American Patriotism: Nationalism Masquerading as Love of Country ( By Clara Carter-Klauschie)

In recent years, the concepts of patriotism and nationalism have gone through a process of merging. Throughout history there has been a strong positivity surrounding American patriotism, as it was simply equated with a strong love of one’s country. Although technically the definition has not changed, the highlighted groups of people who identify as “patriots” have, profoundly changing the connotation of being patriotic in America. One idea of patriotism is now characterized by supporting Trump and modern Republicanism, tenets completely separate from the word's pure and original definition. Within America, many people who identify themselves as “patriots” are strongly rooted in the idea of American exceptionalism and superiority over other countries, often refusing to acknowledge the wide array of inequalities in the US that contribute to this country's innate imperfection. These modern “patriots” manifest the idea of nationalism, or avid support of one's country to the detriment of another, with their words, actions, and the ideas they promote.

In contrast, for some, being an American has become shrouded in shame, as it connects a person to corrupt leaders and government systems, as well as political ideologies and country-dividing ideas that they do not believe in. American pride now has the potential to tie a person to a very egotistical, ignorant, and xenophobic way of thinking and operating. Progressive liberals living in the US may find it difficult to confront the impossibility of separating themselves from this form of American patriotism.

It remains important to bear in mind that America has always been a country riddled with issues, struggling to maintain a utopian image. The US will most likely forever be a country with vast political divides, evoking the tendency in many people to frequently voice their allegiance with a specific group, as well as their strong hatred for another. With the consistent division of the political landscape of the US, the idea of being an American is forever evolving. One of the most stark divides brought to mind is the Civil War, an issue that quite literally split the country into two separate groups: the North and the South. Modern Patriotism seems to polarize the US in a similar fashion.

The hard truth is that nationalistic patriotism is ingrained in the American identity. One prominent stereotypical image of a “patriotic” American is a pro-gun, anti-immigration, anti-abortion, racist, xenophobic, anti-semitic, sexist, and queerphobic old white man. Unfortunately, for some, the idea of love of one’s country is so inextricably tethered to these specific conservative-leaning values, which ironically signify a hatred or fear of some people or groups within their beloved country.

Even one’s interpretation of patriotism itself has become a litmus test. For certain individuals, the word is a perfect descriptor of their identity as an American, and for others it is at odds with their core values. While many self-described “patriots” may argue that their patriotism has maintained its roots in love and pride for their country, there is a clear argument to be made against this claim. Many who strongly identify with this descriptor solely advocate for the interests of heterosexual, cisgender, christian, white men in America. The determination that certain “patriots” have to enforce a view of American perfection can be to the detriment of individuals within their own country and therefore their country itself.

This attitude was on perfect display when the Capitol was attacked on January 6th of 2021. The Capitol riots saw self-proclaimed American “patriots” violently sieging a government building. They waved confederate flags, blue lives matter flags, American flags, Trump-2020 signs, and countless other white supremacist symbols of hatred. The blue lives matter flag rose to prominence at the height of the Black lives matter movement, serving as a means of denying the very existence of racism and police brutality itself. In addition to the transparently racist ideology behind this flag, its prevalence at the capitol demonstrates the capitol rioters' hypocrisy, as they attacked capitol police whom they claimed to support. The symbols and actions of these American “patriots,” demonstrated an open embrace of their racism and in reality, hate for their country.

Nationalism, and this particular ideation of patriotism, find themselves rooted in fear of “the other” and fear of losing power. Those who subscribe to these notions are set in “traditional” American values, and determined to keep the social and political landscape of the US stagnant. They may simply be stuck on what they believe to be America’s founding ideals, and set in the idea that change is innately wrong. Therefore, in their estimation, the people who represent this change are un-American and to be feared. In response to change in status quo and perceived loss of power, “patriots” make efforts to reverse progress and hold onto their views tightly. This closes off any possibility of open-mindedness, and contributes to even more stark polarization in America.

Efforts to maintain an America that favors those already in power start early. There is a fight to “protect” children from knowledge that would illuminate the flawed nature of what “patriots” view as an ideal America. The refusal to teach critical race theory, LGBTQIA2S+ acceptance and representation, equality of all genders, and American imperfection throughout history is a manifestation of this battle. The purpose of this struggle is to enforce systemic racism, heteronormativity and queerphobia, gender roles, and a generally skewed view of American history and politics from an early age. Even in the absence of direct discrimination, mandated teachings of American history still manage to echo and reenforce this need for inertia. This practice is designed to contribute to the idea of American perfection and a one-sided story of history, so as to maintain a specific distribution of power. This works to enforce an overarching idea of America being the immaculate country by which all others should be measured.

A false perception of a perfect America is not only defended in the classroom, but also in a more literal and violent sense. Fear of "the other" and loss of power drives the determination of some Americans to cling tightly to their guns. Ironically, the young minds that “patriots” guard from “radical ideas” like acceptance belong to the young people that are put in danger by the pro-gun policies they support and the violent behavior they let continue unchecked. Often, self-described “patriots” are among those that most strongly value the right to bear arms, and work towards as little restriction on guns as possible. This need for ultimate control and the right to such a powerful item is revealing of their own insecurity and fear.

Akin to this nationalistic desire for perceived protection against those who are dissimilar from oneself is the enforcement of strict immigration policies, backed by Trump and his band of Trumpian-Republicans. Extremely harmful and family-separating immigration policies are a large part of this ideation of patriotism, notably a recognized manifestation of nationalism. In America, a nation built by immigrants, the presence of such an exclusionary mindset seems contradictory. Aside from groups that are Indigenous to America, all Americans were originally immigrants. The ancestors of white men restricting immigration and separating immigrant families at the border were once immigrants themselves. Denying people of other nationalities entry into this country with fear that they will act in some way to the detriment of those who are already American citizens is an important point of contention of today. This hatred of other countries hurts immigrants and America itself directly. With so many restrictions on our borders, horrific immigration detention centers, and deportation laws, the American government clearly has an irrational fear of change.

Many American “patriots” paint immigrants as threats to the job market and national security, as they have a deep-seated trepidation of different cultures and ethnicities changing what they see as core American values. They use the idea of love of one’s country to discriminate against, and attempt to criminalize those who are different, holding the country back from progress. Modern “patriots’” attempts to prove their supposed superiority over other countries foster dislike of other countries and people who are culturally different. In other words, if America is the very best, then all other countries and their people must be in some way inferior. This of course includes the mindset that people from those countries must be living the wrong way because they live differently than Americans.

It is important to challenge this negative version of American patriotism that finds itself enmeshed with the concept of nationalism. It not only widens political divides within this country, but alienates those from other countries. Nationalistic patriotism is an American affliction. It may never be possible for all Americans to fully realize and acknowledge their country’s vast array of flaws, and the many ways in which change can work upon these issues. If violence and hate is so ingrained in the identity of modern “patriots,” might American patriotism be beyond reform? It is quite possible that this notion will forever linger, continuing to force political divides far beyond Republican and Democrat, radicalizing acceptance. The pathway towards a more self-aware America that acknowledges its past and present imperfections fully is unpaved and unclear. Perhaps we must seek to embrace the American identity as a constant struggle towards improvement to one day find contentment. In the meantime, the battle to realize an America truly worthy of love will rage on.