I adore my country. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been born in the United States. I cherish the advantages that come with my American citizenship and am thankful for the freedoms protected by our Constitution. However, I don’t think being born here makes me superior. I don’t believe that America holds a monopoly on safety, security, or prosperity compared to other nations. Isolating ourselves and becoming increasingly insular won’t make us any safer or “greater.” And let’s be real—when we say “America first,” I’m not convinced we’re teaching anything good to our kids.
A common retort to this notion is, “But don’t you always put your family first?” While that sounds reasonable, there are a couple of issues. First, prioritizing family is a biological instinct, not the same as nationalistic feelings. Second, I don’t always think family should come first. When my family is better off than others, I’d choose to help those in greater need.
Think about the scene in Little Women when the March sisters decide to take their Christmas feast to a family in need, even though they themselves aren’t wealthy. That’s the kind of selflessness I want to teach my children. I want them to be generous and to help those who need it—not just those who share our nationality.
If we equate “America first” with “My family first,” we’re just a hop, skip, and a jump away from “Me first.” And “Me first” is a mindset I don’t want my kids to adopt. “America first” creates an “us vs. them” mentality based on superficial loyalties. The idea that people born within certain borders matter more than those born outside them is baffling.
I was raised to view myself as a global citizen. I see all of humanity as one family. Healthy patriotism is commendable, but unchecked nationalism is dangerous. That’s how I plan to raise my kids.
If America were truly struggling, I might feel differently about the “America first” mantra. If your family were starving, it would make sense to focus on survival. But let’s get real—America is the ninth richest country in the world, boasting the strongest military and spending more on defense than the next seven nations combined. Our crime rates have dropped significantly since the ‘90s. Sure, the national debt is a concern, but we’re not broke. We have the resources to thrive but lack the collective will to tackle our challenges effectively.
And then someone pipes in with, “What about our homeless veterans?” Well, let’s not forget that we’ve made significant progress there. Did you know that between 2009 and 2014, veteran homelessness decreased by over 67%? In fact, New Orleans became the first major city to declare it had ended veteran homelessness. The narrative that these issues are completely out of control is just not true.
Basically, we’re living in a lovely house with a few leaks and some broken windows that we’re fixing. So when a family shows up at our door during a blizzard, are we really going to turn them away because “we need to fix our own house first”? Are we seriously saying we can’t spare a meal for a starving stranger because “they’re not our problem” or “they can get help somewhere else”?
We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected and interdependent. No country can thrive alone, including the U.S. Isolationism and focusing solely on our own interests will backfire, alienating allies and fueling our enemies while hurting our economy.
Most importantly, the “America first” ideology teaches our children that our country’s strength as a diverse, welcoming nation is a liability. It conveys the message that some lives matter more than others simply based on geography. It suggests that being born into privilege entitles them to more security and prosperity than kids born elsewhere.
That’s not the lesson I want to impart to my kids. I’ll raise them to be citizens of the world, prioritizing humanity over nationality, and using their privilege as Americans to improve the world for everyone.
In a world where every child deserves the same opportunities, let’s choose compassion over division.
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