Calling Me Un-American Right Now Is Not the Insult You Think It Is

When MAGA diehards sling this accusation, what they’re saying is that you don’t fit into their narrow, regressive vision of the country — a vision rooted in racism, xenophobia, and a dangerous nostalgia for a past that never truly existed.

Photo by Jonathan Tajalle on Unsplash

Calling Me Un-American Right Now Is Not the Insult You Think It Is

In today’s America, being called “un-American” by certain groups is starting to feel like a badge of honor. The phrase, once meant to shame people for betraying national values, has been co-opted by a political movement that has warped the definition of what it means to be American. When MAGA diehards sling this accusation, what they’re saying is that you don’t fit into their narrow, regressive vision of the country — a vision rooted in racism, xenophobia, and a dangerous nostalgia for a past that never truly existed.

The Hijacking of American Identity

For years, conservatives have attempted to claim ownership over patriotism, defining “real Americans” as white, conservative, gun-toting, flag-waving nationalists. To them, loving…