Madeline Fan: Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.
Americans grow up understanding that their national identity can include pride, patriotism, defiance, and humor, not to mention individualistic exceptionalism. “Yankee Doodle,” a song taught to children with no explanation, provides a playful background soundtrack.
Since my birthday is just after July 4th, my mom always called me her Yankee Doodle, or Dudu. I grew up feeling very patriotic—a first-generation Chinese American with a sense of belonging to this nation. I now reassert my Yankee Doodle Dandyism, even though words like “American,” “patriot,” and “belonging” have recently assumed, at times, less inclusive connotations.
As a child during the Bicentennial, I sang with great gusto: “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy, a Yankee Doodle do or die! A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam! Born on the 9th of July!” With full feeling, I understood that “nephew,” although gendered, didn’t matter as much as the family relationship itself. (In spoken Chinese, nouns are not differentiated by gender, i.e., “he” and “she” sound exactly alike.)
Interestingly, “Yankee Doodle” was sung by both Loyalists and Revolutionaries to make fun of the other side. Now, as we Yanks celebrate our Semiquincentennial (America 250), are we Yankee Doodles? Are we Macaronis? Are we both? Are we none of that?.
Yankee Doodle: A character often depicted riding on a pony, wearing a tricornered hat with a tall feather.
Macaroni: A 1770s men’s style characterized by tight pants, short coats, gaudy shoes, striped stockings, fancy walking sticks, and tall wigs.
Macaronic: Adj. of or involving a mixture of two or more languages; jumbled, mixed
What is your Yankee Doodle Dandyism? Try it on! See for yourself! Post a selfie!
IG: @yankeedoodlemacaroni2026
#yankeedoodlemacaroni2026
— Madeline Fan
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Madeline Fan was born in Tarrytown, New York, and grew up in neighboring Ossining. Both towns were part of the “Neutral Ground” area during the American Revolutionary War, and during the 1976 Bicentennial, they were connected to the Great Ships parade on the Hudson River, which brought the Bicentennial excitement close. Fan earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago and an MFA at the School of Visual Arts. She has traveled throughout the U.S. and has made art in 43 states. Living in Brattleboro since 2007, Fan has produced all manner of objects and drawings with traditional and nontraditional materials in her downtown studio. She is a Yankee Doodle Dandy.
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