What's in a National identity

I was reading over at Changes about democracy and our democracy vs. China's democracy.  And I left a comment about how China considers itself a democracy. A one-party democracy. Consisting of the Communist Party.  And Tim responded.  And much of it was over my head, I admit.  I am not much of a politics person.  And very much not much of an international politics person, either.

Our trip six months ago to China for our LG was admittedly, my first trip outside of the United States, if you don't count the one day in Victoria, BC.  So my comments about China are as ignorant as many other Americans.  I always thought China was a 'Communist' country, akin to the Cold War.  And I was told lots of things about China by my DW's family, who had been 'back' to China several times.  In my own family, no one on my Mom's side (4 generations American) had ever been back to China.  On my Dad's side (1 generation American) only my Grandmother had gone back (after 30 years living in the US and naturalized citizen) and 1 aunt, who went for work purposes in the 70s and she went to Beijing and learned some Mandarin).

Sidenote, as a Chinese-American visitor to China, there are several things to be aware of:

1) pickpockets

2) passport/identity theft

  meaning if your passport/identity is stolen, it may be more difficult to 'prove' to authorities that you actually ARE american, and thus can 'leave' China

3) judgement for not speaking the language etc.

Back to the 'Communist' China.  I did think it was a totally 1 government, total control.  Although I was aware of the capitalization that has been infiltrating China, I wasn't sure how much and I thought that it was perhaps only in the major cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou.  And still I was perplexed as to how someone would get a job at St@buck's Shamien Island (if the entire country was government controlled).  And why some children in the SWIs are there because the birth families might not be able to afford the medical attention the child needed (if the government was controlling all).  

So it is without a doubt much more complex, and yet much more simple, than I ever gave much thought.  I do find it to be much more interesting, now that my family has grown due to the cultural and political policies of China.  But up until recently, China has not had much interest to me (or even the generations before me), because we have always felt that we were American.  Not 'from China.'  Well, actually, it's the truth.  We are. American.  We are.  Not from China.

to be continued...