They live in one of America’s most economically battered neighborhoods. But residents of Los Angeles’ Skid Row had something powerful to say this Fourth of July weekend, and it wasn’t what many might expect.
Journalist Jonathan Cho spent time in the area conducting video interviews for Frontlines, Turning Point USA, and the Discovery Institute, asking residents how they feel about their country as it marks its 250th anniversary. What he found was a deep, unfiltered pride in being American.
Skid Row has long been defined by homelessness, poverty, and addiction. The struggles there are real and visible. Yet despite those daily hardships, the people Cho spoke with said they wouldn’t trade their citizenship for anything.
As originally reported, Cho praised several residents wearing patriotic clothing during his visit, including one man in a Charlie Kirk shirt. That exchange quickly turned into a candid conversation about what makes America worth celebrating.
“This is the only country where you can say and do whatever you want with freedom. Freedom of speech, you know what I mean?” one resident said.
When Cho asked what he would say to people who identify as communists and regularly criticize the United States, the response was blunt and direct.
“Go to hell, man,” one resident replied. “They built a nation where the future ain’t dead. We march for rights.”
Another resident pushed back on the growing wave of American criticism with equal conviction.
“I don’t know. Ain’t nobody like us. We got everything. Everything we want. It’s the spirit of rebels who turned into owners,” he said.
Asked point blank whether he would still choose America over anywhere else, the man didn’t flinch.
“Ain’t nobody can run us off,” he said, later calling the United States “one of the best, greatest countries.”
The conversations also touched on material wealth, with one resident acknowledging that many Americans are still grinding for financial stability. But he made clear that money isn’t what defines the country’s greatness.
The interviews wrapped up with a moment honoring those who served. Cho asked whether Americans should take time to remember veterans during the holiday.
“All day. Right,” came the reply.
It’s a reminder that patriotism doesn’t live only in comfortable suburbs or on cable news panels. Sometimes it burns brightest in the places where life is hardest, spoken plainly by people who have every reason to be cynical but choose pride instead.