America Before We Get In-Depth Analysis

America is commonly characterized as the greatest country in the world, the glorious “land of the free and the home of the brave”, “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. This idealization of the American identity conveniently focuses on what people want to hear and blurs out most everything else. In reality, Americans do not live up to the dreamscape created by our views, and we never really have. America is no longer characterized by its freedom and democracy, nearly every first world country can afford that luxury. Nor are we set apart by the great opportunities given to our people, for those are far from universal. We aren’t equal, we aren’t unified, we aren’t kinder or smarter or richer than any other country across the board. It’s easy to find the shortcomings of American culture, all the things we aren’t, but the things we are have proven to be more elusive. First, let’s examine the nots.

In Langston Hughes poem “Let America be America Again” he talks about how America should return to the way that it was perceived to be in the dreams before America was truly America. Throughout the poem he uses various methods to evoke the patriotic images and dreams that he feels America should and will eventually be. Hughes states that America is supposed to be a place of equality for everyone including both white and colored people. During this period in time though there was not equality for everyone. Hughes talks about an America where both whites and colored people will have equality in all aspects socially, politically, and economically. What Hughes is saying is that both whites and colored

As Americans living in the United States, we don 't often get to see or experience what others think of us in other parts of the world. Most can only speculate and wonder. Thomas Swann Woodcock came to the United States in 1830 from England. In his writings, he left us a short passage in his life through the Erie Canal. These writings left us his opinions of what he was seeing in the U.S. as an outsider trying to understand a new land. He couldn 't find his own words to quote what he had seen, so he quoted someone else to say that what he saw was “indescribable.” Thomas Woodcock saw an incredible country that had accomplished great scientific and

For many around the world, the United States have become known as the country of opportunity and success. Consequently,

One must not focus narrowly on America to find this definition, but zoom out until the entire globe is in view to visualize it. From the youngest to the oldest, poorest to the wealthiest, or single orphan to the largest family to arrive on American shores, they are all changed somewhat, for better or worse, by the American experience. Admittedly, some may think this is too broad of a definition, or American Literature is undefinable. I will argue that as long as the idea of what America promises remains alive, all literature ever inspired by this dream will always be truly and exclusively

she pressures her students and if they don't get good grades, she tosses them to the side

In the Journal called “Foreign Affairs”, with the Article called “It’s hard to make it in America: How the United States Stopped Being the Land of Opportunity” by Lane Kenworthy there are a lot of points that I strongly agree with.

David Brooks states in “The Nation of Futurity” that people who migrant to the United States have different perspectives of this abundant and innovative country; they think America is losing the status of the world’s leading economic nation to China. The first settlers saw how potential and resourceful America was and believed this land would bring out immense energy in people who wanted an opportunity for a better life. Not to mention, American energy and workaholism were powerful human resources and have been well-known for years. Although this may be true, Chinese people believe that their country is replacing America as the world’s greatest country because production, innovations, and exports are no longer the focuses of US economy. Also,

David Brooks states in “The Nation of Futurity” that people who migrate to the United States have different perspectives of this abundant and innovative country; they believe America is losing the status of the world’s leading economy to China. The first settlers saw how resourceful America was and believed this land would bring out motivational energy in people who wanted an opportunity for a better life. Additionally, America is known as an energy, work driven country with an abundance of natural resources. Chinese people believe that their country is replacing America as the greatest country in the world. The country’s lack of creating new products, use of new technology and the resistance to sharing those creations and resources with the

America seems like a promise land for foreigners. We are called “the land of opportunity” and “the land of the free”. Tim Roemer, an American ambassador of India have worked with Indians and see their viewpoint of America. In his article “America Remains the World’s Beacon of Success”, Roemer expresses that “I learned that America is still deeply admired around the world and the place where

     America is an idea, a set of beliefs about people and their relationships and the kind of society which holds the best hope of satisfying the needs each of us brings as an individual. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the population. Immigrants say they came to America seeking economic opportunity and freedom for themselves and their children, and at the same time they have all, at one time,

While some find us arrogant, condescending and imperialistic, those who have come to join us in America find that there is some truth in the notion that our country is unique. Nowhere else is the freedom to express and improve yourself so widespread, and no other country welcomes those seeking that freedom so openly. Assimilation to our culture is not forced, but it is the rare individual who does not welcome it once they are here. Many people consider themselves to be the best humans on the planet, or maybe the only ones chosen by their god to succeed, but nobody can claim to be as powerful and prosperous as Americans are. To us the idea of American Exceptionalism is not propaganda or a myth; it is the understanding that the only way to the make the most of oneself is to have the freedom to do so.

The same students which laid out for us the stages of cultural shock also shared their experiences expressing how they felt about Americans. Tina Lang, one of the foreign students at Boston University referred Americans as “superficial.” As direct and straight forward as that description was I like to agree with her. As Americans we are so focused on looking our best on the outside that we never put aside any time to work on our

In the video “Us Against the World” coach Rodrick and his players are racially profiled during the whole shoe. When he was coaching at Cordia High School in Knott County, Kentucky mostly a white community. When half of the town and other towns do not support the coach and his team. So, how did coach Rhodes and the basketball team deal with the negativity from the people in the stands?

In America Is In the Heart, writer Carlos Bulosan delivers a near autobiographical description of his life growing up in the Philippines post World War I and his disillusioned idea of the “American Dream”. Although this later proven disappointment was bolstered by family members and close friends, Carlos, or Allos as he is referred to in the book, never truly gives up his “American Dream” and instead burdens the responsibility to keep the image shiny and intact within a crooked America.