Being American…

Here is what I know.

There is a lot I don’t know.

And from that place, from my observations and personal learnings, I know this about the country I live in.

This is not meant to be political – God knows I would just be obliterated in a political conversation.

This is just the observations of a person who identifies as American,

someone who, although isn’t a citizen, was raised here since age 1,

someone who thinks and be’s in accordance with American culture more than another culture.

Although I am an immigrant and Asian, I identify more so as the white American because I have benefitted from American culture.

Also, because as an Asian, a model minority, I have not experienced the racism and socio-economic turbulence many other people of color experience.

This is what I see and think.

Of course, there are exceptions to every bullet point.

I accept that and still point to the basic truth that it has happened more often than not.

And, I do not overlook the freedom that we have as residents and citizens of one of the youngest countries in the world.

My unique self-expression and evolution into more of myself, whatever that looks like spiritually, culturally, romantically, economically is, undoubtedly credited to the level of freedom I experience here in the States.

I have immense gratitude for my parent’s journey here and my journey growing up here.

And still, here I am.

That said, here is what I know.

– America is a country built on genocide. Native Americans have suffered since the arrival of Europeans. They have been stripped of their land, their resources, their respect, their dignity, their deeply rooted culture. They have been re-located to barren lands so that the US government could take over resource-rich territory for their own benefit and profit. This continues to happen today.

Reservations where many indigenous people now live are rampant with alcoholism, political corruption (amongst the Native American government/leaders), gang culture, economic depression, emotional depression, disease, etc etc etc. The pain and ravages of the past continue to flow down through generations.

The first thing that needs to be done is acknowledge the painful past, one of many tainted corners of US history. From there, I wouldn’t know the next step. But, that’s what I would love to see.

– America is a country built on slavery. White Americans once thought they were superior. It took hundreds of years and decades to come to the realization of that, then to reverse some of it.

Africans were stripped of their homes, their loved ones, their dignity, their humanity. They took on the role of animals and instruments in the building of the US. Though there is no longer the slavery that had existed, there still remains the social, econonmic, cultural remnants of the oppression, disenfranchisment, rape of the Black American.

I won’t lie, my worldview is skewed as well. I racially profile people all the time. And I’m becoming more aware of it. And as in recent times, it’s becoming more and more frontal for the US. I acknowledge it and know that this is the only course – because humanity will always right itself, whether through the rage of the oppressed and/or the willing and genuine coming-clean by the those who have benefitted from and/or perpetuated the oppression.

Similarly to the first bullet point, I would love to see acknowledgement by US leaders of this fact of history, address it full on, and move forward from that place. Obviously, it doesn’t take away what had happened. But today, if there is to be any true lasting meaningful reconciliation, acknowledgement needs to be part of it.

– America enters into other countries, manipulates where possible to benefit itself, takes what it wants, and leaves them forlorn and exploited in its wake, left to sift through the scraps. This is America’s standard of international relationships, basically imperialism.

Those countries where America has put into place a ‘democracy’ experience political unrest, corruption, and distrust. They were not truly taught to develop themselves into thriving countries, because America itself did not know how to do it.

– In the pursuit of economic excellence and creative endeavors, America has bred some of the world’s leading (read: rich) corporations. Somewhere along the way, American corporations have adopted the philosophy of profit-over-everything, including people’s health, welfare, humanity, dignity, etc.

Corporations have poisoned entire towns because they did not hold themselves accountable to humanity. Watch the movie Dark Waters.

Corporations hire scientists to create menus for the mass public, not nutritionists or dieticians or whoever would know what is healthy for humans to enjoy for a meal out.

Elected officials are often bought by self-interested corporations. They get kickbacks, fancy vacays, gifts, etc., for voting on laws and regulations that favor whoever paid them. These laws often adversely impact communities, reduce people’s ability to choose what is better for them, sometimes eliminating better options and opportunities for the sake of profit.

– The Standard American Diet (SAD) is based on falsehoods. The food pyramid we learned in elementary school is based on falsehoods, by “doctors” paid by corporations.

– The American government is not really what it claims to be, because #1: votes are not counted truly per person, and #2: elected representatives are often in the pocket of… yes, you guessed it: corporations.

– America is heavily militarized to carry out its conquests and to present an image as an international force to be reckoned with. Strongarming is a strong suit of US diplomacy. I googled size of US military budget: $700 Billion in 2018, $4 Trillion in 2020.

– The education system is not designed for the human nor humanity in mind. Raw creative power and ingenuity are dismissed and conformity is praised. Students are expected to know what they “want to go into” at 18. Many go to university, rack up an INSANE amount of debt, and graduate with a degree that will likely not get them where they want… without going to graduate school. The money they make from a higher paying job…. goes to pay for their past schooling. Sounds backwards to me. I googled US education budget: $66.6 Billion proposed for 2021, a $6.1 Billion REDUCTION from 2020. Do I even want to mention that many universities are FOR PROFIT? Meaning they are structured to MAKE MONEY OFF OF STUDENTS. BLOWS.MY.MIND.

– America has not been taking care of its veterans, who have served in those conquests mentioned in previous bullet.

– America’s justice system has been known to convict innocent people to prison, sentence innocent people with capital punishment, pass people through the system based on their status and/or financial resources or lack thereof… and so much more.

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There are other topics, such as the 

9/11, the war on terrorism, criminalization of marijuana, Big Pharma, the Fed’s role in the economy, etc.

As you can see, to me, our President is the least of our worries.

The major players in the development of America into the country it is today existed way before our President came into office.

Things have been happening that we have not been so interested in, outraged, convicted about UNTIL our President was inaugurated and did seemingly crazy shit.

So, should we not thank him?

He may be outwardly freakishly just super weird, uncouth, crude, not well-spoken.

But the real issues, IMO, are more insidious than someone who tweets weird shit.

Everything I’ve written above, I attempt to do so in the utmost humility.

I know there are many others more eloquent than myself to shed light and opine on the state of the US.

And I’m sure they are.

I know there are so many things that earn the US positive recognition.

I don’t need or want to go into them in this moment.

I don’t believe the good precludes acknowledgement of the not-as-good.

There are things to look at, the way of thinking, the way of being, the way of living, the way of government, the way of society, the way of the economy.

I don’t blame anyone.

I know I’m a part of this whole thing, both the sham of it all and the greatness.

I have benefitted from my life here, and I continue to.

I plan on getting my citizenship.

I have, for a very long time, chosen not to become a US citizen because I didn’t agree with so many things, the more I found out about the bullet points and more.

But in the end, I am more American than anything else.

And that’s something I’m beginning to accept and own.

I am not here to shame anyone.

I’m with America.

I own the actions and history that, if were written by the ones who have been most disgraced, assaulted, and disrespected by America, would shock the world.

This has been on my mind and, while I am absolutely and mostly about the soul work and be-in-your-flow thing, I choose to be real with myself about what comes through.

There’s great opportunity to take responsibility for all parts of life, not just regarding the US.

I’m doing my best on my end.

I typically end each word spew with an invitation to work with me, and this one is no different.

The truth about everything is that there is no right and wrong.

Yes, I have my beliefs and my opinions AND I don’t make others wrong.

Yes, I feel indignance about every single bullet point AND I know that my indignance and rage is mine to address, acknowledge, and learn from.

Yes, equanimity in the face of outrageous injustice, perceived wrongdoing, etc. is possible.

Doesn’t mean we’re passive.

It means we operate from a conscious place.

That conscious place teaches us how to live, how to be true to ourselves, true to humanity, and how to Love.

To me, spirituality at the individual level is paramount and absolutely influential in the collective spiritual and physical experience.

If you’re looking for a way to live and thrive in a world that seems at odds with that intention, I have limited spots available to work with me 1:1.

This is the opportunity to dive into your deep truths, the place within that doesn’t know politics or trending news or bad/good, but has everything to do with the world, its people, and their humanity and divinity.

You will awaken the giant within, unveil and behold the pillar of truth, spoken in your unique voice.

We go for 6 weeks.

Weekly private calls and unlimited chat access to me throughout.

Our spiritual journey is about so much more than our individual experience, though it will ALWAYS start there.

Even if you are not aware of your impact, your spiritual evolution and expansion directly affect the wellbeing of the planet and everyone in it.

If this is you, I wouldn’t wait.

Love,