An American Abroad: Celebrating July 4th in Germany
By Jade Martinez-Pogue
It was the 4th of July in Berlin and as I walked through the streets in a white and red pin-striped skirt, American flag shirt, red headband, and blue scrunchie, I stuck out like a sore thumb.
As I happily strutted through the town in my America apparel, listening to a ‘USA ‘62’ playlist made especially for Independence Day, I noticed stares from passersby which prompted me to reflect on my experience these past weeks as an American in Germany.
In one of our first nights here, a group of about eight of my UC Santa Barbara peers, including myself, unconsciously played into the ‘loud American’ stereotype as we wandered the streets trying to find a karaoke bar. We were taken back as we passed a restaurant full of middle-aged adults smoking cigarettes and drinking wine who synchronously ‘shushed’ us for laughing and talking.
I know that Americans are seen as loud, but I had never thought of laughing and talking as a problem to others. It became evident that the culture in Germany is much more reserved and formal than the wild and blaring atmosphere that we are used to back home in Isla Vista.
But these cultural differences are trivial in light of the longstanding relationship between the two power-house nations that began after World War II. That warmth was evident when the Initiative Berlin-U.S.A. (IBUSA) and a local precinct of the Democrats Abroad invited our reporting group to a 4th of July celebration at the Allied Museum, in the former U.S. sector of Berlin.
There, we were joined by fellow Americans who had moved to Berlin — be it four years ago or four decades ago — as well as local Germans. Whether German or American, almost every one of the approximately two dozen guests at the event was wearing American flag gear and drinking beer or wine in true American spirit.
It was a jovial affair. Germans and Americans both young and old were all able to get together to celebrate the country’s independence in front of an airplane that was used by the Allied military forces during the Berlin Airlift of 1948–49, which saw nearly 280,000 flights deliver food and supplies to a West Berlin that was under siege, surrounded by the Soviet Union. Thirty-one Americans lost their lives during the 14-month operation.There are several reminders around town of the Berlin Airlift, a historic act of solidarity that, like other post-war U.S. policies, endeared the United States to Germans.
Here we were, Americans and Germans co-mingling in front of a symbol of German-American friendship dating back to 70 years. The gather itself was a testament to the relationship between the countries.
Those we met who had moved from the United States to Germany decades ago were still extremely interested in the political climate of America today and anxious to hear about the political engagement of college students, even asking about registration numbers for young voters.
One guest expressed a frustration bordering on criticism of young Americans for not doing enough to create political change. As a student at the university with the highest voter registration percentage in the University of California system, it was disheartening to hear.
This was a Democrats Abroad event, so it didn’t surprise me that these Americans took issue with our current president and his policies. But I was surprised at their fervor, and the almost desperate insistence that we college students are the ones who must change the political climate back at home.
Nevertheless, this event provided a space of comfort and warmth that made me feel at home while celebrating America’s independence outside of California. There was something familiar in this cultural gathering of Germans and Americans. It was a nice counterbalance to being ‘shushed’ in the street, and a fitting celebration of what America stands for.
UC Santa Barbara journalism students are reporting from Berlin for feature articles which will be published here later in July. Meanwhile, they are blogging from the city about their travel and journalism experiences.
