...The idea of what an American is can be different for everyone. It all depends on perspective. Through my experiences and research I have a better grasp on what I think it means to be an American. With stories and letters, such as Equiano, Of Plymouth Plantation, and Letters from Columbus, an American is one who has a desire for success, money, power, and freedom. It is through the stories of the past that provide proof to that statement. In the story of Equiano, slaves were brought to America, to fulfill America’s need for power and money, but the story also shows the desire for freedom. Equiano was a young boy who was ripped out of Nigeria and transported by boat to be sold as a slave in America. He suffered the long, awful boat ride, and...
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...What does it mean to be an American? People all over the U.S. have different opinions on what it means to be an American but in the end every opinion has a similarity to one another. In my views I see that Freedom is the number one thing that makes us an American. In America, some people take freedom lightly and some greatly value their freedom. Physical freedom and individual freedom are examples of 2 types. First there is physical freedom, what does this mean? It means you can live where you want without restrictions. If you love traveling, you have the ability to do that whenever you’d like. Living where you’d like is my personal favorite, having the choice to live in either tropical, snowy or wherever really is great. Traveling and going...
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...Expression and Devotion to Our Country What Makes a Person an American? What does it truly mean to be an American? There are so many possibilities when it comes to answering this question. Is it your patriotism, equality, or your freedom? Many would say that all three of these things are large factors of being an American. It is seen as a rather obligatory job for Americans to take their citizenship seriously. If you are an American, you are encouraged to talk positively about your country, and also to fulfill your duties as a citizen. Using your freedom as an advantage, by voting, and participating in the enrichment of your country. To be an American is to be patriotic, express your equality, and embrace the freedoms presented by our founding fathers without overstepping boundaries. Patriotism is a very important aspect of most Americans' lives. To be patriotic is to have or express devotion and vigorous support for one's country. Everyday Americans show patriotism not only in simple actions, but also by taking extreme measures and risks in...
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...Ben Nelson once wrote, “What does it mean to be an American? While each of us may have our own specific answer to that question, we likely agree on the basic principles of America: freedom, equal opportunity, and rights accompanied by responsibilities.” (Nelson, n.d., quote 1). From a personal perspective this quote can be interpreted as, while many individuals might have a personal opinion or definition of what it means to be an American, there is still a clear foundation in which it is built upon. It is viewed that it is the rights, freedoms, and opportunities for all, and with those liberties also comes a responsibility to all individuals. Such responsibilities to ourselves and others include moral obligations, ethical behavior, and respect. As members of society, there are situations that may be difficult that...
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...What it means to be an American? An American is to have a voice and express how you feel. An American is to have rights and be able to stay up for what you believe in. You can have a voice by voting, freedom of speech, and also protesting. Being an American can mean so many things. Americans are allowed to have a voice and of course many people have positive ideas and speeches. There’s other people where they extremely honesty but in a very negative way or sometimes they really don’t understand what they’re standing up for or what they’re saying. Many people think it’s not okay to be negative. I don’t believe we should be negative but be realistic about certain things. We can all have a voice but in a peaceful and respectful...
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...What It Means To Be an American……. Lets just think about it there are over 1 million people in the world and if you were to ask every person what does it mean to be an american you're going to get over 100 different answers. There is no true answer to what being american really means but if you ask me what's my perspective on what it means to be an american it would have to be,being able to have dreams and turn those dreams into reality. Being an American can also mean much more like, freedom of speech, freedom of color and freedom of judgment. In the essay What is Freedom? It say in paragraph 7,” Freedom means I want to do, not what the government wants me to do.”Too me that means not giving up your dreams....
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...What does it mean to be an American? It doesn't mean much to be honest. If you're talking to be living an American life than i will tell you about it. To be and American and to live as one. I'm like everyone else, my parents were immagrants from southeast asia. My parents than grew up here and got married here. I was born as an American citizen, it really don't mean much to be an American. living the American life i grew up poverty. Grew up living in apartments, My parents sacrificed a a lot for us as kids. They always wanted us to do good in school. To be American does have its good parts. Freedom and etc, free education. Being American you get a lot of advantages in life. You have more rights and freedom as a person and it can take you to a very success full life. America is where you follow your dreams, they can come true. If you work hard enough for it not every gets what they want....
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...Some people may ask themselves, “What does it mean to be an American?” many new people coming to America; always have that question in mind, because they want to fit in. An American is someone who doesn’t let society change them, they are proud of being themselves and doesn’t care who judges them, and an American is someone who has courage to stands up for what they believe in and won’t let anybody change their views. Being in a society, everyone is expected to act and do the same things. But, America changes that with the different types of cultures and people from all around the world in one place. Of course in the beginning of America, it wasn’t like that at all. Many people thought we should be separated and some were better than others because the color of their skin. The biggest conflict...
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...What it means to be an American Americans come from all over the world, they all gather into the country to gain new opportunities and have a second chance at life. One iconic image that I believe shows what being an American is, is George Washington crossing the Delaware. And to be an American, you have to be persistent, proud to serve, and selfless. One of the big factors to being an American is being persistent. When Anzia in American and I was a maid for a home she “left. Not a dollar for all my work.” (p19) After leaving she was desperate to find a job and eventually “Worked on a hard bench with my own kind.”(p19) After refusing to work one day she was fired, and she kept looking for a job that would provide her with enough money...
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...American Icons Americans have many icons they look to during times of despair. Icons are things that obtain a meaning to represent a symbol. When thinking in particular, icons such as the American flag or the Statue of Liberty come to mind. The question that derives from people is whether or not these icons still stand for their meanings in America. The American flag will always represent the United States as the land of the free and the home of the brave. People use the flag to show their gratitude to their country. On the other hand, the Statue of Liberty stands for the countries never failing democracy and freedom. These icons did rise from past wars which only reinforced their meanings. To begin, the American flag is considered sacred...
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...The 13 stripes stand for the 13 colonies, the 50 stars stand for the 50 states, that's what the flag means for its symbols. The flag and the country are what light up my life. By living here I know I'm safe and I can count on my country to keep it safe for me and all people to live here and to ever live. What the American flag means to me is that it shows me I will always, always have privileges and opportunities. The flag shows me a lot of privileges and opportunities because of what it stands for. To me it stands for freedom, justice and self-government. The colors on the flag, such as red, white and blue stand for, in this order: red signifies hardiness and valor; blue, the color of the chief; white signifies vigilance, perseverance and...
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...What does it mean to be an American? That depends on who you ask, many people often think of Americans as fat and lazy slobs who mettle to much in other people affairs, living off the backs of lesser countries to sustain there egocentric existence. Others including most Americans think of the classic typical patriot, who has multiple weapons, is constantly looking over their shoulder and drives in an over sized truck with an American flag at the back. Being an American is being a Patriot, loving your country men, and your country but not afraid to challenge either in the pursuit of life liberty and happiness for all. America has sense its creation been a diverse multicultural country making blanket statements about feelings and behaviors of its inhabitants impossible. However I think everyone is in some way a Patriot which I equate to being the one defining trait of an American. The simple definition of patriotism is an emotional attachment to ones country. I think this definition has more to it than meets the eye, when you consider the principles this country was built on. This country was built on hard work and determination; the hardships endured only serve to...
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...What being an American means to you. America is essentially a spot on earth where individuals display with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There is a saying, words usually can't do a picture justice; yet to me, the word America is justified regardless of a thousand photos. I have seen numerous photos of America, however not one has caught how superb it really is. America is a position of opportunity, where the individuals are ensured normal rights; rights that have been detracted from natives of different nations. Natives from spots like China would be shot for contradicting their administration; wherein America, we have the right to speak freely, ensured by the first revision. America is a place where there is fresh chances to succeed, where the administration deals with the natives, training, making a general public with a higher expectation for everyday life. America has helped numerous workers set up groups, differentiating the nation with natives from the plunge of the settlers, as well as ethnic greater parts and minorities well. America has advanced from a spot where the men commanded all parts of life to a spot where ladies and men share essentially the same balance in the family unit, working environment, and social scenes. In spite of the fact that wrongdoing and bigotry lash out all through the nation, individuals are not being executed for their convictions. For instance, Hitler ruled with dread, executing individuals on the grounds that they were...
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...Some immigrants, or people that don’t live in America, don’t know what it means to be an American citizen. Americans may be different, but there are ways to identify the typical American. Some think the stereotypical way, this is not true. An American knows what is happening around the country, knows the language, and some might be soldiers. First of all, an American citizen might know what is happening around America. For instance, the latest, news, trends, and weather. Not all of us would know these, that is fine. But a majority of the Americans do. If you traveled to a new country, you wouldn’t know what is happening. But if you lived there for awhile, you should. Given these points, if someone asked you, “what is the weather?” or, “did you hear about this happening?” would you know? In addition, just like how some people ask you this, you need to know how to communicate with other Americans too....
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...What the American Flag Means to Me Having immigrant parents who left their own country to come to a foreign land so they can live the “American Dream” gave them and their future family a better opportunity to live a successful life. As the first American-born generation in my family, my family and I appreciate everything that our country has done for us. The American flag, one of the most prominent symbols of America, waves high and proud as a welcome sign to the world. To me, the American flag means more than just stars and stripes. It symbolizes freedom the United States gives to its citizens, the pride that Americans have towards their country, and the sacrifices soldiers have made to keep the nation safe. When most immigrants think of America, they picture a country where people have the...
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