What It Means To Be An American Essay

Freedom of religion and freedom of Speech were some of the major values that drove the pilgrims to start their own community in America. We started in thirteen colonies which have evolved into the fifty states that are our country today. Our newly established democracy offered rights that our old society didn?t bring to the table. Currently, the United States is the most or one of the most privileged nations and is very pleasant to live in compared to some foreign nations that may come to mind. However, we, as citizens, have come to abuse our rights and privileges given to us.

Although the present day American is a totally a different person, at the close of the Revolutionary War the same individual was a European immigrant impacted by the nature of the American continent. In St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s perspective, an American is a race that results from a mixture of Swedes, Dutch, French, Irish, Scotch, and Englishmen (48). This race consists of unique type of people who are not governed by laws as strict as they experienced in Europe. They are a breed of people who had no home and no country in Europe. This paper discusses what the American was thought to be, in view of St. Jean de Crevecoeur’s Letters from an American Farmer.

What does being an american mean to me? Being an american means that I have freedom to do things that I want,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness which the military fights for. Another thing I have is rights that means that I have choices to pick things that I want to do in life like pick a job or do whatever because of the military fighting for are country. I also have justice which means that things are fair and you have a fair trial if I go to court and can not just go to jail.

Do you consider yourself to be an American? Being an American is not just having a citizenship or living in America it is much more. America doesn’t just allow the people inside the country to stay, but America gives everyone a second chance at life and give them more opportunities. America has had a long strive for freedom and independence, making the opportunity of living here that much more special. In this essay I will be reading to you my thoughts of what it means to be an American. Bravery, honor, hope, and the freedom and equality of all Americans are the topics that I feel are most important.

Defining what really is to be an American does not sound as easy as it seem. It will always be complex process. As immigration continues to fuel the growth of the population of our nation, racial and ethnic gap increase and evolve along with it. Racial and ethnic identities become more and more convoluted and difficult to understand. Race and ethnicity continue to intermingle and push a cultural shift in the US– a shift that plays a significant role in redefining America in a day-to-day basis.

With all the controversy in what it means to be American at this point in history, coming to a consensus on the meaning of the term is crucial. The meaning of being an American can often be tied to one’s emotional connection to the United States of America. If this attachment is taken away from the definition of the word, the most authentic and traditional interpretation of what it means to be an American is revealed. To be an American means to be a citizen of the United States and to align yourself with the ideals of America.

To be an American can mean a lot of things to others, but one thing everyone has in common on what they think it means is to be free. It means you can vote for who and what you want. It means you can say “The Pledge of Allegiance.” It means you can have a good education and the job you want. It means to be proud in living in the United States of America. Being an American is having freedom and being able to do things with that freedom. It’s about having freedom of religion, rights, and justice. It also means having equality. To be an American means you have the right and freedom to do what you want. It means having the freedom of speech. It means you can be yourself. To be an American mainly means having freedom.

Many people dream about being an American. They dream because they envision America as the land of peace and prosperity. But is it? At times it has been, and at times its not. It is hard for the United States to be correct all the time because they have been unwilling designated as the "World Police". Throughout history there have been examples politically, economically, and socially, where being an American is rewarding and times where it is embarrassing. To be an American means progress. We evolved from a world ruled by white men to a world of equal opportunity.

How does our generation define what it means to be “American”? Being in America gives us the freedom to become who we want to be and, to do what we want to do. We are using technology to get places or to make a point. We want to support things we don’t know anything about. For example, Black Lives Matter. I’m not saying I know everything about it but I know enough. So one day as I was scrolling through Facebook I came across a post. The post was about a 9/11 “Never Forget” picture. A teen one or two older than me had said something along the lines of “When is our never forget day?” along with the hashtag “#Blacklivesmatter”. I got pretty upset by that. Not to mention it was said on 9/11. I was thinking about how they have a whole month to

Throughout the life span of the United States, from its infancy after the Revolution to the present, people have asked, “What is an American?” This question goes far beyond asking who is a citizen or who resides in this land. No, it asks what the identity of an American is? Through popular, art, film, and literature, the American image is defined as being based on embracing our individual identities.

What it means to be an American is that we have our basic freedoms, we have the right to vote for our president, our senate, our house of representatives, and many more. We also have the right to a fair and speedy trial, while other countries if you break the law you get the death sentence. The United States of America is a great place and we should be respectful and proud of that. What is means to be an American can vary from person to person, but there will always be the core value that we have our freedoms and our liberties.

Wealth. Freedom. Equality. The pursuit of happiness and opportunity. From John Winthrop’s “The City Upon A Hill” to Thomas Jefferson’s “The Declaration of Independence”, the term America has been universally defined by these ideals. As a citizen living within this country, I have grown up being taught that upholding these values defines being an American. While this was a generic and naive response to what it means to be American, I simply accepted this because it was what others told me. Looking back, I realize that I blindly accepted this definition because of a false and hopeful view of humanity in general. I did not see the world for what it is, rather, I saw it as filled with blissfully optimistic hope, I idealized the world, dreaming that America and, by extension, Americans were shining beacons of freedom, equality, and opportunity in the world, cultivating my previous

Americans have the right to live their life how they want. No person is punished for belonging to any religion. Many Americans enjoy the second amendment, the right to bear arms. Another right is the right to vote. Any person over the age of 18 can vote for the next president. Freedom of speech, allowing

In the beginning there was fire, then the development of small communities, then government systems, then one day, America. Along with American government systems and the most favorable American society. Ever since the development of the American society and the “American” label humans have been trying to put a description on the “average” American. African-Americans, Americans, and vast amounts of people around the world have been trying to wrap their finger around the American idea. So what does it take to be an American? The unalienable rights life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? The everyday advantages of following the rules of this great country? When I look upon this country and see the inhabitants, I see Americans. People who have been raised with strong morals, a society who chases their dreams instead of hiding from their fears, a population willing to work for their happiness and freedom.

The freedom of Americans include numerous benefits. The Freedom of speech, Freedom of Religion, and the Freedom of all around everyday choices; also known as the pursuit of happiness. Those freedoms allow Americans the right to have beliefs in whomever the religion calls for; Jesus for Christians, as well as Allah for Muslims, and so forth. American freedoms also allow Americans to spend their lives with the spouses of choice. They also allow the freedom to express feelings and beliefs of subjects under the correct pretenses. Free speech is also meant to be interpreted, and as an American, rights that seem to oppose any freedoms to those who look upon them can be modified to suit said citizen as stated in Amendment 9 “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain