Many Lab students are first-generation Americans, and even more have close ties to family abroad. Most of my friends are first-generation, as am I: my parents moved to the United States from Romania, like so many others, in search of a better life after communism collapsed.
Countless people come to the United States in search of this promise. They bring their cultures, experiences and potential. Therefore, President Trump’s policy of “bringing back American identity” is a pointless errand, demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be American.
Being American is not just about what land you were born in or who your parents were. It is about adhering to and believing in freedom, entrepreneurship, creativity and most importantly, hope.
Equality of opportunity is America’s promise. People come here for many reasons, among them, protection from oppressive regimes, economic opportunities and education. One of the founding principles is of equal opportunity for all.
While a president should prioritize the interests of the country, it is in the United States’ worst interest to alienate nearly a quarter of its residents. President Trump’s ethno-nationalist view of American identity does just that.
In some countries, nationality can be defined by ancestry and culture going back hundreds or thousands of years. The same cannot be said for the United States. Because the United States does not really have a national monoculture, trying to apply a uniform culture makes little sense.
What makes America unique is that it was built from the start by people from all over the world, with different cultures and practices. This variety gives America its vitality — its enduring position in the world as a place where people with shared values can look beyond visible and cultural differences.
This may seem idealistic, and it is. The United States is far from perfect. Our country has often failed to live up to its stated ideals. But we have a framework for what we could work toward. President Trump’s ethno-nationalistic agenda risks tearing down what makes America remarkable. If this is allowed to happen, then the United States faces the prospect of becoming just like the oppressive places my parents, and many others, fled.
