As we celebrate Independence Day and commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I find myself reflecting on what this moment asks of us, not only as Americans, but as a community that has long believed in the promise of this country.
Just days ago, the Supreme Court handed down a series of decisions on immigration and citizenship. Taken together, they bring us back to a question this country has wrestled with from the beginning: Who gets to be an American?
The current administration is working hard to define “American” more narrowly. It has tried to make it easier to exclude, easier to remove, and harder to enter. In Blanche v. Lau, Mullin v. Doe, and Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, the Supreme Court gave the executive branch more room to make it harder for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to find safety. And yet, in one important decision, the Court also drew a clear line. Its ruling on Trump v. Barbara reaffirms a basic constitutional promise: that children born on U.S. soil are citizens of the U.S. In doing so, the Court reaffirmed United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the 1898 case that confirmed the citizenship of a man born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrant parents.
Who is an American? We know the answer to that question.
We are. America’s founding is, at its heart, a story of people who chose to build something new. The founders left behind the countries they knew and pledged themselves to an ambitious idea: that a nation could be built on liberty, equality, and the enduring belief that democracy belongs to its people.
That founding story continues today.
Every person who chooses to become a U.S. citizen re-enacts that founding act. Naturalized citizens do not inherit this country; they choose it. In doing so, they reaffirm that the American experiment is not confined to the past, it is renewed by each generation of people who choose to believe in it, and hope.
At this moment, hope is being tested. But we have seen hard chapters before: exclusion laws, mass incarceration, quotas, anti-Asian hate. And we have also seen what follows: generations of advocates, community leaders, and everyday people who expanded the meaning of who belongs in America. Resistance. Reclamation. Conviction. That is how we met every one of those chapters before. That is how we will meet this one, too.
As we look ahead to America’s next 250 years, I remain hopeful. The promise of this country has never rested on perfection. It has rested on our willingness to keep striving toward our highest ideals and to ensure that opportunities remain within reach for all who seek to become part of the American story.
Together, we will continue advocating for a nation where belonging is not determined by race, immigrant status or wealth, where opportunity is accessible to all, and where the American dream remains worthy of the faith so many place in it.
In celebration of that spirit, AJSOCAL has created a tribute to our community and its immigrant heritage. Titled “Asian America the Beautiful,” we collected personal photographs from our staff, community members, partners, legislators, and leaders. It celebrates ancestral and immigrant stories across generations: family celebrations, personal milestones, and everyday scenes. All of which honor the rich, layered, and deeply American stories of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. The 100+ images, spanning decades, are set alongside the unofficial national anthem, America the Beautiful.
I urge you to find it on our website at ajsocal.org/asian-america-the-beautiful and to savor the joy and take pride in our immigrant heritage. Thank you to our partner in solidarity. The Japanese American National Museum is projecting these photos onto the exterior of their building from sunset to sunrise tonight and July 5th.
On behalf of all of us at AJSOCAL, I wish you and your loved ones a safe, meaningful, and joyful Independence Day.
In Solidarity Together,
Dahni Tsuboi
