Independence Day: A Global Worldview For Shaping Youth

In their holiday hello titled, “experience the 4^th” global branding firm Cheskin, now Added-Value.com  filled my e-mail with fun factoids and knowledge nuggets to jolt me out of American myopia.

As always, this world renown research firm skimmed the layer off superficial messaging and delved deeper into a broad based worldview. It was a solid reminder that ‘we the people’ are incredibly fortunate, and brazenly naïve when it comes to decent recall of America’s cultural underpinnings. (This great NIH site, “We the People.gov” helps correct some of this dynamic)

Cynics might snip, “since when does a strategic research firm give a rip about understanding “we the people,” much less other country’s people unless they can make a buck off the masses?” Clearly, you haven’t been exposed to the fresh perspectives of clean design, global thinking and grounded ethics at Cheskin.

I first met their CEO Darrel Rhea at the Guidewire Group’s Leadership Forum in December where I felt like the teeny weeny nonprofit visionary amidst mega-mogul entrepreneurs. That whole retreat reinforced my thinking that producers of media and marketing CAN can be part of the solution, rather than the problem.

Most leaders I spoke with there concurred with the need for accountability, business ethics, and a mass media shift to a more positive track, where youth could mobilize around hope and action, if not lead the way.

Darrel Rhea was no exception.

He’s a ‘global dialogue’ kind of guy, and strikes me as pensive and profound assessing the big picture and interconnectedness of all the various touch points of humanity.

I spoke to him parent to parent about media and marketing’s impact on kids. As the father of a teen himself, I was duly impressed with his genuine concern aboutAmerica’s appearance-based/youth behavioral cues and the effect we’re ALL having on the international spectrum.

Leave it to Cheskin to take an American celebration like 4^th of July and stretch our “mind borders” with an international flair. Global insight and cultural context is appropo for any situation…

So here are a few of their fun facts for the 4th that are lingering in my brain as I head out to lead kids’ lawn games in the hopes of Shaping Youth in a positive way…(along with some of my own editorial thoughts about Independence Day messaging to children)

“On every Fourth of July, children who are descendants of signers of the Declaration of Independence symbolically tap the Liberty Bell 13 times while bells across the nation also ring 13 times in honor of the patriots from the original 13 states.”

(note to self, traditions matter, icons last, symbols rule)

“Regardless of your stance on the issue, one can’t deny thatAmericais a land of immigrants. The Founding Fathers revolted against King George in part because he restricted immigration. Eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were foreign born. Between 1776 and 1819, 300,000 immigrants added their voices to the original 2.5 million total population of the 13 colonies. Today, there are 38 million first generation immigrants in theU.S.and over 30 million second generation.”

(note to self, remind kids “we the people” are all immigrants ourselves)

“Most countries around the world mark the date when they gained independence.Brazilcelebrates Sete de Setembro when it declared independence fromPortugalin 1822. September 16th marks Grito de Dolores whenMexicocommemorates its 1810 declaration of independence fromSpain. The Chinese celebrate their Independence Day on the 1st of October every year, marking the foundation of the People’s Republic ofChina.”

(note to self: this is OUR celebration day of Independence, honor it with knowledge; be informed—educate kids why freedom matters)

“Each country has its own independence day tradition. While we stuff ourselves silly with potato salad, Haitians eat soup to demonstrate equality, symbolizing the end of French control. For Chileans, Independence Day is encased in a whole month called Mes de la Patria. During September, most Chileans participate in some form of the celebration such as dancing the cueca, an undisputed symbol of Chilean national identity.”

(note to self: cultural differences enhance our very being; guide kids away from judgmental mind mapping)

“The discovery of fireworks, or namely the formulation of gunpowder, is believed to have happened accidentally approximately 2,000 years ago in a kitchen inChina. Eventually this mixture was packed into the hollow of a bamboo stick, creating that staple of Chinese celebrations everywhere — the firecracker. To this day the Liu Yang region ofHunanProvinceremains the main production area in the world for fireworks. Of the $211 million theU.S.spent on fireworks in 2005, $201.9 million was imported fromChina.”

(note to self: teach American kids where various overseas products come from; reinforce kids’ role in awareness of child labor and purchasing power in everything they buy for kids’ consumerism may be on the backs of their peers)

“The Italians are credited with developing the art of fireworks displays. It is interesting to note that many of the leading American display companies are operated by families of Italian descent such as the Grucci family, Rozzi family, and Zambelli family.”

(note to self: while we’re watching fireworks, remember that Americans did not ‘invent everything’; give kids a bite of humble pie, apple if you wish)

Cheskin had a whole schpiel on the flag history too which I’ll add at the end, but I’ve got to dash to the lawn games.

As Americans celebrate the 4^th of July with “to each his own” perspective, tradition, and fervor, just remember:

We’re ALL Shaping Youth in the messages we convey.

Personally, I feel that “we the people” are very lucky Americans, and should be thankful for our freedom on this glorious, celebratory day.

Flag Factoids from Cheskin’s “Experience the 4th” e-mail:

It requires a presidential decree to alter the design of the flag. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress Resolved, That the flag of the United States be ade of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field,
representing a new Constellation.”

A second Act in 1794 provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars. In 1818 President Monroe decreed that 13 stripes and one star for each state be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state.

President Taft arranged the stars in six rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward. In 1959, Eisenhower arranged the stars in seven staggered rows of seven stars each, and then had to rearrange things all over again 8 months later.

Of the $5 million of flags we imported from China and $500K we exported to Mexico in 2005, all had nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.

Hmn. Never knew that.–AJ