John Dewey acknowledges that nationalism contributed not only to the establishment of the modern nation of the United States and its national unity, but also to the independence of other colonized countries in the twentieth century. At the same time, he is also concerned with the detrimental effects of nationalism on individual agency and association. This paper sheds light on the dual nature of nationalism in both American and postcolonial contexts. Based on a transnational dialogue, it argues that Deweyan democracy provides a meaningful foundation of citizenship education, which replaces nationalism in today's globalization that entails increasing cultural hybridity.