. On the other hand, how could I even think about betraying my grandparents and aunts and uncles who lived in mainland China? Back then, I soothed my worries with the fact that I was only a preschooler; no one would ever ask a five-year-old to take sides in an international conflict.
But suddenly, I became old enough to have an opinion. And now, almost reflexively, I would support the United States. The conviction that this country is my country has only strengthened through the years. I know that there are some things I can never do, like evading taxes or spreading political lies, because I love my country. This is my home; to hurt it would be like hurting my own neighbors, my own community. I really do want the best for this nation and the people in it. I owe my personality, my beliefs, almost every aspect of my life to the fact that I live in this country. Had my parents stayed in China, my writing an article like this would have been illegal. The internet censors would have flagged and deleted my words. At least here, I am allowed to have a voice.
Yet, in some respects, I also hate the United States. I hate the overt capitalism that drives our elections. I hate the headlines every other week, counting the number of bodies that have been shot. I hate thinking about why we’ve done so little about it. I hate learning that yet another white police officer has murdered yet another black American. I hate that we’ve made it legal to pay disabled Americans less than the minimum wage. I hate that we toppled governments and stole and locked children away from their parents. I hate the fact that our government would let someone fire me, or deny me healthcare, for the simple act of not completely concealing my sexuality. I hate the way our society has perpetuated the idea that I am obsessed with achievement and smarter than anyone else. But really, I hate how systemic these issues are and how slow they are to change. When I think about these topics, I am disgusted by the United States. What a dystopia, I think. What a lie.
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/subminimumwage
https://www.hrc.org/blog/trump-pence-admin-allows-medical-providers-to-deny-care-to-lgbtq-people