Being An American Essay

Since this great country was first established many intuitive minds have tried to answer the question; "What is an American". This country is full of individuals of many backgrounds, and diversities and each person has a different opinion on this question. In my opinion, an American is someone who values freedom and equality and pursues the "American dream." Every American exercises these rights and these are great adjectives to describe our country. Each of the seven readings, and the one image I compiled help mold this broader definition into a more precise description of an American.

What it means to be an American has nothing to do with race, gender, size, origin, etc. Being an American solely relies on how far we have came as a country to call the United States of America a home, how we have fought through blood, sweat, and tears; depressions, wars, and movements for rights. Being an American means there is freedom of religion so you have the right to believe in whatever suits you. Americans work with the opportunities given to us to not only better, as well as protect our homeland and retrieve knowledge to better our future, but Americans give up their own lives to help do the same thing for other countries as well.

The soil of the middle-east stained with the blood of our American soldiers just so we can not take advantage of our right to vote. Though sometimes questionable, America's overall image portrayed to other countries is an honorable one. America is known for its democracy and as well as being a land of opportunities and many freedoms. America's assortment of ethnicities and cultures is proof that our country is a desirable one. Wars are being fought at this very moment to defend these freedoms.

What does it mean to be an American? In my eyes to be an American means to have privileges, rights, and freedom. America isn't perfect, but it is one of the only countries that have rights given to people of different diversities and gender. America does not have tremendous poverty. Instead we have choices given to us by the people who fought and died for the American people. Without George Washington and the other patriots who planted the first seed in the ground and help plant the American nation we live in now who knows what America would be like now.

Although the present day American is a totally a different person, at the close of the Revolutionary War the same individual was a European immigrant impacted by the nature of the American continent. In St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s perspective, an American is a race that results from a mixture of Swedes, Dutch, French, Irish, Scotch, and Englishmen (48). This race consists of unique type of people who are not governed by laws as strict as they experienced in Europe. They are a breed of people who had no home and no country in Europe. This paper discusses what the American was thought to be, in view of St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s Letters from an American Farmer.

The United States has been a host to a wide diaspora of people. Immigrants have had to transition from their familiar land to a new-fashioned foreign land that they must consider home. They bring with them the essence of their initial homeland such as customs, traditions and beliefs that inadvertently change the dynamics of culture within the United States. As a result the United States is an extremely culturally diverse nation. The continual changes or accretions that Americans encounter have always been a controversial topic depending on the experiences of individuals and communities that have immigrant populations. This essay will critically explore

What it means to be American? Everybody you ask this question to will have a completely different response. Some responses might have similarities but none will be exactly the same. In the beginning of the year my response was “To be an American means having a rich history, having opportunities to better ourselves, and having freedoms.” Unfortunately not everyone has had the same opportunities or freedoms. Native Americans, who are indigenous, dealt with having their freedoms taken away, less opportunities even though they had rich history in this land before it was taken away from them. Look at what Zitkala-Sa endured. Not only that, but African Americans have fought long and hard for freedom and equality as well. W.E.B. Du Bois stood for

An American is someone who doesn't rely on others for their individual happiness. Someone with the freedom to independently make decisions towards becoming a better person without conforming to society's standards/sentiments. Americans have equal rights no matter where they come from. “Of every hue and caste I am, of every rank and religion... I resist anything better than my own diversity,” (Whitman) Walt Whitman is saying that no matter the color of your skin, your rank/wealth in society, or your religion, you are just as equal as everybody else. We are all so different and diverse yet so equal. Although we are equal, we cannot rely on one another for our own happiness. “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in

Do you consider yourself to be an American? Being an American is not just having a citizenship or living in America it is much more. America doesn’t just allow the people inside the country to stay, but America gives everyone a second chance at life and give them more opportunities. America has had a long strive for freedom and independence, making the opportunity of living here that much more special. In this essay I will be reading to you my thoughts of what it means to be an American. Bravery, honor, hope, and the freedom and equality of all Americans are the topics that I feel are most important.

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.

Many people dream about being an American. They dream because they envision America as the land of peace and prosperity. But is it? At times it has been, and at times its not. It is hard for the United States to be correct all the time because they have been unwilling designated as the "World Police". Throughout history there have been examples politically, economically, and socially, where being an American is rewarding and times where it is embarrassing. To be an American means progress. We evolved from a world ruled by white men to a world of equal opportunity.

Many people dream about being an American. They dream because they envision America as the land of peace and prosperity. But is it? At times it has been, and at times its not. It is hard for the United States to be correct all the time because they have been unwilling designated as the “World Police”. Throughout history there have been examples politically, economically, and socially, where being an American is rewarding and times where it is embarrassing. To be an American means progress. We evolved from a world ruled by white men to a world of equal opportunity.

This week’s readings focus on the boundaries drawn among different racial and ethnic groups in the United States that have evolved over time. In her investigation, Mary Waters found that white middle-class Americans, who are descendants of early European immigrants, have achieved normative racial status and symbolic ethnicity through economic mobility and intermarriage. Contemporary multi-racial identity also emerged as a result of intermarriage across racial lines. However, unlike the “multi-ethnic” whites, contemporary multi-racial individuals do not claim symbolic ethnic or racial identity but are struggling to establish their racial identity as a tangible concept. The different experiences of multi-ethnic whites and multi-racial Americans

The racial and ethnic identity individuals identify with can be a crucial aspect of the basis of their individual and collective identity (Chávez & Guido-DiBrito, 1999). Racial and ethnic identities are also both comprised of a sense of belongingness to a group, the learning process of being informed about one’s group, in addition to being associated with cultural behaviors and values, with attitudes towards one’s own group, and reactions to discriminate (Phinney & Ong, 2007). In the United States, the way in which some individuals are visibly and legally defined, places them into minority populations that can alter the way they identify with their racial and ethnic status, conflicting social influences, and cultural influences (Phinney & Ong,

When the word “America” is mentioned in the world, the first thing that comes to the minds of people is a land of opportunity. America is a land where people migrate from different parts of the world in order to search for greener pastures and live the “American” dream. This migration has made America a land of great diversity. A question that constantly lingers in the minds of people is what it truly entails to be an American and the values that comprises of its’ identity. One may ask if this identity means that an individual sustains allegiance to his culture of origin or to the culture of the United States. The influx of immigrants to the United States is rapidly redesigning the concept of the American identity and as such, there is a need to reevaluate the values that truly defines what this identity entails. The struggle for core values such as the freedom, a passion for economic progress and the promise of the American dream is not powerful enough to melt the citizens who share common values into one big pot. A society that is diverse should not have a comprehensive identity. It is possible to share common goals while still celebrating and honoring our different ethnic, racial, cultural and religious heritages. Multiculturalism enriches diversity and cross-cultural exchange, promotes tolerance and eradicates cultural ignorance which is the foundation