American Memory
As I stood at the hot dog stand at the Tokyo Disneyland theme park with my five year old son, I could not help thinking about my own childhood and my memories of America. Growing up in Montreal, we made nearly weekly trips to northern Vermont where we enjoyed the ski hills and the beautiful hiking trails. At one point, my parents nearly moved us to the US for a job my father was considering. It never happened, but America was ever present as I grew up in the 90s. We made regular trips to Florida, visiting Disneyworld and other places and we of course had friends and family in the US. Growing up in the 90s was special and though I am certain all generations feel nostalgic about the era they grew up in, the 90s was definitely a turning point in history.
With the end of the Soviet Union in the early 90s and the opening up of China, the entire world shifted in a very substantial way. America was the dominant economic and military power in the world with no peer, it felt ebullient. I proudly wore a bathing suit, a sweatshirt and other clothing adorned with the American flag, listened to American music, watched American movies and looked up to the US in many ways. The US was a global power with great influence and power. In the 90s, China was actively engaging with the US as US companies to develop its economy and absorb new technologies. The US was very well respected by the Chinese, many of whom dreamed of sending their children to study at prestigious US universities. US companies opened operations in China, formed joint ventures and start producing more goods and services at lower prices. Big box stores, Costco, Wal-Mart and other low cost retailers came to dominate the landscape in Canada and elsewhere. The US was everywhere all at once.
In addition to the geopolitical changes, the 90s also marked the emergence of the Internet – another revolutionary force in the world. I recall logging onto the internet around 1994 with my loud 14.4 Kbps modem that came to monopolize our home telephone line. Shopping for a new computer at the local electronics store or going to RadioShack were out of body experiences. The future of a global interconnected and peaceful world seemed at hand. In short, growing up in the 90s in North America was awesome.
What came after the 90s is more questionable and I suppose that all generations say that about the period following their childhood when everything seemed glorious and open ended. The turning point may have been 9/11, but that was likely just one day amongst many that led us to where we are today. Like most people who were adults at the time, I vividly recall 9/11. I had just left my house to go to school when the first hijackings had happened. I was sitting in CEGEP, or the equivalent of grade 12 when 9/11 strikes occurred, our teacher told us something horrible and major had just happened in New York. We were called out of class and they setup televisions in the cafeteria, we were then sent home. Prior to 9/11 the border crossing we used in Vermont was a quaint cottage with a one-armed border patrol man (no joke) who asked us where were were going. My family explained we were going skiing and he waived us through without looking at any ID. After 9/11 that all changed and the border crossing is now a large imposing building with barbed wire, fenced off areas, cameras, and a variety of intimidating features.
Sitting here in 2025, it is clear that society has radically changed. A deep seated politics of division is omnipresent, the economy is more challenging for most working class people and technology has invaded every corner of our lives and minutes of our days through the amazing power of the smart phone. Now, AI is driving people to insanity, eliminating jobs and changing entire industries. What comes next is anyone’s guess.
Published on December 2, 2025