Being an American on September 11

Do not walk around in big groups of white people. Wear Indian clothing. Hide your light hair. Stay away from Koregaon Park or any other location where Westerners usually gather. Do not draw attention to yourselves. Keep English to a minimum. 

To me it seems crazy that on a day when all I want to do is wave a big American flag and belt a country rendition of Proud to Be an American, I have to pretend that I am not American. Hide behind traditional dress and cover light hair and fair skin. In India this year, the anniversary of the September 11 attack on the United States is the same day as the final event for Ganapati, during which millions of Indians will flood streets across the country to honor the Hindu deity Ganesh in the final processions for Ganesh Chaturthi. On the day of an event which already has severe terrorist threats, especially after the attack in Delhi a couple days ago, the ominous date of the final day of the festival does not lead to much reassurance. 

So what does it mean to be an American on this day, especially an American abroad? The September 11th attacks defined my generation. We are the children of an age of fear, apprehension, and the realization that American invincibility was an ill-constructed myth. But we are also the children who list the United States as our country, America as our nation, and red, white, and blue as our colors. We might have missed out on JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and Vietnam, but we were there when the United States trembled, and we were there when we regained strength. 

Being abroad has opened me up to another world of different cultures, beliefs, experiences, and notions of reality. It has shown me a world I never truly realized existed. But maybe most importantly, it has enabled me to really appreciate all that the United States has given me. While in no ways a "perfect" country, as an American citizen I am awarded more privileges and opportunities than I know what to do with. I am allowed to vote without fear of murder, go to school and know a teacher will show up, and attend trial with the confidence a jury will be present. 

On September 11 I will be proud to be an American. I might stand out in a crowd, or evoke a couple grimaces and a ton of stares, but honestly at the end of the day I am willing to stand beside all the reasons people would want to harm us. Capitalism? Freedom? Democracy? Gender equality? Economic liberalization? I knew I brought my American flag bandana for a reason…