How I Became a Citizen at 17 by Hiding My Socialism
The ceremony to become a United States citizen is difficult to arrange, and boring once you do. It was also one of the most important moments in my life.
Browsing Tag
Fourth Of July Essays
9 posts
America’s Most Patriotic Bike Ride Is Also Its Most Naked
Minneapolis' "Freedom From Pants" ride has become a fixture in the city's Fourth of July celebrations—an exercise in personal liberation.
How American Are ‘The Americans’?
They're Soviet spies—but parenthood has turned Philip and Elizabeth Jennings into Americans.
Being Black and Watching Obama From Abroad
Celebrating one of Barack Obama's greatest feats: making the color of American citizenship less white.
How My Grandfathers Proved Their Loyalty to America
One was part German. The other was born in Japan. Their stories show a crack in the façade of the Greatest Generation.
How America Almost Elected a 13-Year-Old Girl as President
Growing up as a girl in an Evangelical world dominated by men, patriotism—or at least a desire for executive power—offered me a way out.
The Freedom of Information Act—and the Hero Who Pioneered It
Celebrating the curious and deeply unpopular political career of John Moss, godfather of the FOIA.
How to Be Canadian on the Fourth of July
How I learned to embrace Independence Day, America, and bunting. So much bunting.
How the Declaration of Independence Went Viral
A brief media chronology of America's first big story.