The Importance Of Being An American

In Edward L. Hudgins article, What is an American?, Hudgins defines an American in ways I had not thought of before. Hudgins stated all these ideas about Americans being driven to do their best and meeting challenges head-on. I would like to think that being an American means everything Hudgins stated, however I think Hudgins is giving the optimistic answer of what being an American means. What Hudgins explains as being an American is what I believe most Americans were like when the country was first founded. The idea of taking risks and working until the risks paid off is one that most Americans do not believe because the possibility of actually achieve one’s dream is extremely less likely today than it was when the country was first established.

Being American means taking a risk, going outside of your comfort zone to discover more about yourself,

America has made in the past, to appreciate the freedoms and opportunities that are presented to all Americans, and to celebrate the great country that we live in. Being an American means that people can live anywhere they want, to work in any industry they choose. The Declaration of Independence, Yo soy Joaquin and interviews malcolm x have shown what is means to be an American. In all desire of equality, opportunities and happiness are all true based on to what is means being an American.

To be an American means many different things. It means to be kind and help others. It means that no matter what we stick together and fight for our country. Most of all to be American means to stay strong and and stick together through thick and thin. We have stuck together as a country through times of war and terror.

The first thing that comes to mind about being American is to have freedom. Being an American means to have the right to choose what school I want to go to, to travel around the country without any trouble, and be able to achieve my career and educational goals, without any any pressure from the government or military groups. To be American means that you will not be judged by your religion or ethnicity, and if you are, you have the right to defend yourself. It means being especial because you can be from other ethnicity and still be American that’s what it means to be an American.

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

According to the Scholastic News Online, when individuals were given the question of what it means to be an American, most of them described it as “being free” and having certain rights while others gave explicit examples and mentioned the fact that we as Americans receive opportunities such as “voting”. I somewhat agree with most of these individuals. I believe that being an American consists of having certain rights and a given amount of freedom, to a certain extent. I also strongly believe that by being American, we are guaranteed opportunity if we work hard for something. Being an American also means we have the power to make a difference and express what we feel in order to make this country better than before. Coming from a family that had a much more distinct experience than

I believe that what it means to be an American is to struggle,not be accepted for you are,and to feel and be treated as someone less then other people. To be an American is to struggle with being undocumented and not being able to have a an actual document stating you went to school and have and education. “The federal dream act, which would have provided a path for undocumented children and would penalize states that failed to provide in-state tuition for undocumented students, failed to make it through congress in 2011. (I’m American too’:Undocumented students wait for Obama)” This is a key factor as to why being an American isn’t always

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

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

To be an American has a big picture that can be described in many ways. Personally, to be an American is to achieve everything; however, the person next to may have a different opinion. History, America has been attracting immigrants from different parts of the world to live the full freedom and opportunity. To be an American means much more than living in the United States is to be able to expand your beliefs. That is why people view the American Dream.

Being an American America was a new land built on promises of freedom and equality. A land with a Democracy run by the people for the people. Free from an unjust government, corrupt socio-economic system and strict religious views, Americans were a starting a new society and were establishing what living in America meant. Being an American meant being having freedom and equality, however, to what extent each of these values should be carried out was not always consistent. Some of the first Americans were people who faced challenges, they were not born into with freedom or equality, they had to fight for it.

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.

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.

My generation describes that to be an American today you have to be born in America. My generation believes that you can't be an American if you were born in another country. You can be that's what makes America it's the ability to be able to come from where ever and try to get citizenship for our country. Some people of my generation even believe that you don't just have to be born in America to be an American you have to be white. That's why there are so many problems with building walls and keeping immigrants out and other things because people don't want them to be here.