Interview with izzy and electa

America means home, opportunity, and a sense of belonging. American identity is diverse and lacks a unified cultural or political identity. Feeling most American is associated with patriotism, while feeling least American is when adopting habits from other countries. Lessons from US history include the underdog's ability to accomplish great things and the American dream of opportunity and acceptance. The intersectionality of American and other identities can create conflict and negative emotions, but can also result in a cohesive blend of cultures. The first question is, what does America mean to you? So America to me, I think initially means home and it's where I've grown up in childhood and all of those associated things. I don't think it necessarily correlates to classic America, red, white, and blue freedoms part of it, but it definitely is reminiscent of my childhood and also to me it represents opportunity and, yeah. Sorry. Yeah, okay. Okay. I would say definitely a sense of belonging. I mean, wherever I go, I'll always try to come back to the U.S. at some point. For me it's big, like opportunity, success, like I feel like I've always envisioned myself going back to the U.S. and that's where I'm going to mature and grow and develop, but I definitely see the U.S. as kind of where people develop and then they go on to other things from the U.S. So like, I don't think of retiring in the U.S., but I think of working there and learning and developing in the U.S. Okay, thank you. My question is, how would you define American identity? Do you want me to go first? Okay. I'd say part of the American identity is that there isn't really like one huge identity. I think the West, the South, the North, like they're all very different. Honestly, some countries outside the U.S. are more similar than parts of the U.S. and also have more of a sense of whole identity than we do. I think we're pretty divided, so I'd say like there's not one big political identity or cultural identity. I'd say the one thing that all Americans kind of identify as is that, you know, there's that belief in, you know, independence and freedom and kind of that we're just a mix of everything. Yeah, that's all I got to tell you. Yeah, I agree with Izzy to a point where I don't think that there necessarily is such a thing as American identity or certain characteristics that you can say like make up American identity just because it is so diverse and you have people from all over the world coming to America and that's kind of the way it was meant to be. And I don't know if I necessarily agree with kind of like freedom in a sense now just because there's always political opinions and that kind of thing. So I think American identity really comes down to like one's self and one's self feeling okay, like I'm American. And I think that's more what it has to do with is your sense of belonging than necessarily like certain descriptions that make up American-ness. Okay, when do you feel most American and when do you feel least American? Personally, I definitely when I think of American patriotism and all of that, I think of Wisconsin and being in Wisconsin with my mom's side of the family and that really gives like patriotic and they're very, like I'd say that like, like that when you think of what you think of America. I don't know what that kind of consists of, but I also feel the most American when I'm essentially not in America, when I'm in like the UK or surrounded by a bunch of like different people from like internationally, then I definitely feel American. I found American and I think that's when I really truly feel like, okay, you can definitely see that I've grown up in America for better or for worse. Least American? What? Least American. Oh, least American. Least American, I feel when funny enough, I come back to the US and I've adapted habits such as calling like soccer football or talking about flatmates and all of the other terms that I've picked up from the UK and returning to the US and then like getting ready to go to the grocery store, not wearing athleisure, all those kind of like little things that are definitely more normal outside of the US. And I feel that I am not the true American college girl. I feel the most American, I'd say things like the Olympics bring it out a lot, any kind of world competition, there's nothing I love more. I get really passionate about that. I'd say being a Team Andrews makes me feel really American just because everyone's country here is kind of a big part of their identity, especially since everyone kind of takes on Americans a lot, so you kind of, you know, get really passionate and patriotic about it all. Least American, I would say, I don't know if it's least just not proud or I just don't feel as happy with the country, is any kind of, you know, loving about current affairs. But, you know, when I'm home, I'll come back and I'll be listening to all that and I don't feel as, you know, happy about the here, everything along those lines. Yeah. Okay, what are some of your favorite or most important stories or lessons you would like to share about US and world history? Yeah, I think, I'm no historian. It can also just be like stories of like what, like a personal story that makes US history like, or like makes the US significant to you. Significant to me? Or like a lesson? Like a lesson or a story that you've had from the US. From the US? Yeah. Okay. Okay. I'll go. Okay. It's kind of cheesy. It's really cheesy. But I really like the whole, you know, you never know what you can accomplish underdog lesson is like, you know, the American Revolution. That'd be like my go-to. I think it's kind of a good reminder that you can be the smallest and all that and still do whatever you want to do. And I think that carries a lot throughout American history, you know, breaking boundaries and doing all these things that nobody thought you could do. And so Americans are famous for it. So that would be my number one lesson. I think I want to tack on to that a little bit and just like the best thing I think, which I'm not saying is completely entirely true, but it's like the American dream of moving to America, opportunity, and the different like freedom, et cetera, that America provides is definitely, I think, one of the best things about US history. And this is kind of an add-on to Izzy's like revolution of where like accepting, accepting of religion, accepting of diversity, of like a whole group of people who just want to succeed and move forward. I think that's super great. The other lesson that I'll add on, and you don't have to include this, is what I would say when you first got it is kind of like the best history lesson in general that I've learned throughout is just that history does repeat itself and consistently. And it's so important to learn from previous mistakes, like, and be open-minded to the future. And once that, you know, we did overcome oppression and all of that, it does not mean that that can happen again in a different format. And so I think it's important to be open-minded and critically thinking about different scenarios and how it will eventually come to surface again or come to light, and just ensuring that you are on the correct side of history. And I think you can only do that by critically thinking and having an open mind. Okay. And then the last question is, how is the intersectionality of your American identity and your other identities form who you are today? Okay, guys, how are we going to go with Izzy? I can't hear you. Wait, will you repeat the question? This is not the one you texted. Oh, that's because I made this one. How has the intersectionality of your American identity and your other identities form who you are today? Like a woman? Yeah, I think it has to be a woman. Yeah. Well, yeah, because I think that it's definitely being a woman, being in the U.S., we're kind of in conflict right now. And I think this poses a lot of, like, you know, a lot of questions. We're kind of in conflict right now. And I think this poses a lot of, like, negative emotions in me on the U.S. and kind of how our systems are just on abortion and the woman's right to choose and all of that. And I think they don't really intersect very nicely. At this point in time, it puts a lot of contention with my feelings towards the U.S. and our political system. And honestly, it's embarrassing. It doesn't make me feel very American. It makes me feel kind of the opposite of, okay, I don't really want to come back to America or claim those thoughts on my own. I just came in, buddy. Oh, no one came in. Just standing there. Oh. And now running. Is that what you're looking for? Yeah. I mean, it's just your answer. Well, you're so helpful. Okay. I'll go lighter then. I guess. I'll do the Italian, yeah. Yeah, get the Italian in there. Yeah, so my family's really, at least my grandparents were really heavily Italian. Born in Italy. So kind of always had that. But I'd say they do intersect really nicely. I've always thought of myself as more of an American-Italian than either American-separated-Italian-separately. Like, all our recipes are, you know, they're American-Italian recipes. Like, our traditions are the Italian ones with the American spin. Like, it's always just been very cohesive. Never really felt like I had to separate one from the other. Um. Yeah. I think so. Okay. Thanks, guys. Thanks.