As fireworks prepare to light up the night sky, as red, white, and blue flags flutter across the streets, and as people gather to celebrate the founding of the United States—we are here, too.
But at this moment, our hearts may not be entirely in the celebration.
As Chinese Americans, standing on the eve of Independence Day, we feel not only the excitement and pride of a national holiday, but also the weight of reality: a widening gap between ideals and lived experience, and a democratic narrative that often leaves us out.
🎆 What Does Independence Day Mean to Us?
Perhaps it means a rare day off. Perhaps it’s a school lesson our children bring home about “freedom” and “founding fathers.” But more often, it is a reminder: our place in this country remains uncertain—neither fully inside nor fully outside.
By “us,” we mean the Chinese American community in particular: immigrants, international students, U.S.-born youth, and elders who may never have mastered the language or culture around them.
🇺🇸 A Democracy at a Crossroads
American democracy is facing a deep crisis.
The Supreme Court’s independence is under question. Voting rules are manipulated by partisan agendas. Hate speech spreads under the guise of free speech. We are witnessing a system that is slowly losing its moral center.
But in this critical moment, where is our voice?
Too often, our community avoids politics. We believe democracy doesn’t concern us. We fear conflict, or feel powerless to make change.
Yet when we choose silence in the moments that matter most, the future of this country may no longer include us.
💰 The Weight of Inflation on Daily Life
Gas prices soar, rent climbs, and the cost of everyday essentials keeps rising.
For many working-class Chinese American families, inflation is not a theoretical concern—it’s a daily burden.
We see it most clearly among those who earn tips, run small businesses, care for children alone, or survive on fixed incomes after retirement. They feel the pressure first, yet are often the last to receive attention from policy or media.
🧩 The Minority Experience—Unspoken Wounds
In the wake of anti-Asian hate, many of our elders have chosen to stay home, speak less, avoid trouble.
Our children, meanwhile, learn to hide their language and culture to avoid bullying and exclusion at school.
This is a deep, collective trauma: we work hard to fit in, to live up to the “model minority” label, yet still cannot fully access safety and dignity.
🔇 The Absence of Participation is Costing Us
We don’t vote. We don’t speak up. We distrust the system.
We focus on getting through each day, but forget: when we stop participating, the future gets shaped without us.
Our absence isn’t just political. It’s erasing our place in this nation’s public life.
🌟 Independence Day as a Call to Reflect
This July 4th, we may still gather with family, raise a glass, and smile beneath the fireworks. But let us also take a quiet moment to reflect:
– What kind of presence do we want to have in this country’s future?
– In this time of uncertainty, can we find our way back into the civic space?
– As democracy teeters, are we willing to lend a hand to hold it up?
Independence Day does not only belong to those who already have a voice—it also belongs to those of us still searching for ours.
May this holiday not only dazzle with fireworks, but also light a quiet path forward.
Because even the smallest acts of participation can be a form of hope.
By One Voice
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