Americanism: My Definition Of An American

Americans take many things for granted. For the majority of the population, life is relatively mild. People are normally not rich, but not poor, not ecstatically happy, but not too depressed either. One might say that the population generally has it easy, as compared to a large percentage of the rest of the world. It is for this reason that a great many people from other countries immigrate here. They are seeking a better life. Often, however, they get mistreated. Like the Mexican immigrants, who arrive here, only to be treated unfairly because of few opportunities, American prejudice, and Americanization. They do not come here to do harm, or to take advantage of Americans, or to do anything but

What does it mean to be an American? If this question were asked to ten separate people, their answer would all be different. The reason for this is because in America, people are free to be whoever they want to be. Anyone, no matter where they come or start from, if they work hard enough, can become anything they strive to be. I believe that because of this I think in simple terms, to be an American means to be inspired. It is easy to see how Americans feel, and have felt in the past, about their country and the American dream throughout years of classical writings and poems. “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.” (I Hear America Singing). I feel like this line from Walt Whitman shows that all Americans are singing their song.

When asking a random person what it means to be an American, it is surprising the multitude of different answer you get it. For some people it means being a citizen of the United States of America. Others might say it means being free. Many would not argue that it means relating to America. The different responses are innumerable. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the word American is a noun and adjective. In each definition, references to the geographical Americas is made. Is there a right or wrong answer to this question? Any person's opinion of America, good or bad, is the answer to what American really means.

An American can be defined by a variety of things. A natural born citizen is just as American as an immigrant searching for a new life, just like in “America and I” by Aniza Yezierska. An American can be a rich businessman or it could be a dedicated soldier like in “Veteran’s Day: Never Forget Their Duty” by John McCain. An individual’s definition of being an American is shaped by their life experiences. A person’s view on being an American is different because of experiences, such as being a veteran, being an immigrant, or living in poverty, all of which affect one’s perspective.

Americanism has a different meaning to everyone. It defines who we are, and the country we live in. To me it means victory. All the wars we have won. The Civil war and the Revolutionary war are a symbol of America. Even we when the chances were very low we never gave up. All the great soldiers help us win. Americanism also means to be free. America gained its freedom from Great Britain. Free to do anything.You are allowed to do study anything in the world and pick your own religion or not have one at all. One last thing Americanism means to me is diversity. To be able to walk in a store where everybody is equal. No matter the race, color, or how you look like. In America there are races from all the world. All

What does it mean to be an American? Being an American means a multitude of different things. It depends on who the person is and what is the most important to them. It may be that they are free, or that they are proud, or simply because they appreciate the country’s history. This country has so many privileges that other countries do not have, and this sets it aside from them.

With all the controversy in what it means to be American at this point in history, coming to a consensus on the meaning of the term is crucial. The meaning of being an American can often be tied to one’s emotional connection to the United States of America. If this attachment is taken away from the definition of the word, the most authentic and traditional interpretation of what it means to be an American is revealed. To be an American means to be a citizen of the United States and to align yourself with the ideals of America.

America, the place where hopes and dreams come true, where people come to look for better opportunity is welcome to people from every nation out there. America doesn’t just have one nationality, it is full of immigrants, who come for a better life. The phrases ‘I’m an American’ is a part of our everyday vocabulary, but what does it mean? To be an American means to be yourself and have pride in what you do. Every American has a special skill to contribute to make America what it is today. That’s what makes America unique compared to other countries in the world.

What is an American? This question cannot be answered by one word. There are so many different characteristics, qualities, and features that can be used to describe an American. Besides features, someone is only a real American if they take advantage of all of the many privileges that are given to them. Any person that is not grateful for the privileges that are given to them to me are not real Americans but this is only my opinion. Real Americans use their privileges to benefit themselves and everyone around them. In today's society there are certain things that are expected from American citizens, for instance being a responsible citizen.

Who are americans what do they stand for? To me an American is being a citizen of the united states and involving yourself in the effort to keep America thriving.I believe that to be considered to be an American you do not need to be born in America, i believe that to be a true American you stand up for what you believe in. for example, Trevor Keever a young man that was fired from his job for wearing a pin that said “under god” on it stood up for what he believed in and he's a perfect example of a true american. You are proud to live in the country for example ian Michael was a war vet that travels the world sharing his story with others demonstrating his pride for being an american. To be an american is being proud that you can practice your own religion. Being an american is having freedom of speech no matter your gender or your race. For example many college students are using their freedom of speech by using their words to protest against the violence in the charlottesville violence. Being an american is to help your community and being supportive of others rights.

What being an American means to me is the opportunities and human rights we are granted the day we are born. What I see as the most important factors of being an American is our privileges, freedoms, and the “American Stereotypes”. In my opinion the American privilege is far more advanced than other nations. For example our country offers public schooling to anyone.

There are many different connotations attached to the word American. Some are positive while some are negative. The term calls negative things to mind such as being materialistic, eating unhealthy, and lacking intelligence. It’s not all negative thoughts that come to mind though, there are positives as well such as being optimistic, hardworking, and being generous. Someone that lacks intelligence can make up for it by being hardworking. By knowing their weaknesses, a person can adapt and use their strengths to their advantage. Many Americans possess these positive and negative characteristics; such as being optimistic, materialistic, hardworking, and eating unhealthy.

Americanism to me is how one can show their love and care for their country. Some people show their love by serving in the military, and others show it by doing service to their nation in other ways and by impacting those around them. Respecting the objects which exemplify values of the United States also is a major impact of having the characteristic of Americanism.

In my survey of the 25 international students, a lot of them had many words that explain America before they came here, which were, opportunity, technology, freedom and pride. Then when I asked them to give me their word that explain America since they have been here, they said, lazy, separated and structured. This proves that they came to the United States with a mindset which the media only showed them. For example,one of Lakeland College foreign exchange students by the name of Nathaniel Cooper said that the first thing he ever saw about America was New York. Well, in America New York is one the most attractive cities in the United States, from skyscrapers, to the colorful Time Square.

America is seen as the promised land by the other countries. It’s seen as a powerful country with kind, friendly, free and open people. But not everything is so great. A lot of people that decide to spend the rest of their lives in America instead of their home countries face a lot of challenges along their way. Some immigrants that come to America because their countries are at war, and their homes aren’t safe anymore have troubles with the English language. America is not a