An expatriate of hope

Even though I've lived in foreign countries before, I've never realized how much being an American means to me as I have while living in Canada. I believe this is because I've never before been seriously presented with the idea of giving up my nationality for a completely different one. I decided long ago, before ever dreaming of moving to Canada, that this is something I would never ever do. Being an American is an important part of my identity, part of the essence of my entire being, and calling myself a German, Austrian, Canadian, etc. would, to me, be just like calling myself male instead of female.

This post is not meant to be an ethnocentric pro-American essay; it is rather a testimony of how proud I am to be a representative of the country in which I was born. Sure, I tend to criticize many aspects of American government and society on a regular basis, but this does not mean I hate my country or the people whom have been elected to lead it. This regular questioning and criticism does not come from a place of disdain, but a place of caring for all Americans and a place of love for the ideals for which our country represents (or tries to).

The world watches us like a hawk. The Canadian media is flooded with American news, film, television and music. The German and Austrian media is quite similar, however slightly more removed. These countries tend to pay more attention to our country than they do their own. I've discovered that some Canadians don't even know the name of their own Prime Minister, and yet they not only know the name of our President, but they know enough about him in order to generate educated opinions of him and the way he runs our country. This does not mean that Canadians are dumb, ignorant or do not care about their country; it means that the US has such a great influence over the world that non-Americans intertwine American society, culture and government with their own in a tremendous way.

Not only are we being closely watched by the world, but we are looked up to by many as a symbol of hope and leadership. If the US fails the world in representing these characteristics, it generates feelings of fear which sometimes lead to feelings of hate. Some Americans might perceive these feelings of hate as envy, but I really don't think that is usually the case. When I was in Austria in 2004, I saw an issue of profil (which is the Austrian equivalent of der Spiegel) with the headline "Die wichtigste Wahl" (The Most Important Election) and a ginormous picture of President Bush and Senator John Kerry on the cover. For Europeans (Austrians, at least) to view our election as the "most important" election in the world, that really says something. I don't think some Americans realize the extent to which the decisions that are made by the US government or the impressions of American culture that the media portrays affect the entire world. So when other countries disagree with our foreign policy decisions or whatever else, we tend to get an attitude of "If you're not with us, you're against us." These countries are with us and part of us whether we or they like it or not, so when we fail to listen to their opinions, and we give them names like "Old Europe," we are diminishing our integrity as a democracy, a virtue for which I think Americans are most proud.

The United States has done so much to help the world as well as done so much to hurt the world, even at times with the best of intentions. The fact that we have such a great impact, both positive and negative, means we must continue to carry that responsibility in the best way we know how. Our government leaders are not the only ones who are responsible for this, but all Americans, especially expatriates who might be the only exposure one might have to an American that does not involve a TV.

I love my country so much that I would be willing to give up the rights that Canadian citizenship would give me if it meant keeping my identity as an American. Luckily, it doesn't look like I'll have to. Dual citizenship is legal in both the US and Canada, so I'll probably go that route, even though it entails pledging allegiance to the Queen, which will be pretty weird. I have nothing against the Queen, but I really do not identify with her as I do my country of origin. I just hope, as an American discovering Canada, that I represent my country to the best of my ability by personifying the ideals for which we stand and thereby giving whomever I meet a sense of hope.