"The foreign-born population of this country must be an Americanized population - no other kind can fight the battles of America either in war or peace. It must talk the language of its native-born fellow-citizens, it must possess American citizenship and American ideals. It must stand firm by its oath of allegiance in word and deed and must show that in very fact it has renounced allegiance to every prince, potentate, or foreign government. It must be maintained on an American standard of living so as to prevent labor disturbances in important plants and at critical times. None of these objects can be secured as long as we have immigrant colonies, ghettos, and immigrant sections, and above all they cannot be assured so long as we consider the immigrant only as an industrial asset. The immigrant must not be allowed to drift or to be put at the mercy of the exploiter. Our object is to not to imitate one of the older racial types, but to maintain a new American type and then to secure loyalty to this type. We cannot secure such loyalty unless we make this a country where men shall feel that they have justice and also where they shall feel that they are required to perform the duties imposed upon them."
- Theodore Roosevelt
What is Nationalism?
To clear up a misconception, nationalism is not defined as "love of your country and hate of others". Many Americans have been taught that nationalism creates wars and strife, that nationalism is a great evil. In many ways, nationalism has taken a place in our society's consciousness as the ultimate sin.
That line of thinking, of course, is not only reductive, but it is also incorrect. To make it clear first, the standard definition of "nation" is "a group of people with a common ethnicity, culture, history, and language." Nationalism is the love of your nation and people. A nationalist would not litter in the streets, because they love the beauty of their country. A nationalist would not kill their fellow countrymen over disagreements, because they love their nation. A nationalist state prioritizes its people first because it knows that is where its power is derived.
These tenets listed in the first paragraph's definition are not strict requirements. Many nations have existed along solely cultural lines, disregarding ethnicity; however, it is foolish to ignore the importance that ethnicity plays in nation-building. The vast majority of nations on Earth are drawn along ethnic lines; America is no different in some aspects, which will be elaborated on later. When looking at the formation of countries as political entities, one must acknowledge that the very existence of those countries as political entities derives from the state. In this context, "state" means "government", not the regional administrations we normally think of in America.
American Nationalism
America is unique in many ways. Since its inception, it was designed to be an experiment that held classical liberal values at the forefront. The American nation, when it was first founded, was made up of a supermajority of Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Accordingly, the state they formed was built with the intention of best serving the Anglo-Saxon Protestant demographic and its values. However, as history would have it, America experienced several massive waves of immigration from all over the world, for better or worse. On top of that, America has become increasingly absorbed in a multicultural and globalist world, to the detriment of not only its own cultural lines but also of those worldwide.
Our proposal for a nationalist rejuvenation of America is multifaceted. All of it revolves around creating a new American identity. In essence, we are cultural nationalists.
We reject the destructive effects of multiculturalism, which creates tribalism and weakens the strength of the country. We reject the destructive effects of globalism, which has eroded the humanity of culture in exchange for money. We reject the notion that America should be an amorphous economic zone for anyone to enter, profit, and leave.
A new American identity would be a very lengthy and detailed concept. The main thing to keep in mind is that we are not advocating for ethnic nationalism. We believe that there is a non-insignificant number of Americans who may not have the same roots as the first Americans, but who possess the cultural values and understanding to benefit this country. Many of our members are from different backgrounds. For the sake of brevity, it has been condensed into four points below:
The interests of the American people come first. The state is the only entity fit to do this, as it has the power of the entire nation behind it. A nationalist must be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of their people.
The history and victory of our forefathers will be held in high regard. Our roots will anchor us against the turbulent currents of the world. A nationalist must never forget the past and future greatness of his country.
The customs, traditions, and culture of the first Americans must be respected and synthesized with the modern era. A nationalist will be able to embody what it means to be American in the modern age.
If we are to preserve the values that made us great, strong assimilation measures will be necessary. A nationalist will stand up to those who seek to undermine what it means to be American.