On Finding American Identity and Purpose in Unlikely Places
Happy 4th of July weekend to my readers in the US! To my British readers, my condolences (both for the events of 1776 and for yesterday’s election, if its outcome wasn’t to your liking). I know I’m a day late for a 4th of July post, but yesterday was filled with family activities. I imagine it took a few days for the news of the Declaration to spread in 1776, so there’s probably historical precedent for extending observances past the 4th itself.
In honor of Independence Day, I’m sharing a piece I wrote for American Purpose last year. You might wonder why I’m sharing an essay titled “Competing for Ukraine” with a picture of me in a traditional Ukrainian headdress for this very American holiday. You’ll have to read the piece to fully understand why I think it’s fitting, but here’s a taste:
As I spent more time in Ukraine, I realized that representing Ukraine did not mean I had stopped representing the United States; everything I said or did reflected on my home country, and so I had a responsibility to show Ukrainians the best of America. I found myself acting as an unofficial cultural ambassador. I went out of my way to speak Russian (the preferred language of most Ukrainians at that time), but my peers were eager to practice their English with me. Many of them had never met an American before, and they relished the opportunity to interact with one. I began to develop a sense of Ukrainian identity; at the same time, my understanding of American identity matured. I was able to see the United States as one piece of the puzzle that makes up our globe—an important piece, with the responsibilities that come with global leadership, but nonetheless part of a larger whole.
My experience as a Ukrainian athlete has probably had the most profound impact on my sense of American identity and purpose, but this reflects a larger reality: that my encounters with other cultures and places have always helped me to love my country more deeply. When I was a teenager, many of my peers were becoming very disaffected with our country - not just dissatsifed with our President or our foreign policy, but fundamentally ashamed to be American. I remember feeling confused and anxious - was I supposed to share these feelings? It was only when I began to travel internationally that I was overwhelmed by a deep love of country and a crystal clear realization that, for all its flaws, this was my home, and I was proud of it. As much as I loved traveling, being away from home helped me discover how much home meant to me.
This didn’t prevent me from encountering other cultures with an open heart; in fact, it helped me to encounter them from a place of confidence and respect. My most treasured memory of the 4th of July remains the year I spent it in Russia. Upon hearing that I was homesick and missing our American Independence Day celebrations, a Russian family I had recently met invited me to join them for sausages (the closest thing they could find to hot dogs) for an improvised 4th of July cookout. It wasn’t because they had any particular love of America - they believed most of what their government was telling them - but they were kind people who wanted to make me feel at home. My love of country became a way to connect with those who loved their own.
A friend, not understanding my interest in international affairs, once asked me: “I don’t understand why you care about these other countries; don’t you love America?” (Yes, this is pretty typical of a certain type of American conservative.)
Yes, of course I love America, but I don’t think that excludes interest in, or even a certain kind of love of other countries. So, without further ado, here’s my American Purpose essay: a tribute both to America and to another country that knows all too well what it means to fight for independence.
https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/competing-for-ukraine/