Are You Proud to Be An American?
In 2002, about 6 months after 9/11, I went up to people and asked them whether or not they were proud to be an American.
This question was the foundation of my final project for my Cinematography class that I took at The Art Institute of California—San Francisco. I noticed that soon after the attacks happened at the World Trade Center in September 11, 2001, several houses around the SF Bay Area displayed the US flag in front of their homes. I felt there was a growing sense of patriotism and unity that followed after that tragic day. I wanted to understand what people were feeling and thinking of what was happening in the world.
I did not understand why the World Trade Center was attacked. I did not understand why someone would choose to kill themselves—in order to kill thousands of people they do not know. I did not ever imagine that a plane could ever be turned as a weapon as part of a suicide mission to kill Americans. I was left with so many questions. I did not understand how it was possible that what was once buildings that thousands of people have worked in, what I thought might be a mass grave for the thousands of lives lost in the fire and destruction. I could not comprehend the amount of death and that happened in just a short amount of time.
In 2002, I interviewed an unhoused man living in the streets of downtown San Francisco in the Tenderloin and he shared this with me.
I’m proud to be an American. I’m Native American Indian. I’m homeless. Jobless. But I’m trying to make it everyday the best I can … Right now I’m currently working into getting in to a program to get back on the working force.
After I spent a day in the Tenderloin trying to find people to interview, I saw a yellow school bus as I approached Civic Center. Several students poured out of the bus and gathered in front City Hall. I took this as an opportunity to try to interview a new age group. I went to an older man and a young boy who looked about 5 years old and I asked the older man if I can interview both him and the boy. I interviewed the boy first and he shared with me his thoughts.
I’m proud to be an American because we’re free. Free country. Nobody is racist. I’m just proud to be an American.