A year ago, I was studying abroad when Donald Trump took the presidency. People would ask me where I was from, and there were two answers to this question. Either “Michigan” (frequently unhelpful, people did not know where this was) or a bit of an awkward pause, then “America.” 

Being American, given our current political climate and many actions taken by the government, wasn’t something I was necessarily proud of or wanted to highlight. That day in November, for many, felt like “the day music died” to quote “American Pie.” Not that I don’t like where I am from (there is a reason for me skipping right to Michigan), but because I did not want to be associated with the greed and hate those in charge have been exhibiting. 

This naturally led to some disconnect between me and the country I call home. Though recently, I have noticed this disconnect begin to change. First, two British guys (Josh and Jase on TikTok) visited Michigan and shared all of their experiences. Second, I have been watching the Olympics and all the people who are competing to represent our country. Third, Bad Bunny performed in the Super Bowl Halftime Show.  

What these three things have reminded me of is the heart that resides within my state, my country, and the continent that I call home. Despite everything that we, collectively, are facing, these things remind me that no matter what, we are still here, and while everything feels like it has changed, it really hasn’t. 

There is endurance in the peoples of the Americas, and that is truly what it means to be American. Look anywhere in our history, and it has always been filled with a reason to fight and someone who wants to take control. Yet, we are still here. People have tried again and again to control what America is, and what America could be, and what I see playing out in Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show and in the Olympics is not what the people in charge want the Americas to become, but what it already is. 

We are a beautiful collective of cultures, passions and peoples living in countries with ecosystems and environments as diverse as we are. As Bad Bunny listed: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, the United States and Canada — “Together we are America.” 

I think that is something the current administration has lost track of. They are so busy fighting fights that aren’t there, seeing enemies where there are none, and chasing a bottom line that they have forgotten that they are not the heart of America. They choose to hate and belittle in a country that should be celebrating what makes us so unique from the rest of the world. They see divides where there could be potential for growth and forget that together we are America. 

Now, a lot of us are facing uncertain times. People who don’t even know I exist make decisions that mean the future I went to college to build is in jeopardy. People who don’t know my community take actions that make those in it feel unwelcome and unsafe. The environment we were supposed to care for was taken advantage of by people who won’t be here to see the results of their ignorant decisions, and through it all, they just don’t seem to listen. 

But if there is one thing I know about Americans, it’s that we are loud. We have the tenacity to fight for our home again and again, and the endurance to outlast those who try to dismantle us. The government seems to have forgotten where the heart of America lies — but the people of America have never forgotten. 

We are still here. This is still our home. The music lives on.