Born in the United States, a few years ago Nick Pasquariello left the country to eventually become both a U.S. and Australian citizen. In this episode we talk with Nick about what it means to be an American, how America is viewed by other countries, and the politics and policies that make Australia an attractive place for an American to live.
Insights
There is a distinct contrast between the legal definition and the cultural definition of what it means to be an American. The U.S. Constitution sets out a very straightforward definition: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,”
But in practice, the idea of who is a real American has been hijacked by politicians, marketers, and other self-interested parties. So now the question of whether or not you feel American has less to do with your citizenship and more to do with the idea of American that you ascribe to. You might feel more American when the policies that you support become legislation while someone else might feel less American what the same policy becomes law.
In our discussion, Nick is asked – point blank – whether he feels like an American, an Australian, or both. Legally, Nick is a dual citizen and should feel like both a U.S. citizen and an Australian. But for reasons relating to the length of time that he lived in the United States, his family’s residence, and other cultural differences – Nick still identifies as an American and does not identify as a “real Australian,”
At the same time, Nick greatly prefers the policies and politics of the Australian government. From mandatory voting and universal healthcare to gun control and coronavirus relief – Nick is incredibly proud of the way that one of his countries steps up to “take care of people,”
