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What It Means To Be An American Essay

889 Words4 Pages

Every year, the Fourth of July is celebrated as the day that the Declaration of Independence was created, and that the United States of America was formed, thus its citizens were no longer subjected to the Kingdom of Great Britain and free of the British rule. So, what is an American? What does it mean to be an American? First and foremost, some may say, an American has the right to speak their mind, which is freedom of speech. This freedom helps those individuals serve this country, as Americans stand up for what is right and just. Thus, expressing one’s opinion is a big part of being an American. Some may say that to be an American means to be free, as it boasts about having the freedom of religion, rights, and justice. To be considered an …show more content…

These statements are bold, and on the surface exhibit a sense of ubiquity that should not only exist in America, but commonplace worldwide. Sadly, as one begins to look beyond the surface, that story is not so simple, as America’s history of racial and ethnic exclusions have challenged the universal stance; for being an American has also meant some of its citizens unwillingness to share a national culture, one that is largely diverse in racial, ethnic, and religious terms. The fact that Americans can and do have more than one language, religion, and ethnic background seems to be unsettling for many. Race and ethnicity are the most common and urgent issues that have plagued America since its inception. The idea of superiority simply because of one’s skin color or religious beliefs contradicts everything that is stated in the founding documents of this country. Without going into extreme depth and stating the well-known obvious; (Slavery, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, etc.), lets fast forward a bit into the 21st century pre and post 9/11. A place where this country is far removed from the distant 1960’s, but not so far as to allow one to lose visibility of the stain of racial inequity that has imbedded itself into the fabric of the American flag and permeated the Justice system along with its

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To be an american you must act live as an american, so be free, strong, and courageous. Being american is best understood by the way of life as an American. Since the birth of america, Americans have fought for what they thought was right and to fulfill a dream or their manifest destiny. From the start of America we acted on the human rights and set ourselves free and formed the idea of freedom and strength in America. With the Amendments established our freedoms like the first amendment Freedom of expression which states “the First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content” as said by Thurgood Marshall.

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What it means to be an American is that you have the freedom to vote freedom of speech. You have the liberty to be what you want in America no one chooses for you. Also have the liberty to work wherever you want not be someone 's slave. Being American means you don 't have to hide your religion, the color of your skin or your sex. You have the ability to speak what you want.

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America’s relationship with racial minorities, religious minorities, and immigrants has subsided and flowed with time, ranging from acceptance to fear. Since white Europeans first landed in North America the persecution of “the other” followed and continues today. It’s been nearly 151 years since The Civil War ended, but the battle between the races rages on. While many people in South embrace Confederate flag as a sign of heritage, many in the African American community view it as a symbol of hate. America clearly has a problem when it comes to minorities and yet no one has the solution to the problem.

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In my eyes, what it means to be an American starts with the idea of opportunity and individuality2. America is often seen as the land of opportunity, and the people who move to America generally come because they want opportunity. Being an American means you can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want to do, as long as it’s legal. For example, women in the U.S. can drive or have any job that they want, unlike women in other countries that don’t get that chance.

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What does it mean to be an American? To be an American means not taking anything for granted and for being thankful for what we have and not being greedy for what we don't have, but may want. There are many different sources to describe an American, but the ones that are better to use are, "America and I", "Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty", and "Address on the Occasion of the Fifteen Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, October 28, 1936." According to these sources, an American is someone who is free and they are proud to be an American no matter what is happening.

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825 Words | 4 Pages

The United States of America has been dubbed the land of opportunity and freedom; and over the course of history immigrants have fled to escape prejudice and oppression. America has become a melting pot of cultures, where opinions and beliefs that intermingle with each other lead to conflict and pride. Average Americans have an innate personality that sets them apart from the rest of the world, that the country created today has become an entire world in itself. To be an American is to have a great sense of patriotism, to value ones individualism, and to be materialistic. Patriotism is a trait that all Americans express.

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In these texts, being an American means having the right to have freedoms, the right to be treated equally, and to be given a new start. People all over America define what America is, which is

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What Does It Mean To Be An American What does it mean to be an american? Isn’t that the question that every american citizen wonders at some point in their lives? It is a simple question that can be taken different ways and answered in many different forms. Some may answer as a personal opinion, others as a factual statement, I however agree with those who see it as an opinion. Every person in America is different in some way.

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Identity and Disempowerment in the United States Throughout the history of the United States there have been political and social divides between different groups of people, whether based on sexuality, race, ideologies, or nationality. Since the colonization and founding of our country we have made great progress in fighting racism and discrimination, but there will seemingly always be a lingering hostility. The very people that built the United States are the ones who are the most ostracized. Marginalization and discrimination in the United States is a problem that has always plagued the united states and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

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As many people know, America is by far the most Patriotic of countries, with pride bursting at the seams of the nation; indeed, the United States, with her progressively motivated economy and culture, has created a devoted population that will fight to the death anyone who demises it. For example, very few nations take such pride and put forth such effort into a National Independence Day. With such an essential meaning placed upon the Fourth of July, Americans have no choice but to take this day, along with most other days in the year, as an opportunity to boast with one another about how great their land

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The definition of an “American” has been debated and redefined since the original colonies won their independence from England. Countless opinions and theories have flown trying to explicitly define the term. However these theories often do little more than overcomplicate the simplicity of the American identity. Being an American is the sense of pride in the values upheld by our country since its birth and the work ethic required to preserve those values. Being an American is loving this country engineered for freedom and individuality by courage and determination.

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Our forefathers fought long ago for the freedoms that we have, while in other countries, their forefathers have just begun to fight. Citizens born in this country may value the freedoms that we once fought for on a traditional level, however, immigrants value these freedoms on a day-to-day basis, because of the loss, or lack, of rights they have experienced that American-born citizens have not. On July 4th, 1776, our forefathers declared independence from Britain, and the ongoing abuse that scarred the nation had ended. Annually, Americans celebrate

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Racial injustices and discrimination have been present in America since the beginning. Around the world, entire civilizations have been wiped out, because they have not met the standard set by other ethnic groups. People have been discriminated against based on nothing but the color of their skin for centuries. Despite the recurrent idea, this fear and dislike of other cultures are unfortunately still more prevalent in America today than most people know. In today’s society, it is a common issue that affects everyone.

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1111 Words | 5 Pages

Jenna Chong December, 4th 2017 5B To Identify as an America What is independence? Most define it as simply having freedom from being governed or ruled by another country. Which is very important in today’s world, but what stands out is the freedom and what we choose to do with it. The gap between the year 1776 when America was declared independent and the present year 2017, estimates to two hundred and forty one (241) years of freedom to its citizens. Therefore, the revolution to make America great was a success for the most part, but recently majority of Americans have lost the meaning behind freedom.

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America is a place where we strive to allow everyone to be individualistic and an American is someone who actively supports

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