Towards a Genealogy of Americanism: Reflections on the 250th Anniversary of American Independence

Dear Colleagues,

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary of independence, the nation stands at a pivotal juncture in the ongoing negotiation of its national identity. This Special Issue seeks not only to commemorate this historic milestone, but also to critically engage with its significance by constructing a cultural, ideological, and intellectual genealogy of Americanism. Rather than attempting to recover or reassert a mythic sense of unity, our objective is to cultivate a genealogical tree of nationhood, one that interrogates and integrates the complex, evolving processes through which American identity has been—and continues to be—constituted, contested, and transformed.

Independent from longstanding bloodlines and tribal ties, a set of principles, ideals, and ideologies, often referred to as “Americanism”, founded the United States. Historically, the construction of Americanism has been anchored in the aspiration for a singular, coherent national narrative. It highlights unity, patriotism, and a shared set of values, such as freedom, equality, individual rights, self-governance, and the pursuit of the “American Dream”. This narrative stems from the Founding Era’s rhetoric of liberty, republican virtue, and history-shaping moments like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the struggles for civil rights and suffrage. Over the past 250 years, the United States has grown increasingly diverse; however, national unity has often been achieved by privileging certain voices, experiences, and values while marginalizing others. Thus, Americanism has evolved into a tapestry of disquieting and competing narratives, and it has tested and redrawn the narrative boundaries, revealing its unique capacity and consistent resilience for both inclusion and exclusion.

At the landmark 250th anniversary of independence, the nation confronts a degree of polarization arguably more acute than at any point in recent decades. This fragmentation of American culture and polity is not merely a matter of the familiar Red/Blue or left/right dichotomy, but is instead a multidimensional and multilayered phenomenon. The axes along which this division operates—ideological orientations, racial and ethnic dynamics, cultural discourses, economic stratification, institutional affiliations, and divergent social practices—intersect and interact in complex ways, producing a landscape of contestation rather than consensus.

From the ideological debates of the Founding Era and the contestations over slavery and citizenship in the nineteenth century to the profound transformations wrought by immigration, civil rights movements, and cultural pluralism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the meaning of Americanism has continually been subject to reinterpretation and dispute. In this Special Issue, different groups will articulate their own versions of what it means to be American, often drawing from distinct cultural backgrounds, historical experiences, and social priorities. For example, indigenous communities may emphasize their long-standing connection to the land and the ongoing impact of colonization. At the same time, immigrant groups may focus on the “melting pot” ideal, organic to the land of immigrants, and struggle with how to blend in and build new lives in the U.S. The Black Lives Matter movement questions traditional notions of American identity by foregrounding the systemic injustices faced by African Americans. Ongoing debates over issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and economic inequality further illustrate the plurality of American narratives. Diverse experiences and aspirations call for inclusion and seek to be an integral part of the American narrative, with each striving to define the nation’s identity in ways that reflect their own values and visions for the future.

The presumed coherence of “Americanism”, once rooted in a largely uncontested narrative of shared ideals and historical destiny, has given way to a landscape characterized by plurality, contestation, and dynamic redefinition. This complex interplay of cultures and diversity renders the prospect of a singular “authoritative” narrative untenable and perhaps intellectually indefensible. Different versions of Americanism converge, compete, and collide. As a result, the narrative of Americanism is continually being renegotiated. We invite contributors to trace the shifting meanings and boundaries of Americanism across historical epochs, examine the entanglements of power and narrative in the making of national identity, and situate contemporary debates within longer genealogical arcs.

Given the expansive scope of its theme, this Special Issue is dedicated to the exploration of different conceptions of cultural inclusion in the USA and fosters intellectual openness by deliberately refraining from imposing a singular theoretical framework on its contributors. Instead, each author is invited to engage with the theories and methodologies most germane to their own discipline and expertise, thereby cultivating the rich hues, enduring roots, and ever-branching limbs of a scholarly genealogical tree of Americanism—one that has flourished and evolved over 250 years. By providing an intercultural and interdisciplinary platform for this vibrant intellectual landscape, this Special Issue will foreground the plurality of perspectives and methodological approaches essential for grappling with the irreducible complexities of the American experience, the paradoxical legacies of exclusion and inclusion, and the shifting pathways toward solidarity and unity that may shape new trajectories for the nation’s future.

We invite you to submit an abstract of 200 words summarizing your intended contribution to our guest editor Mimi Yang, myang@carthage.edu, and the editorial office, genealogy@mdpi.com. Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editor to ensure proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Dr. Mimi Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genealogy is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Americanism
• genealogy
• genealogical tree
• the 250th Anniversary of America
• Founding Fathers
• a city upon a hill
• freedom
• democracy
• equality
• the American Dream
• the American Experiment
• unity
• diversity
• multicultural
• multiracial
• inclusion/exclusion
• immigration
• nationalism
• patriotism
• individual rights
• social/racial justice