Racism In America

852 Words2 Pages

America is a fairly modern country, as it was new land founded by immigrants. The American population is very diverse with people from all over the world, yet somehow it is united as one. Although it is quite spectacular and unique, the immense diversity of the nation does also have its downfalls. Racism has affected Americans of different backgrounds in multiple ways, as demonstrated by the questioning of the meaning an American, the feeling of feeling excluded, and actions from the U.S. government.
In Elanor Stein’s article, “Construction of an Enemy,” she used the phrase “construction of an enemy” to describe the U.S. government policies that have treated Americans unfairly. The phrase tells readers that the actions of the American government …show more content…

The meaning of being an American can mean different things to various people from different eras. I believe being an American means honoring the country, working hard, having opportunities, and bring a part of a diverse community. According to the article, “What is an American?” author Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur believes an American man is free. Although usually of mixed European descent, American men are not prejudiced; they leave all of those discriminatory ideas behind when they come to America (Crevecoeur, ch. 1). As these men unite in America, they share their knowledge and experience to improve the new community. Being an American meant starting fresh with new homes, rules, and statuses; everyone was given a clean slate for a fresh start. It can be understandable that having such a mixed culture may complicate the “race” of an American. Crevecoeur mentions in his essay that the American travellers in the early days were a “mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes” (Crevecoeur, ch. 1). It is evident that Crevecoeur believes that the meaning of an American is uniting as one, but also appreciating diversity. America can be compared to a melting pot: there are so many races and cultures that are melted together into one. Americans are really special. The American dream is really for everyone, no matter what race, to have an equal opportunity to work to support themselves in order to live a meaningful

Open Document