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What It Means to be an American

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What Does it mean to be American?

What it means to be an American citizen transverse past the legal definition of being an

American citizen. The notion of being an American constitutes having a system of shared ideals

and values. According to historian Philip Gleason, one does not have any particular ethnic

identity to be considered an American (Gleason, 1980). To be considered American, one is

required to live on the political ideologies and pegged abstract framework of equality, ideal

republicanism, and uphold the tenet of liberty enshrined within the American constitution. The

idea of being an American is a universalistic ideology that explains anyone is free to be an

American. However, for one to be considered an American, it is necessary to participate in civic

responsibility duties, including paying taxes, participating in elections, and serving the American

ideals both at home and abroad. Therefore, being an American includes enjoying the freedom of

speech, living by the American standards of life, embracing diversity, and having equal rights.

Among the tenets of being an American is the privilege of speaking one’s mind because

of the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech makes it easy for American citizens to voice

concerns on matters that impact them directly. It enables the citizens to stand up for what is right

and just. The freedom of speech also allows American citizens to say “no” out of their inner

conviction and volition. Such is opposed to saying “yes” as an attempt to please anyone.

American citizens enjoy free speech that is instituted in the creed of the country that

acknowledged peace, security, and freedom (Berumen, 2019). This also stipulates that

Americans can overcome any challenges that face them by finding a bespoke solution that other

countries cannot seemingly achieve. For example, following the nationwide protest by the Black

Lives Matter movement, millions of Americans, regardless of ethnic backgrounds, joined

together to condemn police brutality. Similarly, being American is known for freedom of
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worship and sexual orientation. America is one of the countries that has legalized same-sex

marriage in many states and understands LGBTQ rights.

Being American also includes being part of one of the most diverse and accommodating

cultures of the world. The nationality of the United States is not defined by ancestry, religion, or

race. America is considered “the melting pot,” which means diverse cultures, beliefs, and

ethnicities make up the country (Healey, Stepnick, & O'Brien, 2018). It is impossible to come

across anyone in the American states with no blood ties to either Africa or Europe. Besides,

Americans are also defined by unique attributes of political, social, and economic values. For

example, the Great Seal of the United States reads, “E Pluribus Unum,” which loosely translates

to many (Good, 2013). This further cement the assertion that America is made up of diverse

cultural backgrounds. However, the story of American assimilation is not that simple as put

across. Gleason (1980) further noted that the history of American racial segregation and ethnic

exclusion through the concept of Americanization had undercut the universality of what being

American entails. Being American in this regard constitutes sharing a national culture that is

mostly demarcated around ethnic and racial lines. Some types of American solidarity have been

witnessed as being less inclusive than others.

Being an American also constitutes leading the American way of life. The American way

of life comes from the government's limitation and personal liberty as it has been enshrined in

the American constitution. Such ideals have similarly been proclaimed in the Declaration of

Independence and enshrined in traditions equality for justice and respect for the rule of law.

Americanism again calls for the upholding of private property laws, freedom of contract, a merit-

based system of achievement, self-reliance, entrepreneurism, and personal responsibility

(Goodman, & Mayer, 2018). Nevertheless, with these freedoms, there is also the needs for
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structural deliberations, whereby individuals can engage in consensus agreements. This includes

the willingness to moderate their claims towards achieving common ground and achieving a

sense of solidarity. Besides, the American citizenry's mutual respect and sympathy are essential

in cultivating the culture of the common good.

On the political front, being American involves equality in the rights of choosing and

determining the political leaders that govern the country. Every American citizen of the legal

adult age has one vote and bears the responsibility of casting a ballot every four years to choose

their leaders. The election involves state legislators, congress members, governors, and the

president. Every of the elected leaders is a representative of the expansive citizenry of the United

States. Their decisions made in their capacity are expected to be for the common good (Yoon, &

Kim, 2016). Also, the bills passed by the congress and state legislators are scheduled to be those

that better American citizens' lives. Such is because the elected leaders represent the electorate's

interest from where they get the power to legislate.

The former US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, stated that the essence of

Americanism is not based on ethnicity, religion or nationality, but an idea that one can come

from a humble background and achieve great things. Being an American offers limitless ideals of

liberty. America is considered a land of opportunities, freedom, and equality and, most notably, a

country of hope. The citizens shoulder the responsibility of defending the constitution, the

principles of democracy, and protecting America's diversity, strength, and spirit (Kivisto, 2018).

Being an American also involves shouldering notable leaders' ideals, including Dr. Martin

Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and an inclusive nation based on equality. It

also includes being empathetic to the less fortunate and work towards uplifting others.
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The ideals enshrined in the constitution and the Declaration of Independence give all

Americans liberty and freedom. The reason why people move to America is to find opportunities

that can better their lives. Following this, being an American does not necessarily mean one must

be born into the nation to live there. The concept of being an American also means having equal

and free opportunity and the ability for one to do what you want, under the legality of the law.

The amendments of the American constitution give populous freedoms such as the freedom of

speech, political choices, religion, and sexual orientation. Such ideals were first proposed by the

American founding fathers and had to be enshrined in every American.

In summing up, to be an American is not just about being born in the United States. It is

all about embracing the way of life that is expected of the American citizens. It entails being able

to speak freely and live in harmony with others in a diverse-cultured environment. It also means

being able to dispense the civic duty to determine the leaders of the nation. America is built on

offering opportunities to all for the attainment of upward mobility and promises of freedom.

Despite these attributes’ states, American society is also marred with inequality, especially

towards the minority groups. However, citizens' responsibility has seen Americans taking to the

street to protest instances of inequality, as seen by the Black Lives matter movements across the

nation. Therefore, being American should be about accommodating the individualistic

differences of each other, and through pluralism, living together in harmony.

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Reference

Berumen, F. C. (2019). Resisting Assimilation to the Melting Pot. Journal of Culture and Values

in Education, 2(1), 81-95.

Gleason, P. (1980). American Identity and Americanization, Harvard Encyclopedia of American

Ethnic Groups, Stephan Thernstrom, ed.

Good, R. (2013). Using E Pluribus Unum as a Narrative Framework for the US History

Survey. OAH Magazine of History, 27(3), 11-15.

Goodman, L. S., & Mayer, C. (2018). Homeownership and the American dream. Journal of

Economic Perspectives, 32(1), 31-58.

Healey, J. F., Stepnick, A., & O'Brien, E. (2018). Race, ethnicity, gender, and class: The

sociology of group conflict and change. Sage Publications.

Kivisto, P. (2018). The Paradox of Citizenship in American Politics: Ideals and Reality. Journal

of Citizenship and Globalisation Studies, 1(ahead-of-print), 265.

Yoon, S., & Kim, H. C. (2016). Keeping the American dream alive: The interactive effect of

perceived economic mobility and materialism on impulsive spending. Journal of

Marketing Research, 53(5), 759-772.