In America’s 250th Year: Three Young Americans Redefine What It Means to be an American

WASHINGTON (May 22, 2026) — To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and in advance of Memorial Day, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and its sister organization, the Center for New Liberalism (CNL), today announced three winners of their essay contest “What It Means to be an American: Voices of a New Generation.”

These essays, written by members of CNL chapters across the country, come at a time when younger generations embrace an overall negative opinion of the country. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, just 18% of 18- to 34-year-olds in this country say they are extremely proud to be American, compared with 50% of adults over 55.

“At a time when there is a steep generational divide over support for democracy and a belief in America, these three essays offer inspiration and hope for the future,” said Richard Kahlenberg, Director of PPI’s American Identity Project. “These young writers demonstrated that the seeds of a reflective patriotism are very much alive and well in America’s young people.”

Each essay offers a patriotic vision of the country from which all Americans can draw inspiration:

Jaxon Shealy, the first-place winner, originally from Coppell, Texas, and now living in Washington, D.C., highlighted how his great-grandfather’s journey fleeing religious persecution and seeking refuge in the U.S., as he arrived to Ellis Island, just like countless other Americans in the early 20th century did, showed that American identity is defined more by shared creed than by ancestry or ethnicity.
Ed Weinberg, the second-place winner from Philadelphia, recounted how his experience moving from the U.S. to Vietnam revealed what it truly meant for him to be an American, as no other country is able to integrate as many different cultures into one nation.
Armand Halbert, the third-place winner from Chicago, wrote that watching his father serve 30 years in the U.S. Air Force taught him the importance of being loyal not to politicians, but to the Constitution of the United States and the democratic practices it upholds.

As Americans across the country celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is paramount that Democrats embrace national pride. These essays prove that there is an appetite for patriotism on the center-left, and it is up to the Party not to allow those on the right to define what it means to be an American.

“For years, Democrats have let Republicans monopolize the language of patriotism, defining national pride in ways that are often exclusionary and backward-looking. But the essays in this collection show there’s room for a more expansive vision of what loving your country means,” said Colin Mortimer, Founder and Director of CNL. “At the Center for New Liberalism, we’re committed to reclaiming that narrative. Patriotism means building an economy that works for everyone, through better jobs, affordable housing, quality education, and real opportunity for mobility. That’s the kind of country-loving we should be talking about.”

Read and download the report here.

Founded in 1989, PPI is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Find an expert and learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Follow us at @ppi.

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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org