Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Why is it important to have freedom
How important freedom is
Women's lack of rights in the 1800s
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Why is it important to have freedom
What does it mean to be American? A question many people ask themselves at some point in their lives. This question can either be answered in the most simple fashion or the most well thought out fashion. What it means to be American may be different to what it means to other people. Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on what it means to be American. The first word that comes to my when I am asked, what does it mean to be American, is freedom. The reason freedom comes to my head is because of all the past history events involving giving Americans more and more freedom. Many events involve freeing slaves, giving women the right to vote, giving African Americans the right to vote, less segregation of the African Americans, and immigration
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is something that every American should be willing to do anything in order to maintain. We may have weapons of mass destruction, but when it comes to living in a peaceful, American lifestyle, our freedom is our greatest weapon.
To be an American is to be proud of your flag and country, to be willing to suffer for America, and to never be willing to give up.
What does it mean to be an American? There is no definitive response to this question, but one thing holds true—the reply is linked to what that particular person believes is the national identity of the United States. Andrew Burt’s thesis of political hysteria and how it is linked through national identity is illustrated through the politicized episode of the Red Scare in his book, American Hysteria: The Untold Story of Mass Political Extremism in the United States.
Americans are defined by the respect they have for their country and its government, in taking advantage of their freedoms and rights that they gain by showing respect through allegiance, pride, and loyalty.
What does it mean to be an American? Being an American is much more than the idea of freedom and money. Everyone has their own version of the American Dream as expressed by poets, musicians, and even authors. I believe the American Dream is still possible because it takes hard work and dedication to be able to achieve what you want. I also believe the American Dream is starting from the bottom and working your way up to something more, something better. Below are a few of America’s voices from the great melting pot.
Americans can cherish their freedom of expression and are part of a diverse culture. An American is someone who would embrace freedom and liberty. Overall, to be an American, it is crucial to embrace the culture and become a part of it disregarding where you were born.
What makes an American an American? Is it the accent, the clothing, the fact that you
The meaning of being American is the ability to do and feel what u want to do and be able to do it freely. Is the quote, "here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and prosperity will one day cause great change in the world"(What is an American paragraph 3), there is an example of freedom in Americans. The freedom that he has the ability and freedoms to be able to cause change and have a voice in how the way things are done.
Around the world, being American means many different things ranging from ignorant to arrogant. However, in America we have our own ideas of what it means to be American. There are three values that make any person American: freedom, opportunity, and equality.
Being an American has a big picture that can be described in many ways. Personally, being an American is to achieve everything; however, the person next to you may have a different opinion about it. In history, America has been attracting immigrants from different parts of the world to live the full freedom and opportunity. To be an American means much more than living in the United States is to be able to expand the beliefs one has. That is why people view the American Dream.
The definition of an American, is someone who is a citizen of the United States. Many African Americans, and immigrants struggled to become actual Americans in their lifetimes, because others didn 't see them as actual people; and based it on the color of someone. In today 's world people who live in America consider themselves as Americans, but to me there is certain qualities that make a person an American. To me being a true American is not based off of what Country they were born in, or what race their parents are, or even if they were immigrated to the United States. People from all over the world would say that maybe people could base this off of someone 's family heritage, or where they were before they came to America. If you were asked what makes an American an American what would you base it off of? To me there are four specific characteristics that make a person a true American; those three things would be, freedom, individuality, belief in the country, and happiness.
Being an American is more than just living in America, or being born in this country. Many people talk about being American’s and they aren't even in this country. Being an American is a way of life that people adapt into by seeing how we act. People all over the world eat the same things that we eat, so that can't really be a way of being an American. To me, being an American is embracing our ways of life, not fighting for the other guys, and loving our anthem and the flag.
...ciety void of cultural biases; and allows the freedom of thought to drive the society to a higher level of conscienceness. Being an American means all prejudices are melted away by the variety of people living together in a new race of man called Americans.
The American Ideological Consensus is that “…the American people have shared much of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief” (McClenaghan 104). When America filled itself with ideologically homogenous people, their beliefs started to define our nation and became American identities. If asked what they think of America, peoples of other nations would say that the roads are made of glass, opportunity is in the air, and civil rights are plentiful. These accounts maybe accentuated; however, the underlying message is that the American people have more freedoms then the peoples of other nations do. The most widely known American identity is freedom, and even though that American identity has been tried and tested throughout much of its history, it can still be said that America is a land of liberty.
Perhaps the most exclusive aspect of American freedom is stated directly in the Declaration of Independence. It states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson). This well-known statement truly incorporates all facets of what it means to be free in America. The citizens of this country have the right to live. They have the right to be free of restriction and control, to do what they please. And they have the right to be happy in whatever way that might be. These rights are...