Jamar Jones-Blog #1: "We are a nation..."

Janet Jackson said it best in her pledge for the classic 1989 hit “Rhythm Nation”, she declares:

We are a nation with no geographic boundaries

Bound together through our beliefs

            A nation is a collective entity that is forever evolving and consistently being reconstructed and re-shaped…hopefully for the good. If I was asked years ago to define what a nation was I imagine I would simply say that it is a country, but I now realize that it expands to much more than a land mass on the globe. A nation is formed by the people and for the people. It is the people who define the nation, and their ideologies, beliefs, and talents shape the identity and climate of their nation. A nation is not restricted by social, political, or geographic boundaries because when someone is a part of a nation they carry that essence with them no matter where they go. I suppose one way of relating it is to think of the old phrase ‘Home is where the heart is’…the nation is where its people are. The unique racial, religious, sexual, and social differences of individuals are simply a few of the factors that have designed numerous nations and made them rich with life.

Nathan Adolfson introduced audiences to his private world in the diary documentary Passing Through. The documentary reveals his personal quest to celebrate his adopted heritage while also voyaging to another country in attempt to connect to his biological ancestry. Throughout the film, it seemed as if Nathan was grappling with the challenge of being comprised of two different nationalities. Confucius said, “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes.” America has always been his home, but Korea is his original birthplace. Nathan has the unique privilege of having two national homes. Korea represents his biological heritage that he can explore, and America is the location of the family and friends he has always known. An individual contributes to the development of a nation. People share their thoughts and unite under one national umbrella.

The beauty of a nation is that its people do not have to be complete carbon copies of one another. A nation is designed by many individual people who share a likeness with one another; whether it is in terms of location, class, or beliefs…a nation can quickly form. It falls upon the character of its inhabitants on how the climate of the nation will be developed. A nation can easily divide and crumble, but united there will always be strength in numbers, and I think that is the most significant purpose of a nation. The greatest hope for a nation is for it its people to come together in order to strengthen and uplift one another and push for a better way of life for all.  It is by simply being and existing that we automatically belong to our own nations.