I Want To Be HAPPY !

So many times the phrase "melting pot" is used to describe the United States of America. It is a country built on ideals such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other basic human rights. These  ideals, though they may have originated from European men labeled as liberals, eventually captured followers from all over the world. Soon, America was a mixture of peoples with different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and cultures all working together for the "American Dream."

The United States of America has been called a “mixing pot” since the birth of the nation. Everyone, especially politicians and educators, will proudly declare that the U.S. is a land of unmatched diversity. The U.S. seems to always be portrayed as a highly cultural territory, harboring a vast population of many races. Admittedly, the United States has come a long in terms of eliminating racial barriers and pursuing equality. All around the world, America is seen as a country of colors, yet mass media does not recognize that fact.

“Although dominated by white Anglo-Saxon sociocultural patterns, American culture is in fact a tapestry woven of diverse threads that include Native American, Hispanic, Asian and African traditions, as well as those of European origin” (Craven, 2003, p. 529). America is often described as the melting pot; the concept of culture is formulated around the notion of many subcultures inside one larger nation in which, “the melting pot has not merely melted; it has cooked a broth with an unmistakable favor of its own” (Perry, 1949, p. 357).

The United States of America has been around for 240 years. Learning about our government and the history of our country can better prepare us to ensure the liberties of our future generations. I will begin with past decisions in this country that have made sure equality in this nation is met. Then, I will go on to current events that question that equality. Lastly, I will describe ways in which we can secure these liberties for the future. Let’s first delve into the past.

The United States of America has been celebrated as the great “Melting Pot” among the nations, and rightfully so. The influx of immigrants from multiple countries, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds have furthered diversified the beliefs, traditions, and expectations represented within our country. The influence that this diversity had upon our nation has shaped our country’s ideals and behaviors, which are still present today. The original intention behind the founding of our nation was to provide a way in which all people could be free to pursue their individual religious beliefs and way of living without having to fear persecution and discrimination, yet still be unified with their fellow countrymen. After all, we are the United

Throughout the course of history, the aspect of freedom in the eyes of American citizens has been surprisingly ambivalent. With the creation of the Declaration and the Constitution early in our country’s lifetime, the element of freedom was undeniably sought. However, looking back at the loosely written intentions of this document, freedom can be assumed unfit for all. The Declaration, promising “that all men are created equal” (U.S. Declaration Ind.), began as a document causing nothing but civil strife from the voices of ill represented minorities. Beginning with a largely unequal society and moving forward with only slight progress, the American government definitely has strong intentions. However, though these intentions may be

As the nation affiliated with the phrase “the land of opportunity,” America is considered a place that presents countless possibilities for people to obtain a lucrative career, to succeed in their economics, and to meet their social objectives (“Equal Opportunity,” 2013). Just as President Obama put it in his second Inaugural Address - in which he stated that, “[America] is true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is free, and because she is equal,” – Americans perpetually exert themselves to reaffirm their commitment to equality of opportunity as well as the power of self-determination (“Equal Opportunity,” 2013). With regard to basic rights, America commends itself for its exhaustive list of liberties within its constitution, which proclaims that Americans ought to always be free from oppressive restriction by authority in terms of how they wish to live their life, how they want to behave, and how they choose to politically view the world (“Liberty,” 2013). More importantly, the constitution articulates that it is fundamental human right that everyone has equal access to high quality education, and that parents have the freedom to direct the upbringing of their children (“Equality in Education,” 2015). However, despite the fact that these are truly admirable targets, the gap between what the American constitution endorses and the reality of citizens could hardly be wider, as it has been proven time and time again that America actually has far less equality of opportunity than any other advanced industrial country (“Equal

Often times America is referred to as a "great melting pot" and in many ways it's true. With a population of over 320 million, from nearly every corner of the world, it is not difficult to see how this became a popular idea. Tales about a land of prosperity and opportunity have influenced people to come here from the beginning, bringing European settlers (mainly from England, Spain, and France) to colonize the land. Not to say that they discovered it, as Native Americans had lived there for thousands of years. The culture blending and clashing that occurred then has shown no signs of stopping.

In the summer of 1776 the United States of America became a free land which brought joy and hope to what could be. However, as the land grew, so did the discrimination, prejudice views, and lack of freedom. All citizens were originally meant to be treated equal, but the hatred amongst others grew to an unthinkable proportion. Blacks and whites became segregated by law; men were given the idea that they were more powerful, or superior, just because of their gender. With society and technology advancing rapidly, one might think all Americans would truly be treated as equals. Disappointingly, that thought did not come alive in the days of the women's stories told in Hidden Figures and even though it is progressing, the rights and freedom granted in the constitution are not entirely given to every American citizen as they should be. Not every individual is treated with justice and fairness; therefore, enabling the success of various minority groups, separated by gender or race, in STEM research and education.

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Just like how everything takes time and effort, America too had to wait a while before it could get that title. It is a land that is grounded and rooted on immigrants, and thus it is a melting pot for cultures. Since the immigrants came from all over the world, they brought with them their cultures as well as their religions. Considering those terms there is liberty and equality in the country, but the time to get to that point and also at time to this day there exists some inequality and discrimination. Therefore, the struggle to reach the present day’s situation is what harbored and generated a blend of liberty (equality) and discrimination (inequality).

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Despite our founding stating that all men are created equal, the course of history has proven otherwise. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, reforms were made, but the lack of equality still remained unresolved. Today the conquest for racial equality and reform still remains a prevalent issue in the United States. Authors like Alexis De Tocqueville, W.E.B DuBois, and Frederick Harris albeit from different time periods believed democratic reforms failed to eliminate the ‘tyranny of the white majority’ and the United States has continued to provide evidence to confirm that belief.

Many countries have distinctive cultures, which are homogeneously grouped, primarily composed of one type of race, ethnicity, or nationality. This can be seen in Germany, France, Russia, China, Japan, Mexico and many others. The United States of America differs greatly from these countries in that it is a "melting pot.” The term "melting pot" has been associated with the United States (US) because there are many cultures within the country which "blend" together to form a whole (cite book merino, noel). The United States ' "melting pot" theory could be argued as the very quality that makes it the greatest superpower of the world. The US has also been called a nation of immigrants because almost every citizen of the country has immigrant ancestry, with the exception of the Native Americans. One may question why the immigrant history of this country is one of the qualities that makes it so unique. Still, large numbers of individuals from other countries come to the US every year to seek benefits and to fulfill their "American dream."

Equality and rights are what everybody in the U.S. has today, but not many people think about what it took for these to be a possession of today’s society. With equality for all and rights claimed by all, the United States is able to be what so many people fought for it to be. Knowing this, the resolution of civil liberty issues of the American past happened due to the longing for equality, the longing for rights, and the unity of individuals.

While reflecting on my old dreams a specific assignment from preschool came to mind. We were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Common answers from the class included princess, fireman, teacher and all the typical ambitions of young children. I remember my answer simply was a helper. When asked to elaborate I simply said my goal was to help people.

The American dream of equality does not agree with the way the Government denies the rights and privileges of natural rights. Natural rights give each person the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The dream of the Americans brought the Native Americans along, but bringing them along took the Natives life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Over time, the U.S. government has pushed to form an equal society. But, the equal society the U.S is still not unleashed to the full potential. Equal rights are still not present because many citizens of the U.S are raised on old values of America; that the white succeeds overall,