陈凯博客： www.kaichenblog.blogspot.com

成为一个美国人
To Become an American

“自由人”对抗“中国人”序列
"Free Beings" vs. "Chinese" Series

Kai Chen 陈凯 (Written 6/3/2006 初版 Reprint 8/8/2011 再版)

价值铭言：Words of Value:

"The making of an American begins at that point where he himself rejects all other ties, and any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land." -- James Baldwin

成为一个美国人意味着一个新的起点。 在这个新的起点上一个人应消除对过去的眷恋，消除任何其他的历史感，并加入他所认同的这个社会的价值。 --- 杰姆斯. 巴尔迪文

"Here in America we are descended in spirit from revolutionists and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine." -- Dwight Eisenhower

在美国我们是被革命者与反叛者的精神所洗礼过的 -- 他们就是那些勇于向已被大多数人所接受的理念挑战的人们。 --- 艾森豪威尔

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By Kai Chen 陈凯 (Reprint 8/8/2011)

My mother, 86, my brothers and their families all have the American citizenship. But every time we get together, I feel that they have not truly become Americans. Especially my mother, she always uses "foreigners" and "Chinese" to describe other people of different race and the descendents of her own race. I always reminds her:

"When you mention "Foreigners" or "Americans", it is as if you yourself is not an American."

Whenever other people ask me where I come from, though I know what they truly mean, I always answer them, half-jokingly: "I am from Los Angeles." When they get annoyed and ask me of what nationality I am, I answer them: "I am an American." When they further pursue the roots of my origin, I tell them: "I am Chinese by birth, American by choice." This is indeed the truth. And I don't know how to tell a lie. Now after I thought about this issue deeper, I have realized actually "I was born an American, for I was born to be free. Only I was born in the wrong place".

I am against hyphenated identity such as Chinese-American, Mexican-American, African-American, etc...

Being American means something substantial, something special, something exceptional: Being American means being a free being; being American means being individual with infinite choices, possibilities and responsibilities; being American means being in a unique culture in the entire history of mankind to reject all despotism and dehumanization from any and all old cultures and societies; being American means being an universal human being who never discriminates against anyone on the basis of his or her race, gender, age, ethnicity, religion; being American means being fair-minded and tolerant of differences; being American means being courageous against evil around the world; being American means being honest to God and to self; being American means constantly learning, improving, progressing toward a better future; being American means being eternally optimistic....

Indeed, being American means so much more than being any member in any/all previous cultures and societies. Being American means being Approaching to the ideal state of what God intends us to be.

I want all of you guys take a moment to reflect on this point， to think what it means to be an American. And indeed, every freedom-loving person in the world, no matter where he or she is, is already yearning to be an American, if not already is in essence.

America is not just a nation with borders; America is not just a government with all the institutions with formal trappings; America is not just a society where crowds of people gather to live; America is not just a culture left by any common ancestry; America is not just a congregation bonded by a common language; America is not an involuntary adherence of tradition like all other countries in the world....

America is an ideal with a special purpose and yearning from all mankind. America is the last best hope for humans to progress toward a better tomorrow. America is the last bastion against slavery, tyranny and despotism. No matter where you are in the world, you are an American if you yearn for freedom and self-actualization and fulfillment, if/when you believe good will defeat evil, and freedom and justice will prevail in the end...

I love America for I love life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I love America for I love everything America stands for. The world can only become a better place if everyone in it would proudly declare:

"We are all Americans!"

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WE ARE ALL AMERICANS
我们都是美国人

A Poem by Kai Chen 陈凯 诗一首

We are from Africa;
we are from Europe;
we are from Latin America;
we are from Pacific, Australia;
we are from Asia.

Yes, indeed, we are from everywhere;
and we are human beings.
Yes, indeed, we are all individuals;
we are all Americans.

We are feeble; we are strong;
we are poor; we are rich;
we are young; we are old;
we are men; we are women;
we have different beliefs;
we have different religions.

Yes, indeed, we all love life;
and we are all unique human beings.
Yes, indeed, we are all individuals;
we are all Americans.

We had been all oppressed
in our so-called motherlands;
we had all been made unequal
by our ancestral rules and laws;
we had felt less of a human
with demeaning cultures by our rulers;
we had not realized our potentials
as unique, creative beings.
In the land of our ancestors,
we felt not appreciated as individuals
with unique talents and yearnings.
In the land of our birth,
we couldn't see our own meaning as individuals
with dignity and integrity.
In our ancetral lands that command us to love them
out of obligation and duty,
we felt only contempt and nothingness.

Yet, we have all come here
to fulfill our purposes in life,
as unique individuals, as meaningful human beings.
Yet, we have all come here
to create, to produce, to enjoy, to love, to feel happiness.
Yet, we have all come here
to savor life, to envision future, to be a human being
with self-respect and self-actualization.

Yes, indeed, we all love liberty;
and we are all free beings under God.
Yes, indeed, we are all individuals;
we are all Americans.

We are builders, we are doctors,
we are athletes, we are artists,
we are labors, we are entrepreneurs,
we are scientists, we are preachers,
we are teachers, we are students....
We are all citizens of the United States,
equal before the law,
with freedom and justice for all.

Yes, indeed, we love the pursuit of happiness;
and we are here to realize our own dreams.
Yes, indeed, we are all individuals,
we are all Americans.

No matter where you are on earth,
no matter what conditions you are in,
no matter how you come into being,
the moment you realize
that you are a unique being,
the moment you realize
that you are an indivisible individual,
the moment you realize
that you have a destiny to fulfill,
the moment you realize you are equal with others
under God and before the law,
the moment you realize you are not nothingness,
but a marvelous existence by God,
you are already an American.

Yes, indeed, we are full of love, joy and life,
and we are here to enjoy every moment of our existence.
Yes, indeed, we are all individuals;
we are all Americans.
We sing, with our heart and deepest gratitude,
in praise of you - America:
May God bless you, my beloved America.

陈凯博客： www.kaichenblog.blogspot.com

对我所热爱的美国进一言
Some Words to My Beloved America

美国： 坚守你自身特殊的使命与信念，你才能主导世界走向自由
America: Hold on to Your Founding Principles!

“自由人”对抗“中国人”序列
"Free Beings" vs. "Chinese" Series

Kai Chen 陈凯 (Written 12/10/2009, Reprint 8/7/2011)

安. 兰德(Ayn Rand)曾说过人类社会进步的源泉来自那些“不可动摇的推动历史前进的人”。 我们今天特别要聆听她的警句明言。

人们经常问我为什么我要执著不变地以一个个体的身份反抗那个强大的中共专制政权。 他们问： “你一个人有什么用？ 你怎么能改变世界？ 你只能改变自己去适应世界。” 我的回答总是不变的： “可能在你们的眼睛里我并没有改变世界。 但你们看不到由于我坚守了我生命的意义与原则而没有被世界所迫而改变自己，我的存在本身就已经在改变着世界。”

当奥巴马被选入白宫时，他曾许诺“改变”。 但他从没有讲（人们似乎也不关心）向哪儿改变。 他也没有讲根据什么向哪儿改变。 从有到无也是变？！ 从意义到虚无也是变？！ 从自由到专制也是变？！ 到底变到哪儿去？ 用什么去变？ 怎么变？

尼克松曾说过伟人的标准是他是否改变了世界。 用这种标准希特勒应该是个伟人，因为他的屠杀与战争着实改变了世界。 用这种标准斯大林也是个伟人，因为他的清洗与劳改营也着实改变了世界。 用这种标准毛泽东更应该是个伟人，因为他杀戮迫害的人数远远超过希特勒与斯大林杀人数量的总和。 他不光杀了无数的中国人，他还在朝鲜与越南杀了许多美国士兵。 他们真能被称为伟大的人吗？ 丘吉尔曾明确指出“伟大的人（或国度）一定首先是一个道德的人（或国度）”。 谁的“伟人”标准更接近真实？ 尼克松的还是丘吉尔的？ 尼克松与奥巴马作为美国总统公然鼓吹用道德虚无主义来引导美国。 多么卑鄙的灵魂上的扭曲啊！

我曾在一九七八年代表中国男篮访美。 我看到的美国感动了我：

美国人的人格的完整、诚恳与他们展现的自由与人的尊严让我感到存在的真实与自我价值的宝贵。 美国运动员所表现的场上场下的职业运动家精神在中国运动员身上根本找不到。 美国的存在使我意识到我自身生命的宝贵、使我懂得人首先是道德与精神的存在，而不是像中国的人们一样只是行尸走肉般的“宦奴娼”。 美国就像一座矗立在黑暗迷雾中的灯塔一样放射出自由之光照亮了仍旧呻吟在专制奴役下的世界上大多数的人们。 美国召唤着我与像我一样的崇尚尊严热爱自由的人们站起来为自身的权利与社会正义而博争。 就是因为这个追求我于一九八一年移民来美。 在见证了一九八九年的天安门大屠杀之后，我更认同于美国的价值而在同年加入美国国籍。 我虽生在中国，我骄傲地选择了作一个美国人，只因为一个原因--我热爱自由。

如你懂篮球你就会知道： 一个好的教练总是在自己的队打的失常的时候强调回到篮球运动的基本原则去，因为它是永恒不变的。 在美国的充满危机的今天，一个优秀的领袖应强调的是回到美国建国的本源去--美国的独立宣言与美国宪法。 这些指导性文献是自人类有历史以来最起于人性的、最尊崇人的自由与尊严的、最代表人类的永恒价值的。 美国今天应真正回到美国的建国者们所弘扬的自由精神中去。 确实的说，美国今天太缺少像里根总统那样执著地为人类的自由大声疾呼的、基原则而勇行的，不为庸人所扰的人。

作为两个女儿的父亲，我常常告诫她们： “不要总想控制后果而试图去改变他人与世界。 坚守你生命的原本轨迹、追求真实的价值、发现你自身生命的意义。 重要的不是去改变他人与世界。 重要的是不要让他人与世界改变了你”。 我真心希望美国在聆听我所说的。

愿上苍祝福美国--这个人类最后的希望、这个自由最后的堡垒。