Celebrating this day is a complicated thing. Today you may find floating through social media statements that this country was not built on freedom. I think of those who were brought here, enslaved. I think of those whose lands were taken away. There are those who are grappling with being a non-consensual American. There are those who shout, “What democracy?!” There are those who remind us that prior to this Independence Day, women’s reproductive freedoms were taken from them.

Everyone who is struggling with this holiday has their reason, their stories, their hurt. The difficulty for this holiday for me comes from finding maggots and mud smeared all over the Time Magazine July 2, 2018 issue that I would find the day before Independence Day in my mailbox. My mailman let me know what he thought of immigrants. It was a reminder of the America I was living in. I was heartbroken and scared that fourth of July. 

This holiday is also complicated as a Filipina-American. On this day in 1946, the Philippine flag was raised while the American flag was lowered, signifying that the Philippines had  gained its independence from The United States. America won the Philippines as a territory after the Spanish-American war and its colonization of the Philippines would last 48 years. However the Philippines Independence day is not this day. The holiday is June 12 and it celebrates its independence from Spain. So this day is Republic Day, or Philippines-American friendship day. This is the day we gained independence, but then formed an alliance with our former colonizer. Acknowledging this day as a day of friendship erases the pains of American colonization. Yet, I rely on this alliance to stay connected to my family in the Philippines and I rely on it to keep other world powers from my birth country. 

Today is complicated.

And as I watch fireworks with my kids and enjoy a very American meal of steak, potato chips, baked beans, and rootbeer floats I will have Langston Hughes’ words in my heart,

“America never was America to me,

And yet I swear this oath—

America will be!”

However you acknowledge today, I am with you. 

Articles used as reference in this post:

July 4, 1946: The Philippines Gained Independence from the United States

Vintage Photos from the First Republic Day Celebration

If you’re interested in participating in ethical spending during this holiday, I love this video by @your.richbff

Some comedic relief on celebrating today by @tryguys

Also my feels, my patriotic American feels best expressed by Cory Booker