What does it mean to be an American today? Or rather, what does being an American entail? Does that pertain to a certain individual’s perspective? Or is Americanism defined through a collective consciousness projected around the world? Over the course of time, Americans have gone through various embodiments of who they are, without loosing the essence of what they represent. In the 1800’s, America was known to be the state of slaveholders, a country represented by “whiteness” and “white elites.” In 1965, African Americans were allowed the right to vote. In 2004, the U.S State of Massachusetts allowed for same sex couples to be married. As of 2015, 43.3 million people in the United States are considered to be immigrants. Throughout the centuries,
In the short story Harrison Bergeron, equality forces in American society. The characters Harrison and George are both handicapped by the Government to be equal with society. Harrison is taken away from his mother Hazel and father, George because he is against being handicapped to be equal. George believes it has made the world a better place than it was before. Although, George is above average I look up to him because I'm similar to him along with his intelligence, beliefs in equality, and support for the laws.
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. There are so many good things about being American but there are some downsigns.
Being an American means a few things. Freedom, protecting the weak, loving your country, and being active in political affairs. The most important and also the most defining is freedom. Americans are free in both mind and body; able to think freely and, for the most part, act accordingly. Being an American means that almost anyone can run for government positions. Being an American means that if you don’t like the laws, you work to change them through politics. Being an American means dreaming bigger than reason, and working to fulfill that dream. Being an American also means that while you are free to disagree with America’s government and political figures, you realize that America is trying it’s best, and you respect that.
In some of the pieces of literature like “I, Too, Sing America,” “America and I,” “The Bill of Rights,” and “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty” the authors have different ideas of what it means to be American. They also express their ideas using different strategies: negation, classification, and function. With these ideas and strategies a more complex definition on what it means to be American was developed. Being an American means being patriotic, having freedoms, and believing in a dream of something amazing.
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. We all go through life in varying manners, some choose to challenge the everyday laws, others cling to the authority hoping not to get noticed, we have different jobs, go to different schools, live in different neighborhoods, some of us have hundreds of family members, and some have none, theres no telling the situation. So the question in general is hard to answer because every American has a different view of living in america. Some people see it as shameful to live in such a cruel country, some are proud to be a part of something that is constantly evolving, there are endless feelings towards America and all are found in the people of this country.
To me being an American means being able to go after ones goals and dreams in life. Also another thing I think about what it means to be an American to me is freedom. Freedom should be for everyone weather they be American or not but still it still means being an American. Another way to be an American to me is having a family, friends, and just a lot of fun on a daily bases. These are just some of the many things
Being an American can mean many different things all depending on the different perspectives of different ethnic or religious groups. So what does being an American mean to me? Being an American to means that everyone can live a happy stress free life where they don’t have to worry about being discriminated against or feeling like they don’t have equal rights.
There are many different reason for what is means to be an American. Many people believe that being an American means you like cheeseburgers and pizza, but it’s much more than that. Being an American means you help others who are in need, or to have an education, or taking part in elections for the government. Though, Americans all over the country would have different responses of what it means to be American. Being American can mean very different things, which means that there is no specific rule about how to be American.
Being an American means many things. It means freedom, pride, and the opportunity to receive proper education. While these things may have different meanings to those who think upon them, they are three of the main factors of being an American.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution assured that people born in The United States are American citizens and individual states cannot deprive them of their constitutional rights. It also assured that all citizens in all states enjoyed not only rights on the federal level, but on the state level, too. In 1866, when the 14th Amendment was ratified, the U.S. was in the midst of Reconstruction, particularly in the south. Because all African-American people freed from slavery, they needed land, housing, jobs, etc, and the Republicans wanted equality to be protected by the Constitution itself, which is where the 14th Amendment came into play. People were unhappy with the fact that President Johnson vetoed the proposal of the 14th Amendment at first. His argument was that federal protection of civil rights would lead to “centralization” of the government. He was also against giving African-Americans full citizenship. The 14th
An American, what does it mean to call oneself an American? To many outside the United States, it means patriotism, it means freedom. To others it means laziness, gluttony, or greed. To almost every American, it means the freedom to choose one’s fate. America has been known to be called “The Land of Endless Opportunity.” Ben Franklin was the pioneer of this idea and thus made a large contribution to the American identity through his ideas and hard work.
To be an American. Many take this phrase too lightly, others, too strict. There are both formal and informal ways to consider yourself an American. Some think that to be an American means to have the privilege of attending a Yankees game on Sunday or being able to swing by and grab a big-mac every chance you get, having the privileges that we take so lightly while other countries strive for the resources and advantages that we don’t even think twice about until it suddenly no longer exists. Being an American means to be there when others are in need, whether they are a different skin color, talk differently, or even if they can’t communicate with you. Being an American means helping even your enemies while continuing to hold your pride and
To begin, Americans are who respect this nation and follow the laws. An American is someone who celebrates the 4th of july. The independence is something we do that we celebrate in American. This event is very huge we all put our flags up to show our respect and this is the time we all come together We have gained freedom in our nation, which is amazing to have. we do things without being controlled over. Food is also something that makes us Americans individuals. We have different cultures and by that we have different varieties of foods. The type of food here is different than any other country. To others we may see we eat the junkie foods. Another thing that we have is clothing. Our style is different than other countries, also it depends on our religion we come from. Many
My parents are Americans, you’re an American, even I’m an American as well. Do you know the true meaning of being an American? American is a word that people used like mostly every day to express ourselves. The people in this country are diverse because these various definitions that call us lazy, rude, and obnoxious. What makes us distinctly American is having courage to yourself and able to be trustworthy as an American.