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May Day International Labor Day originally originated in the United States, but the United States' attitude is very strange.
There are many issues worthy of discussion, and they are also full of contradictions.
May Day International Labor Day originated from the American labor movement in the 19th century.
At that time, capitalists in European and American countries increased the working hours and intensity of workers, but the wages paid were extremely low.
Before 1886, American workers fought for an eight-hour workday. By 1886, Chicago workers launched a massive strike, forcing capitalists to make concessions. This event had a decisive impact on the creation of May Day Labor Day.
May Day is widely celebrated in more than 80 countries around the world. This festival records the historical trajectory of the gradual progress of workers' rights in various countries.
However, in the United States, where it originated, it is now alienated from May Day.
Throughout American history, workers have been extremely exploited, which prompted workers to rise up and fight.
As society continues to progress, May Day is regarded in many countries as a sign of respect for workers' rights and interests, and its purpose is to promote the improvement of workers' treatment. However, the United States chose a different path.
There is a holiday in the United States called Labor Day, which is held on the first Monday of September every year. For example, this year it is the 6th. This day is a legal holiday, plus the weekend, everyone can enjoy three consecutive days off.
This Labor Day does not coincide with the May 1st International Labor Day in time, and there are also differences in connotation and other aspects between the two.
The United States decided to set Labor Day in September, deliberately avoiding May Day. This arrangement seems to deliberately reduce the connection with May Day.
Americans celebrate Labor Day in September in a unique way. This festival mainly displays the unique labor relations and cultural features of the United States. Unlike the broad scope of the struggle for workers’ rights around the world represented by May Day, September Labor Day embodies a more concentrated content.
Loyalty Day has been around for a long time.
It was born in 1921 during the first Red Scare in the United States and was originally called Americanization Day.
Its original intention was to replace the May Day International Labor Day.
In 1955, the United States fell into the second Red Scare. In response to this situation, Congress passed a resolution. The resolution decided to designate May 1 of each year as Loyalty Day. After a three-year legislative process, this resolution finally became law in 1958 through Public Act No. 85-529.
The president at the time was Eisenhower.
The President of the United States has the habit of establishing Loyalty Day on May 1 every year. This practice originated from the relevant statement issued by President Obama in 2016.
These statements, although worded differently, share the same theme of reinforcing the concept of Loyalty Day.
The title "Loyalty Day" reflects the United States' attempt to use political means to reinterpret the meaning of May 1, transforming the original symbol of workers' rights into a symbol of patriotism.
Biden issued a statement on April 30 declaring May 1, 2021 as Loyalty Day.
The White House issued a statement emphasizing the need to show the patriotism of the American people and to commemorate the compatriots who heroically sacrificed for the country. They recommended that the day be made an official holiday, calling for the raising of the American flag and the solemn oath of loyalty.
This approach closely links the deep meaning of May Day to patriotism, but selectively ignores certain values of workers’ rights and interests.
They frequently mention the patriotic character of May 1st, but choose to turn a blind eye to the historical fact that American workers fought for their rights and how this struggle led to the birth of May Day.
This is indicative of American politics' attempt to create a sociocultural environment in which patriotic sentiments are seen as more important than workers' rights.
On International Labor Day this year, workers from Germany, France and other countries continued their tradition of taking to the streets.
Large-scale protests and demonstrations broke out in many countries, including France, Germany, and Türkiye.
The streets of major cities such as Paris and Berlin are crowded with thousands of people. They took to the streets to fight for their rights and demand for stronger labor protections. At the same time, they expressed strong dissatisfaction with various injustices in society.
These countries respect the traditional culture of workers' rights promoted by May Day and work hard to make them more prosperous. They not only paid tribute to it, but also actively promoted its inheritance and development.
Compared with the United States, countries have differences in social values, political attitudes, and treatment of workers. These differences together lead to the diversity of ways to celebrate May Day.
The reason why other countries attach great importance to May Day Labor Day is because they attach great importance to the protection and fight for workers' rights and interests.
This move by the United States is intended to erase the historical value accumulated by workers fighting for their rights on May Day. This action has aroused the thinking of many people.
Whether it is for political purposes or for the shaping needs of the mainstream ideology of society.
This reflects the special choice of the United States in dealing with the tradition of labor rights and modern national governance.
May Day originated from the struggle of American workers. However, the awareness of workers’ rights contained in it has gradually been forgotten. The transformation of this concept from being accepted to being ignored is the result of the interweaving and game of multiple political and economic factors, which ultimately led to this current situation.
We understand that the deeper meaning of Labor Day varies depending on the social context. In addition, we also need to understand how changes in workers’ rights came about.
What do you think of the United States’ stance on the origin and significance of Labor Day?