December Update

This month I concentrated on the topic of citizenship. I looked at many books and journal articles discussing the legal definitions of citizenship, primarily in the US, as well as the rights and privileges afforded to citizens and if/how these rights vary based on a person's racial identity. The conclusion I came to is that citizenship can be defined both as a legal status and as a state of being connected to a community.

Something I've been contemplating is what my actual essay is going to look like. The sources I've examined are highly academic--as a high school student with limited time, I don't thing I can offer something for that particular audience. Instead, I'd like to write a piece that "gets the ball rolling" and inspires people to reflect on their own environmental identities and honor connections with the land. Hopefully this clearer focus will help me continue my project.

Edit: this post was published on January 6, 2022. Many of us are reflecting on the attack on the Capitol last year. For me, the January 6 Capitol Attack was a horrifying example of the hypocrisy of American patriotism and the entanglement of what it means to be American with white supremacy. This is incredibly relevant to my project, which seeks to re-define American-ness in a just, equitable, connection-focused way.