Explaining Patriotism

Explaining Patriotism

By,

Jennifer E. Miller

For the past two weeks, we've had an exchange student, Miko (not her real name) staying with us. She if from Japan, and it's interesting to learn about another culture. What's especially fun is answering her questions about America because it allows me to get a glimpse of what foreigners notice here. 

One of the things Miko pointed out was the amount of American flags she saw. They can be found hanging off houses, towering in front of businesses, even flapping atop vehicles. She asked why we do this because, in Japan, only schools and government/military buildings wave the Japanese flag. Miko was confused when I answered,  "It's because we are patriotic." Then, I tried explaining patriotism. It's harder than you may think. Flag bearing is, evidently, not a universal way to show love towards your country. 

Our student thought flags are for military purposes. That is true, but I described how non-military citizens are proud to be Americans. The American flag is not just for government purposes, it's for everybody because we are a country founded by the people, for the people. We proudly display our country's flag to honor our heritage and show our citizen unity.

The concept of showing the flag would, seemingly, make perfect sense to most Americans. Culturally speaking, it's difficult to translate. It also made me think about appreciating being an American. In countries where it is not widely accepted to display a flag at your home, does it mean that country has more control over its citizens instead of the other way around? As American citizens we do have a lot of control. We vote on many topics and elect many different kinds of positions. As voters we work for our government, in a sense. Our government doesn't just control us. The USA is truly a free country with minimal boundaries. 

Hanging the flag outside my own home shows I am patriotic. It means I'm proud to instill the values that make this homeland the greatest on Earth. Proud to be an American. 

Miko's question also sparked my curiosity regarding what other US citizens think patriotism means. How would you answer her question? I'm interested to know.