What makes someone an American? This is a question that has so many answers because so many people have different views on Americanism. One person might claim you have to be born in America, some might say you have to be raised in it. While they are not necessarily wrong, others will have a different idea. Some people view Americanism as an attitude, not a nationality. It is how you present yourself to others and to the world. They believe Americanism is based on the American people, not the American land. To them, being an American is about understanding their values and ethics and going along with them.
What is America all about? What is America defined as? America is more than just its geographical boundaries. To everyone in the world, America stands for something. People believe in America. America is the place that seems to give opportunities and equal changes to all. They have more freedom than others (but not total freedom). America is a united people working together. I believe America is a place where all people have a chance to succeed in life. I also believe that in America people have the freedom to stand up for their beliefs and fight for them.
According to the dictionary, the definition of Americanism is a custom, trait, belief, etc., peculiar to the United States of America or its citizens. In 1776 when the United States was established and we declared independence from Britain, we got many rights and freedoms. Those rights and freedoms are still very important today to making Americans who they are and what they believe.
Being an American is simply having equal rights, equal opportunities, freedom, and a safer, better life. There are countries that are so strict that if you are seen doing something you are not supposed to, you will be arrested and killed. That’s why we are so privileged to live in a country that allows us to do what we want to. Having equal rights and equal opportunities is a big role in being an American because without that, comes racism, hate, and crime. “‘Your parents were in California?
America’s identity is defined differently by every individual. Ideally it was to be a place of freedom and acceptance, identified by its message of liberty and hard-work, however the question arises whether America is a melting pot in which only one culture dominates or it a mosaic of many peoples’ histories. America’s potential and true identity lies within its ability to assimilate and create a natural individualism despite race, class, and immigration standing.
I am an American. I choose this word to represent me, although others may not acquiesce and won’t categorize individuals who aren’t born in this country to be Americans. In others perspective, to be an American means to have the blood of an American. But I on the other hand, don’t have the heritage and the qualifications that are expected of me to be an American but that is the word that I have chosen to describe myself regardless. The definition of what it means to be an American is debatable and varies from each person. It is more about what you are about rather than who you are. It is contributing to this country, pledging allegiance to a flag and being open to the idea of life, liberty, and equality.
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.
In discussion of country’s ideal, a controversial issue has been if kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful or not. On the one hand, many argue that they are expressing their first amendment rights. On the other hand, many people believe it’s disrespecting our nation 's ideals and the people who fight for our freedom. My own view is that it is not disrespecting the country’s ideals if the country is not living up to the ideals itself. While people believe kneeling during the National Anthem is disrespecting the country 's ideals, I believe kneeling during the National Anthem is not disrespectful.
When a person hears or sees the word America, what do they think? America is a country that almost everyone in the world knows about because there are certain words and phrases that can be used to describe it. Some common terms are sports, equality, the melting pot, powerful, freedom, hard working, and some more. All of these words make up what is known as the American Identity. This American Identity has been built up over time by people’s actions and thoughts.
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. Having patriotism is part of being American.
When you ask a non American “What does America mean to you?”, they will more often than not answer with hamburgers, obesity, NFL and Reality TV. That is okay because who doesn 't love hamburgers and football filled Sundays, who doesn 't love watching silly reality TV shows and who doesn 't love a cheat day every once in awhile? Those people are judging a book by its cover and fortunately for me… well my thoughts about America are quite different. When an individual asks me “What does America mean to you?”, I immediately think of three words, freedom, love and family. The most important right someone can have in this world is freedom and luckily for americans we have the luxury of freedom all the time. America has the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, the freedoms I just listed are only a few that America are known for. Sadly for other countries, most of them do
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.
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.
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.”
What is America to you? Democracy is what first would come to mind, it is the core value of what America stands for. Being democratic has given the United States of America a title of a leader of change by its people. Recent survey information from local University of California, Santa Barbara students, the millennials feel as though the democratic system is up to our values with improvement of representation toleration in our nation.