Indiana Jones, Foie Gras, and Confronting Forced Patriotism.
I didn’t know what allegiance was, but I pledged it in the first grade.
“What is it like?”
Standing along the parade route, I looked up at my sister’s slightly older, significantly taller German exchange student. Welcomed into our home through my sister’s high school language program, he spent most days attending school or taking in the most stereotypical Americanisms my dad could throw his way. A football game he couldn’t follow. The massive sprawl of grocery store shopping. Heck, the first meal my dad insisted on offering was grilled cheese and tomato soup (complete with sandwich dipping instructions).
The end of the exchange student’s stay came quickly, but so does the end of every stay. To cap everything off, he wanted to take in a Memorial Day parade.
Waiting for the rest of my family to arrive for the final portion of the parade, I considered his question.
“What is what like?”
The German exchange student waited for a high school marching band to move past.
“Having pride in your country?”
Pride in my country.
Pride in the United States. A question I’d never considered. At least not at the…
