Happy Fourth of July.
As an anthropologist, I feel a bit tired of the one-dimensional “America-hatred” that ignores the human heartbeat of this place. On a day like today, when the global lens is fixed on fireworks and caricatures, it feels necessary to step back. Because whether we admit it or not, we are all participating in this experiment.
I’ve been living in NYC for 10+ years now. And let’s face it: New York is not America. Just look at our streets, our pace, our local politics. This country is a massive, sprawling continent of distinct cultural ecosystems. You simply cannot look at NYC and think you understand the Midwest, the South, or the coastlines.
For over a decade, sitting in European rooms, I’ve listened to endless, highly sophisticated global criticism of American life. But while the world loves to intellectualize its critique of the American machine, it simultaneously consumes its media, relies on its tech infrastructure, and adopts its algorithmic rhythm.
Whether you like it or not, we are all living in a world shaped by the American footprint.
Yes, the systemic flaws here are massive and visible. Everyone knows them. But underneath the macro-political critiques are the actual people. I have found American people to be some of the most fiercely hardworking, resilient, and genuinely warm individuals you will ever encounter. They deserve nuance, not caricatures.
