Essay About Being American

“America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand”(Truman). Nearly everyone has an individual definition of what it means to be American. It seems, however, that many have a relatively generic definition and often have a “work hard, play hard” mentality, and some believe all it takes to achieve the American Dream and to be American is to put your head down, work hard and get lucky. However, it is much deeper than that. Being American is defying people's expectations with bravery and boldness and achieving your goals regardless of obstacles you face in life. Whether those obstacles are with race, wealth or background, you continually fight to do what you dream of.
In the face of challenges that test you and throw you off your path it's important to boldly fight to accomplish the impossible. Sometimes it seems like when you have your life all planned out to a tee, nothing

In the TED Talk about Raisuddin Bhuiyan, Anand Giridharadas displays what it meant for Raisuddin to be American in his own way. Raisuddin was an immigrant who worked at a mini-mart to pay for his education in order to attain the American Dream that so many strive for. When faced with an adversity, it is essential to be brave with your actions. Raisuddin defied the expectations of everyone by “[giving] a second chance to a man we might think deserved no chance at all” -- Mark Stroman, the man who shot him at the mini-mart ten days after 9/11 (Giridharadas). Raisuddin showed his forgiveness when he “testified in defense of Stroman's life”, trying “to prevent them from executing [him]” (Giridharadas). Raisuddin faced suffering yet, with forgiveness and courage, he still valiantly fought for the man who shot him. His fortitude and strength attribute to the bold heroism that is manifested in the idea of being