This year is significant for the United States. Not only is the nation celebrating its 250th birthday, but it is also serving as one of the hosts of the world’s largest sporting event — the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Over the weekend, I watched several matches, including the exciting Netherlands-Japan game in my hometown of Dallas, Texas. While the matches themselves were thrilling, what has truly captured my attention are the countless videos of foreign visitors experiencing the United States for the first time.
Beyond marveling at gallon-sized containers of pasta sauce at Walmart or trying In-N-Out Burger and Texas barbecue for the first time, many visitors highlight something Americans often lose sight of amid today’s divisive political climate: the character of the American people.
If these visitors are to be believed, Americans are among the friendliest, kindest and most welcoming people in the world. Their observations raise an important question: Why does it sometimes take outsiders to remind us of who we are and what we have?
Perhaps this is what generations of immigrants saw when they first arrived here — a country defined not only by opportunity but also by the generosity and optimism of its people. If so, it is only natural that they hoped their children would be able to call this country home.
While the World Cup and America’s 250th birthday make this a memorable year, another event has made it a consequential constitutional one: the Supreme Court’s pending decision in Trump v. Barbara, concerning birthright citizenship.
The principles established in United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) remained intact even during one of the darkest chapters in American history. Although Japanese Americans were forcibly removed and incarcerated under Executive Order 9066, children born in the concentration camps were recognized as United States citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment. The government deprived families of their liberty, but it did not deny the citizenship of children born on American soil. That historical reality underscores the enduring strength of birthright citizenship even during periods of national fear and uncertainty.
It was this history that JACL brought before the Supreme Court in its amicus curiae brief. By pairing legal analysis with lived experience, the brief does more than argue the law — it illustrates its consequences. The descendants of those who endured wartime incarceration understand that debates over citizenship are never merely academic; they determine who belongs, who is protected and who is recognized as fully American. In other words, basic human dignity and respect.
Regardless of political affiliation, most people would agree that decisions affecting children and their relationship to their home country deserve careful consideration. Children cannot advocate for themselves; that responsibility falls to adults, particularly those whose lived experiences can illuminate the real-world consequences of public policy.
The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision before the end of June. As the World Cup has reminded us of the qualities that make Americans admired around the world, this decision may also reveal whether our resilience or our divisions will be on display to the many international visitors currently experiencing our country.
Whatever the outcome, let us not forget what Americans are capable of. We have repeatedly demonstrated resilience in moments of uncertainty, strength in moments of challenge and compassion in moments of need. Those qualities are part of our national character, just as surely as our commitment to liberty and equal justice under the law.
At a time when the world is watching from packed World Cup stadiums to social media feeds viewed across the globe, we should strive to reflect the very best of ourselves. Not because visitors are watching, but because future generations of Americans will be watching, too.
Lilly Simmering is the executive director of the JACL. She is based in the organization’s Los Angeles office.