Take me to the riot

I have been in the United States for decades.  If that tenure was expressed solely in terms of July experiences, this would translate into years of barbeques, waving mini American flags, marching band, and watching the Macy's fireworks spectacular.  There may be minimal variation - swap out waving flags for waving sparklers, hot dogs for burgers, but the commonality compared to other months, say January, would be high.

I make this statement only because I can remember how July used to suggest the loss of independence for me.  July 1st, 1997 marks the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to China.

My memories from when I was 5 years old in Hong Kong are sparse; that I no longer speak Cantonese fluently makes recalling the memories feel akin to watching a badly subtitled foreign film.  One tiny snippet I can remember vividly is my mother watching the television and crying.  The Tianenmen Square protests had just happened the month prior, and its footage was on heavy rotation in Hong Kong.  I can still see her, watching the screen, her eyes scanning down the lines of tanks to the lone man defiantly facing them off.  One hand gripping the edge of the folding table, she slammed the melamine bowl and shouted, "They must have ran him over!" She wept at the footage of students running from gunshots.  I suppose given the state of current events at the time, her shock was punctuated by the sadness in knowing her time in Hong Kong, her home, was limited.

Stars - Take me to the riot