This Fourth of July marks 250 years since American independence, an occasion the Trump administration is marking with events and celebrations across the National Mall. But for a small group of Americans, the date carries double weight: it is also their birthday.
Several people born on July 4th told the Guardian they feel conflicted about the milestone anniversary. While many have long enjoyed sharing their birthdays with the national holiday, this year's celebrations have prompted reflection on the country's current direction, with some describing it as "difficult" to embrace what would otherwise be a personal celebration.
Maria Ashot, 69, a writer and Harvard graduate now living in Brussels and Barcelona, has always identified strongly with the principles of the Declaration of Independence. But this year feels different. "I identified with the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence," she said. "What it means to be an American is to live up to those ideals. This year, Trump has appropriated a significant number, and his utter lack of class and sophistication means all he can come up with is a mass brawl at the White House he has half-demolished. I am not celebrating with him."
Jo Haemer, 73, a high-end gold and platinum smith in Portland, Oregon, was born in Germany to American parents during the Cold War. As a military family member, she said the world looked different to her and her siblings growing up. She typically bakes pies and invites friends for drinks and desserts, but the anniversary has stirred frustration. "The 200-year bicentennial was more meaningful than 250," Haemer said. "Especially since the onslaught of the corrupt Trump administration."
Craig Allen, a 71-year-old retired research scientist in Connecticut, recalls feeling genuine pride during the nation's bicentennial in 1976, when he saw the tall ships in Philadelphia. This year's milestone feels hollow by comparison. "It feels like the country has lost its way and all the gold plating and cheap gaudy events make me want to head for the woods," he said.
Bill Combs, 74, a retired professor near Bryce Mountain in Virginia, has spent decades accepting that the Fourth of July wasn't really about him. "Sure, everyone loves cake and ice cream, picnics, and fireworks, but during all the holiday hoopla I still sometimes stop and think, 'Hey, it's my birthday, too,''' he said. This year, however, his reluctance runs deeper. "It's become a self-serving, tawdry event that's cheapened the meaning of America. Our 250th anniversary has become a Shakespearean tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Bertram P Dowd, a graduate student in Arizona whose father was also born on July 4th, carries the birthday into the next generation. He expressed frustration at watching patriotic symbols become entangled with politics. "This particular birthday is frustrating, because I want to be able to enjoy the festivities and cultural commemorations for the 250th anniversary," he said. "But the trappings of patriotism in general have been so thoroughly captured by Trump and MAGA that I want nothing to do with what's actually being done for the anniversary. Maybe in another fifty years, once the stain of Trump and Trumpism has been washed away, I'll be able to feel proud of America again."
Brian O'Reilly, 77, a retired journalist on the New Jersey shore, shares his birthday not only with the nation but with his identical twin brother. Growing up as twins born on Independence Day felt doubly special, he said, reinforcing a sense of personal and national pride that gradually faded. "It was more fun to share a birthday with the USA when it was seen as this shining star sixty and 70 years ago," O'Reilly said. "I'm not a big fan of Donald Trump and his self-centered celebration designed to focus attention on himself this year takes some of the joy out of it all."
For these July 4th babies, the anniversary has become complicated, forcing them to reconcile childhood pride with current disillusionment, and to wonder whether their birthday will ever feel celebratory again.
Author James Rodriguez: "These birthdays-turned-political statements show how personal dates and national identity have become inseparable, and how sharply that matters when the country feels off course."
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