Mission Local reporters fanned out across San Francisco to ask that question on this country’s semiquincentennial. Here’s what we heard.
“I would say it (America) is in turmoil. We are the richest third-world country out there.”
Eric Rose, 55, Tenderloin resident.
“250 … it’s more of a symbolic milestone. The America of 50 years ago is very different from the America of today.”
Kian Khazaei
Jonah Erickson, 21,
“We’re slowly losing a lot of freedom over the last 250 years. It’s been embarrassing. If everyone were more present for a greater sense of community — less social media — that would be very helpful.”
Favi Nogales
“Realistically, it’s more about the fireworks . I know the meaning behind the 4th of July, but we also have to acknowledge that this is stolen land. It’s another year in a country where nothing is going to change.”
“Its a special day for the United States and for Latinos that live here, because it’s given us so much that our home countries can’t give us.”
Lorena, who works at La Mejor Bakery
Daphne Hamilton, 27at a Tenderloin Park with her two young daughters
“It’s very hard to speak on these subjects nowadays. This is a place where people can experience and grow.”
Kenny Yanagisawa
“250 years, to me, means a great track record for a constitution made in the 18th century.”
Michael Mehr, 72
America is “a country with a lot of potential, but we have had better days. We need to continue to build on our strengths, not be brought down by our partisan politics.”
“It’s where I was born and raised. I have a lot of pride in it.”
Vera Preece, 50, registered nurse
Michael Edwards, 63, clean and sober for 20 years
“Politically, I can’t stand what is going on with the president.” The city, however has “done a great job here” in the Tenderloin. “It is much better.”
Michaela Royer, a lifeguard and a communications studies graduate from San Francisco State University
“We need more leaders like that (Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York) who are getting things done.” There are a lot of things “that aren’t so great that we can’t seem to really fix.”
Paige and Megana
“Continual colonization,” Paige.
“It means a lot of work still to be done,” Megana.
“It is a strong country and the culture is very, very good.”
Lisa Xu
Kristen Frick, grid innovator
“As long as you have a little bit of luck, drive, and interest, a lot of things are open to you.”
“I am grateful for the privileges I have here, but it’s not much of a free country.”
Miley Nelsenador, restaurant server
Ivan Rojas, 66
“I came out of Chile when there was a military dictatorship, and now we are going through almost the same thing in this country. We’re all hoping, hoping for the best, I love California with all my heart.”
“The fourth means celebrating America, with friends and family and really good food.”
Antonio Candelario
“We just appreciate where we’re at and just hope things get better and then don’t get worse.
Elliot Johnson
“I feel proud. I’m so happy that I am an American, I’m part of the tradition. A lot of people could focus on the negative portion of America, but my mindset is that we’re still a shining example, and I’m gonna do every portion in my body to just keep it shining.”
Michael Yannacone, a Mission native.
“It’s nice to see people getting out in their community and talking to each other. … That’s what I want to see from America, despite everything that’s happening and what our government is doing.”
Maddy Sage
“I‘m just hoping for peace today. I’ve been waiting to hear what our president is going to say. I hope it’s not something that people don’t want to remember. ... Let everyone enjoy this day.“
Gloria Wardell- Hampton
If Mission Local had asked me this question, my first word would have been, embarrassed. That said, at the end of all me emails, the receiving person gets: “The only thing I love more than justice is the freedom to fight for it.” America 250 is not just another day, its another day to fight for justice and I am having fun doing so. And though I am still embarrassed, I have not forgotten for one minute who butters my bread. Thank you, America.
Seems like much of the comments from grown-ups are sensible and maybe even cautiously upbeat. Whereas the kids are all cluelessly ungrateful. I hope the absurd and pointless pablum that springs forth from their cynically indocrinated minds doesn’t make them miserable or distructive to themselves (and the rest of us).
If you think young people are ‘cluelessly ungrateful’ then you really have your head in the sand. I have two teenagers and I really feel for them, seeing them learning about our nation’s history and what’s happening now. I am dreading seeing them grow up in a future of mind-blowing income inequality to the extent that I know I need to set aside emergency funds for them in case our country is in a second Great Depression by the time they’re graduating from college. My only hope is that the tide slowly turns on letting man-children with zero empathy run the country and that we all collectively do something about the current culture of letting the most cluelessly ungrateful, selfish, boorish, sexist, racist people to ever walk the earth hold all the cards.
Maybe it’s just that the kids are wise to the fact that wherever we’re born is just luck of the draw. Pride is a weird thing to feel when social media makes us acutely aware of what others around the world don’t have. Or how others’ governments’ leadership behaves.