What it means to be American


It does not make you an American because you light fireworks on July 4th, or because you root for U.S.A. in the Olympics; being American is so much more than that. To be an American means that you are a part of something so much bigger than yourself. American comes with a package deal of freedom, and a dream. To be American means that we see that dream and we fight for it, we don't sit and expect the perfect life because of what flag we pledge to. We spend our lives working to achieve that dream and to have the privilege of giving our children more in life than we had. To be an American means that in times of need we drop everything to help a neighbor. It means that in times of triumph we support friends and family, and that in times of crisis we unite as a nation. Being American is not detectable by how one looks. The nationality is not given away by one’s race or beliefs. Being American means being accepting to different ethnicities and religions. It means you can come as you are, pray as you wish, and you will not be punished. But no, we do not expect all of these rewards to fall into our laps. We’ll work for them.

Pain, hardship, endless strife and suffering, these are only a few things that people have endured to have the privilege of calling themselves an American and to have the opportunity of fulfilling the great American dream. The opportunities that people strive for should not be taken for granted. “The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must, therefore, entertain new ideas and form new opinions.” (deCrevecoeur) America gives us the chance to better ourselves and our life. Being American is being given an opportunity that we must take. Yes, being American means we have freedom and rights. But it does not mean that we expect a healthy family and white picket fences just because of what country we’re in. If it was handed to us it wouldn’t be called a dream. No, that’s not the dream. A man born a slave who died a businessman, that’s the dream. An immigrant comes to America from a life of poverty to create an invention that would change the way we live forever, that’s the dream. We work hard to achieve that dream. If we didn’t it would be the American Policy, not the American dream. Once we achieve that dream, we can focus on taking care of one another.

One may argue that our states are only united in times of crisis, but that is not the case. Yes, when storms hit our coasts or planes hit our skyscrapers, we as a nation rebuild. We donate our money or our time, we watch newscasts in silent horror and mourn together as a whole. But it’s in our everyday lives that we do really unite. It’s when a friend needs a room for the night, or when a neighbor’s car won’t start, or when a coworker needs a ride home. “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” (Benjamin Franklin) But we do not just unite in times of hardship; we unite in times of triumph. We buy dinner for a friend on their birthday, or go to congratulate our neighbor for getting married, or throw showers when our coworkers have babies. We come together as a nation everyday, not just in times of crisis. Whoever you are America will care about you.

America is not known as “the land of the whites”, we are not nailed down to only one religion, we are the melting pot. “Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them chose.” (Ferrera) Our government is not run by where we pray, people are not turned away for the color of his or her skin. We are America, we have our own history that cannot be rewritten. We wrote a list of ten rules, and add to them still. Those rules are followed and respected, choosing to accept or not accept people into our great nation will never change that. What we chose to believe in is not restricted, one’s nationality does not affect how we treat them. It does not make someone any less free for being Muslim, Chinese, Jewish, or African. Being an American means being accepted for who you are, because we are an accepting country.

Being American means you are free. It means that you have endless opportunities that if you take, can allow you to achieve the great American dream. Being American means that you are cared about. It means that your government, your neighbors, your family, the citizens you pass of the street care about you. Being American means that you’re accepted. No matter where you’re from, no matter how many times you pray to whomever you pray to, no matter the color of your skin you will be accepted in America. So don’t think that being an American is nothing more that barbeques and the pledge of allegiance, because being an American means more than you may think.