What exactly does it means to be an American you may ask ? A historian by the name of Philip Gleason had once stated that ¨To be or to become an American, a individual didn 't have to be any particular nationality, learning language, religious, or ethnic background. All he had to do was to commit himself to the political ideology centered on the abstract ideals of liberty, equality, and republicanism. Nevertheless, the Universalist ideological persona of an American nationality meant that it was willingly open to become an American¨. Furthermore, what Gleason is explaining is that all one has to do is act like an American and embrace the American way of life, but is this really what it implies to be an American? In this essay I will identify whether or not it is enough to embrace culture, or if there is more to identifying what it is to be an American.
Identifying as being an American has many characteristics as well as distinct aspects. First, to be an American it means that I 'm free as an individual of the United States of America. This simply exemplifies that when I grow up I have the ability to choose the career or job that I want free willingly. In addition, that I have the right to a good education and to have intentions to become someone in this society of
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As you can clearly see being an American isn 't as it was perceived. However, being an American is a great privilege and living the American lifestyle is very meaningful. Throughout this essay I have learned that being an American contains lots of exemplorific characteristics that go along with it. Just as Philip Gleason explained “To pursue as an American an individual didn 't have to be any particular nationality, language, religion, or ethnic background.” What I have taken from this essay is that Americans have the right to be free and pursue the American Dream with
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.
Finally, people still alive like my grandma may say different. When I asked her this question, she left me with this answer “It means you’re free to make your own choices”(Mary Eaton). This comes across as the same type of answer I gave. This is because she still is alive now to realize what is going on to this day, which results in an opinion like others. If she had remembered what an American identity was like back then, then her opinion could have been different.
The actual definition of American is relating to, or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants. Being proud of who you are and the place you live. Americans have defined themselves not by their racial, religious, and ethnic identity but by their common values and belief in individual freedom. An American says the Pledge of Allegiance and understands that voting is important to Democracy, individually Americans value freedom and are proud citizens, and the freedom of human right.
To me being American means many things. To start off I believe that being American has nothing to do with from where you may originally be from whether it is a place in Latin America or Europe. I believe that it has to do with the ideals that you believe in. I believe an American is someone who was born in the United States and was raised by the ideals and beliefs of this country. An American is someone who respects the values of others and gains knowledge and perspective through their differences.
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.
On May 16,2017 I interviewed Karina Salgado about what it means to be American to her. She is currently a preschool teacher at Acacia Tree Preschool here in Anaheim, but she also is studying to get her associate degree to become an elementary teacher. Karina stated throughout the interview that she's proud to call herself a chicana instead of an actual American. She also stated that she is the oldest of three and that her parents are both Mexican. Karina made some clear points towards the question of what it means to be american.
The definition of being an American is often synonymous to most people. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, once expressed his vision, saying, "My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as a beacon of hope." According to Lincoln, being American means embodying hope for a brighter future. Similarly, in Learned Hand's address titled "I am an American Day Address," he defines being American as having a sense of liberty. Understanding Hand's concept of liberty lies in recognizing the balance between courage and freedom.
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.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Being American to me means the ability to pursue happiness, an education, an income, and any of my dreams. Being able to live in a country that you can do anything that you set your mind to do and not having a dictator ruling the citizens. By being apart of this nation you are fortunate enough to have and make your own choices in life. Two main symbols that most people can immediately name when they think of the U.S. is the bald eagle and the American flag.
America is a “land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire” people who come to America come here to get a better life or career. Most people who come to America for a few years think they are Americans because they wave a flag, but they don't know the true meaning of what it means to be and American. An American is someone who will die for it’s country, someone who emigrated here for more opportunities, and someone who is encouraged by the history of America. In “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty”, by John Sidney McCain he Defines his own personal interpretation of what an American is.
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. Americans know
Everyone has their different beliefs about being an American. But how do one know about being American if they are not accustomed to being an American? In a story, read by Quebalea Green called Fish Cheeks wrote by a young girl at the time named Amy Tan. In this story, Amy’s whose family including her was Chinese had a dinner for Christmas with Chinese traditional food. Amy thought it was a bad idea. Her family invited over their minister and his son that Amy had a crush on who were American.
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.
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. To start with, being an American can range in definition depending on a person 's perspective of America. Personally, I would say being an American is when you can live a happy life where you don 't have to worry about being treated differently because of the color of your skin.
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.