On Sept. 17, 1776, when the founders signed the Constitution in Philadelphia, they established the city’s reputation as the birthplace of American democracy.
Long celebrated as Constitution Day, Sept. 17 is also Citizenship Day. This year, it arrives in the middle of legal battles about birthright citizenship, raising questions about belonging and identity in the United States.
Images of shackled immigrants today bring to mind Frederick Douglass’ famous question. “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” he asked in 1852, at an Independence Day celebration.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, Douglass’ words raise another question: “What, to America’s immigrants, is Citizenship Day?” Answer: A reminder that our place in this country has been, but will not always be, tenuous and fragile.
America is us, and we are America. No matter how intolerable our presence is to many, we are here to stay.
In 1952, President Harry S. Truman declared Citizenship Day, so that “every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should on Sept. 17 of each year give special thought and consideration to his rights and responsibilities under our Constitution.”
But what happens when some Americans are expected to have responsibilities and not rights?
During the naturalization ceremony, new Americans must pledge the Oath of Allegiance, agreeing to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
What are Americans to do when a presidential administration undermines the Constitution?
Protests, petitions, and poll booths are essential lines of defense. But another, ongoing strategy is to be students and teachers of American history, and of our ancestral history and culture.
Exert the right to examine and challenge what you read, share family stories or migration journeys, and celebrate traditions.
Creating a more authentic and holistic picture of America is in itself a liberation practice, a form of resistance.
What we, or our children and grandchildren, learned about history was likely deeply skewed. Take, for example, the Statue of Liberty, popularly touted as a beacon to immigrants. Its inscription — “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” — is by the poet Emma Lazarus.
In fact, the statue, conceived by the French abolitionist and historian Édouard René de Laboulaye, commemorates the centennial of America’s independence in 1876 and the abolition of slavery.
“History is written by the victors,” the French philosopher Voltaire famously said, or perhaps it was Winston Churchill, or someone else.
Seeking out multiple, diverse sources of information and knowledge is essential for good citizenship and foundational to being engaged architects of American democracy.
Our history goes beyond our borders. Understanding the U.S. role in Central America, for example, helps us appreciate how that region’s economic and political climates have been influenced by our presence, leading to the conditions that contribute to immigration.
If you’re a parent or caregiver, make space for these conversations at home to supplement what is being taught at school or covered in the media.
Extend this practice beyond your family by offering to speak to students or encouraging the young people in your life to contribute to classroom conversations in ways that further complicate or illustrate what is being taught.
Explore ways you can create a more vivid and accurate picture of your/your family’s history and culture that contributes to a truer, fuller American story.
Citizenship begins at home, from small acts to substantive discussions.
No matter the size of your family or sphere of influence, being an active member of our democracy is an everyday practice.