What Defines Us as Americans

The people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, had to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote Welfare, and protect the Blessing of Liberty to

How My Generation Defines What it Means to Be an American What does it mean to be an American and how is an American identity created? My generation defines what it means to be an American by an expression of independence and capability (freedom). Education helps to define my American generation with discovering new topics that shape who we are and what we’ll be. How we socially interact with each other is another way that describes the meaning “to be an American”.

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

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

What, exactly, makes an American an American? This question has been asked and answered since before this country was officially founded. Men and women of a multitude of races and culture have written and spoke of it. Both ends of the spectrum have been addressed extensively. From admiring ambition to condemning corruption, nothing has been left out. In America there are three things that, to me, truly define us. A nationwide greed, awe inspiring in its magnitude, which gives the Capitalistic system we run on life. A deeply ingrained sense of patriotism, hewn into us by our revolutionary forefathers, that has earned us many powerful enemies and allies. The underlying distrust of our own government, which allowed us to create our democracy,

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.

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.

What does it mean to be an American?. Many people feel that the American Dream is something hard to conquer. In reality the American Dream is just living like any average American in the United States , living with the right to have life, liberty , and the pursuit of happiness. It means that Americans have the right to vote if they want , have the right to speak their minds , or even publish what they want . It is being a republic civilization with a national government system that limits and protects American citizen laws from being violated.

By birth, all humans are given the basic right to an identity. It tells people who we are, and sometimes, tell the owner who they are. However, some countries even take this necessity away. In the United States of America, despite all of its flaws, gives her citizens these basic rights. Some of these rights are the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to petition the government, right to bear arms, and civil trial by jury. Many countries, unfortunately, do not even give their residents these rights.

Americans strongly affirm the principles of religious freedom, religious tolerance, and separation of church and state. Nearly 9-in-10 (88 percent) Americans agree that America was founded on the idea of religious freedom for everyone, including religious groups that are unpopular. Ninety-five percent of Americans agree that all religious books should be treated with respect even if we don’t share the religious beliefs of those who use them. Nearly two-thirds (66 percent) of Americans agree that we must maintain a strict separation of church and state. Americans’ views of Muslims and Islam are mixed, however. As with other previously marginalized religious groups in U.S. history, Americans are grappling with the questions Islam poses to

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union” (Source A). A more perfect union? Perfect at this point was not a thing nor is it a thing now. The constitution is far from similar to this world because there is always something happening. The history of the United States is not reflected in the world of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution through the ideas of inequality and abuse of power.

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.

We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America ( Rakove 107).

The Constitution of the United States is what makes the United States united. It unites all the people of the United States in one belief that all citizens are afforded inalienable rights. It is the basis for which the United States is built but continues to this day to be the center of many debates. Despite its controversial wording it helps provide a more perfect union, the Constitution is best understood as a guideline of fundamental rights and laws of the American citizen. Because it’s main objective is to create a stable environment for all Americans to grow and prosper.