By Dr. Xiaoyan Zhang (张小彦博士), Dr. Mark A. Rafter, Editorial Director

The original Declaration of Independence preserved as a historic parchment document and enduring symbol of American freedom for nearly 250 years

As we enter the 250th Anniversary of the founding of America, we will be celebrating social progress. Let us first examine the history. The thirteen American colonies were established primarily by English corporations and religious settlers under charters granted by King James between 1607 and 1733, including the London Company and the Dutch East India Company. The British first settlement was established in Jamestown. St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States, followed by Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1610; Hampton, Virginia in 1610; and in 1620, settlers known as the Pilgrims, often called Puritans, landed at Plymouth Rock and established what became Massachusetts. William Penn established Pennsylvania, and individuals with grants from the British Crown, such as Lord Baltimore, established Maryland, while James Oglethorpe established Georgia.

The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602, focused on the Asian spice trade, while the Dutch West India Company, established in 1621, managed American colonies, including New Netherland, founded in 1624, which spanned parts of modern New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, and was settled mostly by Dutch and Swedish populations. Henry Hudson explored the region in 1609 before the British took control. The British ruled the colonies in the same tyrannical manner they ruled Britain, imposing tax after tax on the new land. In 1776, when the founders of America had had enough of the British Empire, they resolved to separate from it.

They confronted the unprecedented challenge of designing a nation grounded in reason rather than an inherited monarchy or the religious dogma of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. The drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence had to articulate the origin of political authority and define the relationship between the people and their government. Thomas Jefferson, with contributions from Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, began with a foundation for separation, stating:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

They then crafted the sentence often called “one of the greatest ever written”:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This formulation asserts that rights arise naturally at birth and that individuals delegate limited authority to their elected representatives to form a government. This arrangement constitutes a social contract that holds public officials and governmental institutions accountable. On this basis, the Declaration maintains that whenever a government becomes destructive of these ends, “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.” Abraham Lincoln later distilled this principle as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

This philosophical framework represented a major milestone in the history of political thought. However, the realization of its ideals has been an ongoing process. At the time of the Declaration’s signing, “all men” applied only to white male property owners, excluding women, enslaved people, and Native Americans. Although discrimination persists, a central dimension of American social progress over the past 250 years has been the gradual expansion of equal rights to all people.

The principles articulated in the Declaration unified a diverse population of pilgrims, colonists, immigrants, and those naturally born by defining a shared foundation and common aspirations. Today, the United States confronts a transformed global economic order, an AI-driven technological revolution, and demographic changes that are leading toward a minority-majority society. The Framers were wise men who foresaw not only a democracy but a greater democratic republic in which a person is only a minority in their own mind. Meeting the challenges of the day and developing solutions that benefit all Americans is a matter of collective interest.

The question, therefore, is whether the same principles that are now understood to include all individuals can once again help Americans find common purpose and renewed aspirations.

We commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration because of its self-evident truths, its affirmation of human equality and unalienable rights, the Constitution that safeguards those rights, and the democratic republic institutions based on checks and balances that together provide a durable framework capable of guiding a diverse but assimilated population through peaceful evolution. The collective wisdom derived from multiple civilizations and cultural traditions surpasses that of any single source. Embracing a pluralistic society and strengthening a multiethnic democratic republic offer a path for the American people to create a brighter future for generations to come.

AAPI Contributions to the American Story

Long mischaracterized as “economic threats” or “perpetual foreigners,” Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have been integral contributors to the American story. These communities, too, affirm the truth expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Commemorating the Declaration’s 250th anniversary offers the Asian American and Pacific Islander community an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the “American DNA” embodied in its founding principles. For many first-generation immigrants, this understanding helps bridge the psychological gap between feeling like outsiders and embracing an American identity. If there is proper assimilation, future generations will be reinforced in their love of country and pride in their ancestral heritage.

In an immigrant nation, the status of any group is shaped by its contributions and leadership. The 25 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, constituting 7.2 percent of the population, have already made and will continue to make distinctive contributions to the United States as we enter an AI-powered, pluralistic era. AAPI communities must participate fully in the America250 commemoration as stakeholders and storytellers. As heirs of ancient civilizations, AAPI Americans can bring the essence of their cultural traditions into American economic, social, and political life, thereby enriching the national fabric and advancing democratic-republican leadership.

While the AAPI community shares certain interests, it is equally an inseparable part of a broader community of shared destiny with all Americans.

The assertion that “all humans are created equal” lays the foundation for the United States as a land of opportunity. This principle is the core of the shared American Dream. In his 1931 work, The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams described this dream not as one of material wealth, but as: “a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

Martin Luther King Jr. further refined this vision by calling for a society in which individuals are judged solely by “the content of their character.”

Achieving this shared dream requires not only sociological and demographic processes but also civic integration. Social progress often emerges through negotiation, conflict resolution, and legislation enacted through democratic institutions. Such progress occurs gradually, but it transforms society on a broad scale. Interracial marriage accelerates integration at the individual and family levels. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the multiracial population grew from 9 million in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020, a 276 percent increase.

Recognizing that humanity is ultimately one, we must strive for a society in which every person can achieve their full potential and live a fulfilling life. Communication and interaction across different backgrounds fosters understanding and appreciation. Appreciation cultivates respect, and respect builds the trust necessary for collaboration.

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is up to all of us to work together toward realizing our shared American Dream.

Dr. Mark A. Rafter, known as “The Modern-Day Marco Polo,” has long believed that the future of America lies in its ability to bring people together across cultures, ideas, and generations. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, initiatives such as DOI250AA reflect not only the progress that has been made, but the opportunity that still lies ahead. Through participation, understanding, and shared purpose, America’s next chapter can be written as a true reflection of its founding ideals—expanded, inclusive, and strengthened by the contributions of all its people.

Published in BREAKING NEWS, Entertainment News and Los Angeles

Often called The Modern Day Marco Polo. I am an author, consultant, counselor, educator, entrepreneur, public speaker, passionate writer, storyteller and traveler. Being an adventurer I have traveled to 37 countries, all 50 United States and I feature leaders in art, architecture, advertising and promotion, business, commerce & trade, education, entrepreneurs, entertainment, film, government, media, personal interest stories, religion, sports and technology.