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For many in the U.S., Independence Day is a reason to celebrate and take patriotic pride in the nation. The holiday is marked with American flags, hot dogs, parades, fireworks, and stories of “freedom,” bringing together families and friends for a day of relaxation.
But for historically marginalized communities the holiday also highlights a social and political reality that many U.S. Americans may not be so proud of.
Using the hashtag “Nothing More American Than,” people took to Twitter to challenge their fellow Americans to confront issues like colonialism, racism, mass incarceration, and militarism that continue to plague the country.
teleSUR English brings you the best of the #NothingMoreAmericanThan hashtag.
1.) Some tweets reminded people of the colonial origins of conquest and that slavery and genocide were foundational to the United States establishment.
Newsletter
Telling people to "GO BACK TO MEXICO" forgetting that you stole it from them by war ☕️��#NothingMoreAmericanThan pic.twitter.com/lZjT5Ow0Gt
— Bryan (@Young_Cluckk)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan celebrating a Declaration of independence written by a slaveholder @midnight
— lancegould (@lancegould)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan stealing a land through genocide and then complaining about illegal immigrants
— Captain Howdy (@jackherer20)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan remembering 9/11 but forgetting genocide of Native Americans or enslaving African Americans for hundreds of years
— Storms (@AYGdavid)
July 4, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan ignoring that America is actually many different countries pic.twitter.com/P1ZwRSeW9Y
— belen (@mbvillarreal)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan whites saying "If you hate America, go back to where you came from!" & you have to remind them how you got here.
— Kiaira (@BlvckConscious)
July 3, 2015
2.) The trending hashtag also became an invitation to point out the racial realities and inequalities faced by many in the United States.
#NothingMoreAmericanThan having "land of the free" as a slogan and the highest incarceration rate in the world
— x (@browndoode)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan our government causing 9/11 and then using it as a scapegoat to terrorize and ruin Muslim countries
— farwz (@farwzaz)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan deploying African Americans to fight a "war on terror" only to ignore African Americans being terrorized at home.
— Spiritual Thug (@NelsonEmpowered)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan Being racially profiled & police having the audacity to say you're trespassing at your job. pic.twitter.com/XADZ9VSyn9
— Kiaira (@BlvckConscious)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan humanizing and covering up white criminals while exploiting & degrading black victims
— hab (@haboonnur)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan telling the victims of systemic U.S. racism they are racist for speaking out against racism & White supremacy.
— Bougie Black Girl (@BougieBlackGurl)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan shaming other cultures but then using their traditions as fashion statements
— halal diva (@sassysamosa)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan the belief that Mexicans are both lazy AND trying to "take all the jobs from hardworking Americans"
— mason hewitt (@zaddyzalentino)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan this pic.twitter.com/PENsFfEIV5
— #BLACKLIVESMATTER (@tsunaminari)
July 3, 2015
3.) Yet, others on Twitter used the hashtag to offer cultural critiques of the United States.
#NothingMoreAmericanThan praising the worker with 3 jobs without questioning the systemic problem of needing to work 3 jobs.
— Cameron Conaway (@CameronConaway)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan getting a gun for your gun so your gun can have a gun to protect yourself from a criminal with a gun.
— Orian Thompson (@Blackman38Tide)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan knowing how to use a gun but not a condom.
— Tony Bartolone (@TonyDoesComedy)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan turning the beer display at the grocery store into a tank. @midnight pic.twitter.com/1pb6udkTrk
— The # Queen (@SinCityChiGirl)
July 3, 2015
#NothingMoreAmericanThan easy access to firearms, long wait for mental health services. @midnight
— Nick (@angry_eyebrowz)
July 3, 2015
