The dictionary definition of American is “a person born, raised, or living in the U.S.” (Merriam-Webster). But, there numerous meanings of this word rather than what’s written in the dictionary. Being in this remarkable first-world country is a privilege not everyone can have. In the United States of America, being an America means having the freedom to say, do, be, and believe in anything. Gallup states that freedom in the United States means “being ‘able to have our own ideas and beliefs, and being able to express [them], along with the freedom of being and individual who is different from others’” (Gallup, What Being American Means to Today’s Youth). The amount of freedom and independence America has makes it unique and different from the rest of the globe. The word ‘American’ also …show more content…
Although America is not the best nation out there, it is still important to have reverence towards it. “American patriotism…includes honor, loyalty, and bravery among others” (Cohen, Patriotism in the U.S.). Patriotic Americans are devoted to their country, which is what makes America and Americans very exceptional. The United States of America is known to be very economically successful and wealthy compared to the most countries in the world. But, the amount of money that America has cannot buy happiness for everyone. There are multiple statistics that show why America is not the utmost nation in the world. For example the New Economics Foundation (NEF) shows that people in America are not as happy as anticipated. The Happy Planet Index (HPI) of the United States is only 20.7. It is ranked as the same level as some of the poorest countries in the world, such as Afghanistan and Uganda. Another reason why America is not the greatest nation in the world is because of its poverty level. In the United States, 1 out of 6 people are in poverty, and the breach between the rich and the poor is expanding vigorously (Poverty Program, USA Poverty). That is about 45 million
Being American means taking a risk, going outside of your comfort zone to discover more about yourself,
Today America is one of the wealthiest, strongest, and hardworking countries in the world. It has population of over three hundred million and growth rate of 0.97% annually. America as a nation is known to have done many great contributions to the world such as: the idea of presidency, inventing telephone, discovering electricity, inventing planes, the first nation to put a man on moon, and many more. America has grown and multiplied over time and it is still increasing. Even though today America stands out apart from other countries, it was built from nothing but scrap.
America offers so much to the people who live in the U.S., but America will always be full of criticism, violence, and people who are offended by everything. America still seems to manage to be one of the world's best nations. The first Americans planned America to be as successful as it is, but for America to be more peaceful. America is not one of the most peaceful places, but it is not the most dangerous place to live. Even political parties lie and cheat each other. A lot of the Americans are greedy, because they take advantages of what America offers to their citizens. Even though America is not perfect I am still glad to live in the U.S.
The United States is not the greatest country in the world. However, for a very long time, people have believed that the United States tops the list. This is because of the classic lifestyle and technological advancements portrayed in our daily media. The United States is portrayed as a country of peace and optimum harmony. Consequently, we get the impression that United States is the best place to be. The younger generation seems to enjoy life to the fullest with almost no regrets. After all, most of us can drive a car at the age of 16; compare that to other countries at 18. We have access to pretty much whatever we need. Most adults are not constantly monitoring and hovering over their children. They have jobs and financial prosperity is
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
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.
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
A lot of American citizens feel that their country is the best, however; “we’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force and number 4 in exports” (Jeff Daniels, The Showroom). There is also a huge amount of injustice that still goes on here such as a corrupt justice system. More recently, there have been open protests of these injustices at NFL football games by its players who refuse to stand for the national anthem. Although, not everyone feels the same way. This is because everyone perceives the flag and America itself differently. No two people will ever think exactly the same about everything.
Americans have been breaded to believe America is the greatest country in the world. America is a place of the freedom and possibilities, an outside looking in a very desirable place to live. However, America is not as great as Americans believe. Sure Americans have a wider range of freedom then most countries, but has plenty of issues that will repulse others from coming to the land of the free. Issues such as women’s rights, racism, and discrimination plague U.S. citizens nearly each day and that should change now.
To be an American can mean a lot of things to others, but one thing everyone has in common on what they think it means is to be free. It means you can vote for who and what you want. It means you can say “The Pledge of Allegiance.” It means you can have a good education and the job you want. It means to be proud in living in the United States of America. Being an American is having freedom and being able to do things with that freedom. It’s about having freedom of religion, rights, and justice. It also means having equality. To be an American means you have the right and freedom to do what you want. It means having the freedom of speech. It means you can be yourself. To be an American mainly means having freedom.
Throughout the life span of the United States, from its infancy after the Revolution to the present, people have asked, “What is an American?” This question goes far beyond asking who is a citizen or who resides in this land. No, it asks what the identity of an American is? Through popular, art, film, and literature, the American image is defined as being based on embracing our individual identities.
What does it mean to be an American? In today's day and age, the general perception of an American is to be free, free to practice any religion, free to speak your mind, free in general. However, America has only been able to be perceived as a promised land due to the obstacles and barriers that have been challenged by early Americans. From having to accept others religious beliefs to the abolishment of slavery. A good example is J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur’s Letters from an American Farmer (1782). Letters from an American Farmer is a collection of twelve letters written from the perspective of a fictional character. These letters do a magnificent job at emphasizing on how America is similar to the environment and the people who feed
Americans have not only defined themselves by their religious, ethnic and racial identity, but also by their individual freedom and common values. America has become a nation where its people can fight for what they believe in. Our founding fathers have formed America to be “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. Being apart of the American culture and living on the land founded by our leaders specifies the meaning of the American Identity.
To me, to be an American means that I am free. When you ask a person what their definition is of what it means to be “an American” you will get many different answers. You can speak your mind, even if others disagree. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Being an American means to have opportunities that are available to us that others don’t get in other parts of the world. The United States of America is a country that is based on being a free country for citizens to have more freedom than anywhere else. It is one of the only countries that give rights to people of different diversities and genders. To be an American means to have opportunities, rights, and freedom.