America Breaks My Heart–And That’s Why I’m Staying
Having the Privilege to Leave but a Duty to Stay
A day after the inauguration, people started asking me, “Should I think about moving my family out of the country now that Trump is President again?” And every time, I answer this question honestly. I tell them that I have the same worries. The same anxieties. And the same angst. I too wrestle with the same fears about what the Trump Administration means for our rights, our communities, and our democracy. Each day, my own fears grow. Is this the end? If it’s not, will we ever be able to recover from this catastrophe? I feel the same uncertainty about the future of this country. All of this plagues me, and sometimes, it keeps me up at night. I don’t even have kids. I truly cannot imagine the anxiety that parents feel for their children and what we are leaving behind for them.
But I also tell them this—I could leave if I wanted to. As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Italy, I have the privilege of packing up and starting over somewhere else if things get bad enough. It would be fairly easy. No legal hoops to jump through, no endless visa applications, no immigration headaches. Just a clean break. Fortunately, I also have the privilege of being able to afford it. Yet, I stay.
Because America isn’t worth giving up on.
This country, for all its flaws, is still ours. Generations that came before us fought for something better, and future generations deserve the same from us. Leaving is easy. Staying and fighting is harder—but it’s also necessary. Every struggle, every setback, every heartbreak is a reminder that this country’s story is still being written. And the story doesn’t change unless we stay and write it.
Cory Booker once said, “If this country hasn’t broken your heart, you probably don’t love her enough.” God knows, she has broken my heart. But I also love her with all of my heart. Which is enough to be heartbroken. Enough to be furious. But most of all, enough to stay and fight for her future. Because love isn’t about walking away when things get hard. It’s about holding on, showing up, and believing in and building something better.
Because America is worth it. Because future generations are depending on us, and they are worth it.