When I was a little girl, I used to be inspired by nationalism, largely because I liked to sing, and I learned the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.” Actually, my family had traveled by car over great distances, and I had actually seen the different landscapes mentioned in the first verse of “America the Beautiful.” Being from Texas, I learned and still know the first verse of the state song, “Texas, Our Texas,” and for a time, I knew the pledge to the Texas flag as well–yes, there is a pledge there, too, in addition to the Pledge of Allegiance. All of these things meant a great deal to me because of how I had been indoctrinated to believe that all of these concepts were “good” and “right.”
Having gotten older and actually understood much of my country, I cannot feel the same way about patriotism. Leaders of the United States have used such ideas as “nation” and “country” to only recognize those who mirror the United States, attacking everyone else. There are certain ideas about who is a citizen, regardless of country of origin, and attacking everyone else who does not look like a “citizen.” Aggressive flag-wavers and vigilantes were part of life long before the presidency became a joke, so in that sense, nothing will be changing. It is ironic that the initials of our nickname spell “US,” since we seem to constantly be looking for a “them” to attack, harass, and exploit.
El Grito is a different experience than any of the July 4th events I attended, which makes sense because it is in a different country. The military posturing is the same, but that is to be expected during a celebration of independence because imperialists only respond to violence. However, the main difference is that after the grito, the patriotic messaging stops. People are not constantly waving Mexican flags around because they are busy living their lives. No one is attacking people who fail to wear red, white, and green, and while the country is not without problems, nationalism is not a constant pastime. Apparently, people exist beyond their national identities in Mexico, unlike too much of the United States.
If one is not from a country that maintained a great empire, nationalism is somewhat different. I still believe in the uselessness of borders, but in a nation whose resources are completely exploited, I understand them. When I witness pride in institutions, I do not agree with them, but I understand that a nation is held together by certain principles, and after imperialism, it is difficult to know how to unite people. The nationalism of Mexico is evolving, not just because of its proximity to the United States, but because the concept of what makes a nation is also changing. As such, recognizing the autonomy of such nations and respecting said borders is more about being able to hear a “no” than it is about attacking other nations.
Chasing A Dying Empire 