Beckon Us From Home

The dual messages of "America first" and "Americanism" can be found not only at the forefront of current political movements, but in the pages of literature and education taught at camps and clubs across the United States, where thousands of youth are choosing to spend their free time. While “Americanism” is a concept that has been around for decades, I am defining this “new Americanism” as a renewed embrace of the centuries-old theme of American exceptionalism and manifest destiny. While these programs are spread out across the nation, around 400,000 American youth are enrolled annually. Photographed in twelve different states across a divided country, Beckon Us From Home is an ongoing still photography project investigating how a nation instills patriotism and passes down military tradition to new generations, and aims to explore how different combinations of religion, love of country, and military training come together in unison of these teachings.