By Alyssa Maine
Wenham, MA-- David Denison, 21, a senior international affairs and philosophy major doesn’t really have a hometown. Denison was born in Brazil, lived in Israel for seven years, the Bahamas for one year, and Colorado for three years because his parents were missionaries. He then lived in Texas for another year and now lives in Massachusetts, where he attends Gordon College.
But being an American isn’t what Denison knew from experience; he knew that being American was to own ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Throughout his childhood Denison lived in different countries, not spending any formative years in the U.S. While his parents were American, there was disconnect for Denison with his identity as American. While he might live on American soil, was he able to own those ideals?
Denison is one of many at Gordon who struggle to define home like other students.
“My experiences were international,” Denison said.
The international experiences created a culture for him that was not traditionally American.
“By all appearances I looked American,” Denison said. “But I didn’t feel American.”
Denison, 21, wanted to be considered American, even though he didn't feel American
Because Denison was the son of American born parents, the expectation that he knew what it meant to own an American identity was assumed of him.
Moving to Colorado for his freshman year of high school was a difficult time for Denison because he felt like a foreigner, never before living on American soil. Denison didn’t resonate with America as his home.
Like Denison, Timothy Sherratt, 57, is not at home in the United States. Teaching as a Professor of Political Studies at Gordon College, Sherratt is originally from the region of North Devon in England. He moved to America for graduate school. While in the United States Sherratt fell in love.
“[I] met my wife in America,” Sherratt said, “and haven’t been able to get away.”
Immigrating to America is different than in other countries. The struggle to be considered a legal immigrant is apparent and to be considered an individual within society. America as a home is much less of a physical place; it is a set of ideas. Sherratt stated.
“England is a place. It’s a home,” Sherratt said, “The United States is an idea, not a place.”
To be American is to place value on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These ideals are what create the theoretical America and a culture of America. These are the same ideals Denison hadn’t yet experienced before moving to Colorado.
Sophomore, Rebekah Kang is studying Spanish and communication arts at Gordon. As an international student her perception of America is different than a traditional American.
“America is a place of freedom, diversity and iron[y],” Kang said. “Americans have strong characteristic of individualism, yet are generous and look after people and are understanding in general.”
Like Denison, Kang is learning what it means to be a foreigner in America.
While Denison looked the same, spoke the same and appeared the same he had troubled owning his American identity. During the first years of living in America, Denison only went to one movie with friends. The pressure to assimilate and be like other teenagers is what helped him transition his home to America.
“Home to me has transitioned from hoping to find a geographic place,” Denison said, “simply finding a group of people or community whom I can define as such.”
The home that Denison has been searching for is not the same type of home that Professor Sherratt knows of.
“I’m not exactly sure how I view America,” Denison said, “That’s a terribly broad question. I’ve gotten fairly adjusted to it, and American life has become fairly normal for me.”
