America@250: Despite Growing Inequalities and Racial Intolerance I Celebrate This Historic Milestone With Gratitude and Hope
- When I arrived in America in my 20s, the freedom to express oneself openly, and participate fully in public life as a woman, was something I appreciated in a way I never had before, even more than my home country India.
Every Fourth of July and more so this year as America marks the historic milestone of 250 years of independence, recalibrates my thoughts for a country – a nation that truly shaped my thoughts on democracy, freedom of thought and expression, and liberty for all.
When my husband and I landed in the grand old city of Boston, it was the year 1993. We were young in our twenties, had left our banking and IT jobs to explore growth opportunities outside of India. In fact, our first experience was a short stint in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which we couldn’t tolerate after one year.
To give a brief background, Riyadh was and is till today a beautiful, modern, and prosperous city. But everyday life was governed by strict social and religious rules, especially for women.
Saudi women were required to adorn full veils or “Burkhas”, while us foreign women had to wear “Abhayas”, which will allow an exposed face. Women could not drive, had limited employment opportunities, and were expected to be accompanied by a male guardian in many aspects of public life. Men and women occupied separate spaces in buses, shops, and other public settings. And, religious police or the “Muttawas” would make sure all the rules are enforced.
Most unsettling of all was the occasional spectacle of public flogging and “stoning to death” punishments that drew crowds and served as a stark reminder of how differently freedom and justice could be understood in different cultures.
This was in 1992, and Saudi Arabia has since undergone significant social reforms. Yet, this was our experience, which still has a lasting and profound impression on me.
Against that backdrop, when we landed in America, it felt like stepping into an alternate reality. The freedom to move about independently, express oneself openly, and participate fully in public life as a woman, was something I appreciated in a way I never had before, even more than my home country India.
When we moved to the sunny California, we experienced another parallel side of America. If Boston represented the nation’s history, California embodied its spirit of technological innovation, diversity, and possibility.
At that time, our goals were simple. Armed with no money, with only a fueled determination and a passionate willingness to work hard, we were eager to make the most of our careers, blend and adapt into this new country. Full of idealism and curiosity about what life would bring, we embarked on this new journey in America.
Living in Boston felt like stepping into a living history book. Exploring the city’s cobblestone streets and landmarks like the Plymouth Rock, Boston Harbor where the famous Tea party happened, walking along the iconic Harvard University and many others, helped me connect to America’s freedom struggle. And, seemed to echo the ideals of liberty and self-governance that I had read about for years.
Later, when we moved to the sunny California, we experienced another parallel side of America. If Boston represented the nation’s history, California embodied its spirit of technological innovation, diversity, and possibility.
Surrounded by people from different cultures and backgrounds, we built our careers, bought our first home, raised children, travelled almost the length and breadth of the land, and came to appreciate the country’s remarkable ability to welcome and be enriched by immigrants.
For me personally, freedom revealed itself not only in America’s ideals but also in everyday life—in the ability to speak openly, pursue opportunities, and encourage our children also to dream without limits.
We know that rooted in the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and protected by the freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, the ethos and soul of the “American Dream” is more than an economic aspiration—it is a promise of possibility. The Declaration’s vision of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” combined with constitutional protections for individual rights, free expression, and equal justice under the law, helped create a society where people from every corner of the world could imagine a better future for themselves and their families.
However, in the recent decade, the concept of the American dream has got complex and is evolving. Economic inequality, racial intolerance, gun violence and rising costs of living have led many to question whether this is equally attainable for all. Yet, despite these challenges, the idea has and will have to continue and preserved, to retain the bedrock of what America means to the world.
As an eternal optimist, I want to celebrate this historic milestone with gratitude and hope. My wish is that America continues striving toward its highest ideals—remaining a land of opportunity, freedom, and possibility for generations to come. A nation of the people, by the people, and above all- for the people.
Disclaimer: The parts describing middle east is completely based on factual personal experiences and what was witnessed, not meant to taint a country or its culture.
Jayashree Srikanth lived in the United States for 16 years, then moved to Bangalore with her husband and two daughters. She is a proud homeschooler of a neurodiverse young adult, who now has a successful art career, has won several awards including carrying the torch for the Rio Paralympics, in 2015. Her younger daughter graduated from UCLA and is now working for a healthcare startup in Chicago, IL.