Posted on July 7, 2018

Patriotism Requires a White Majority

Gregory Hood, American Renaissance, July 7, 2018

American patriotism is at a record-low, according to a new Gallup poll. Only 47 percent of respondents are “extremely proud” to be American, and most of the decline has taken place among Democrats. In 2013 — only five years ago — 56 percent of Democrats said they were “extremely proud” of being American. Now it’s just 32 percent.

In contrast, 74 percent of Republicans are “extremely proud” to be American, the highest figure in five years. The low for Republicans was in 2015 and 2016, after eight years of Barack Obama. Still, 68 percent were “extremely proud” to be American. Republicans are now using the current low figures for Democrats to attack their political opponents.

Republican pride is durable. Writing for Gallup, Jeffrey Jones notes that “historically, Democrats’ patriotism appears to have been susceptible to considerations such as which party occupies the White House and how the U.S. is faring internationally, while Republicans’ patriotism has been more consistent over time.”

The patriotism gap is even starker when comparing political orientation instead of party affiliation. Only 23 percent of liberals say they are “extremely proud” to be American, in contrast to 46 percent of moderates and 65 percent of conservatives. Since 2013, the number of liberals who report being “extremely” proud in their national identity has declined by a staggering 28 points. It is curious that there was such a sharp decline under President Obama.

Racial patterns explain part of the overall patriotism decline. For whites, from 2013 to 2018, there was a 7-point drop in the “extremely proud:” from 61 percent to 54 percent. For non-whites the drop was from 47 percent to 33 percent.

The drop in patriotism has been even sharper for young people. Among 18 to 29 year olds, 55 percent were “extremely” proud to be American in 2013, while only 33 percent were in 2018. Other polls of “Generation Z” show they are more left-wing than older Americans, with non-whites even more so. As each cohort becomes more non-white, it will be more leftist and less patriotic.

The Gallup poll also showed plummeting patriotism among more educated Americans. In 2013, 53 percent of college graduates were “extremely proud” to be American; today only 39 percent are. In contrast, 59 percent of Americans without a degree were “extremely proud” in 2013; in 2018, 52 percent still are.

The majority of Americans do display some level of national pride. A supermajority of 72 percent say they are either “extremely” or “very” proud to be American. Still, this is the lowest figure in Gallup’s history. One in ten Americans report “little” or “no” national pride. Slightly older figures from 2017 show the increase in those not proud to be American was mainly among Democrats. In 2017, 14 percent of Democrats had either little or no pride in their national identity, up from 6 percent in 2016. The figure is probably higher in 2018.

None of this is surprising to a race realist. The United States was created by whites and its history is chiefly white history. Non-whites know this and some of them do not identify with traditional American symbols or heritage. At least, they see their identity as separate from being “American.” Similarly, college graduates and political leftists marinated in rhetoric about “white privilege” are also more likely to think America is inherently racist.

Thus, on July 4, a woman born in Congo, Therese Patricia Okoumou, forced the evacuation of the Statue of Liberty after she climbed the base of the monument to protest the detention of illegal immigrants. Many commentators praised her, and Twitter promoted her protest as a “Moment.”

A protest by a non-white foreigner in favor of bringing in more foreigners is hardly an act of patriotism.

On Independence Day, Twitter was filled with anti-patriotic declarations by journalists and activists.

Ordinary people were more forthright.

Anti-American activists who believe America is “racist” are, in some ways, right. America was created by and for white people. And yet, America gives non-whites a better life, certainly better than their home countries could. That is why they keep coming to “racist” America. However, real patriotism will always be difficult for non-whites, no matter how well they live here. They have trouble identifying with a past that seems foreign or even hostile.

This is understandable. The descendants of people brought here as slaves deserve sympathy. However, non-white immigrants who come here and then lecture us on the meaning of American identity deserve our contempt. And even the most sympathetic blacks have no right take American identity away from whites. White Americans have no other flag, anthem, or identity. This is who we are.

The polls reflect this. The people most willing to identify with and champion America are white. If America ceases to be a majority white country, it won’t be a country at all. Leaders who claim to care about the future should think about this — and white Americans should never give up the idea that this country belongs, first and foremost, to them.

About Gregory Hood

View all posts by Gregory Hood
Mr. Hood is a staff writer for American Renaissance. He has been active in conservative groups in the US. You can follow him on Gab.