What is an American? I've always found it strange as "American" is
usually shunted to the side when talking about nationalities and ethnicity.
This is probably due to the fact that the USA is a fairly young country, and so
it really is a culmination of a bunch of ethnic groups. The truth of the
matter is that America is an extremely diverse country, and saying you're
American could mean a ton of different things, so a lot of people think saying
you’re American isn’t enough to classify yourself. In truth, America doesn’t have too much
culture.
We have thanksgiving, black Friday, July
4th, and honestly I can’t think of anything else. Other cultures and
countries have roots going back to ancient civilizations, making them rich in
culture and traditions. America is more like a blank slate, as we are currently
creating traditions and ideas to really decide what an American is. One of my
favorite quotes is by Gerald Early, saying “There are only three things that
America will be remembered for 2000 years from now when they study this
civilization: The Constitution, Jazz music, and Baseball. These are the 3 most
beautiful things this culture's ever created.”
To
answer “What is an American?”, I would say that an American is someone with
virtues of freedom and justice. An
American is someone born in America (obviously) or someone that moved to America,
and melded with American society. In my book, anyone that believes in freedom
and justice for all is a true American.
America is still trying to find it's footing, necause of this, and because we are a very diverse nation, it is difficult for us to represent ourselves under one image, so instead, we have to identify ourselves by other means besides ethnicity.
ReplyDelete-Jesse
Like you said, America is a fairly young country compared to other countries and nations that have customs and traditions dating back to BC. So we're still trying build what they have, which is culture.
ReplyDeleteSo from what I read you dont feel like someone just anyone from anywhere can be an American? You have to have been born here or been a part of the country for a while before you're considered an American.
ReplyDeleteI really like the last sentence and how you feel about someones belief.
I agree that America hasn't quite developed its own culture yet and its still doing it today, but do you think it'll ever develop a culture the same way the rest of the world has, with its own food and clothing and dances, etc.?
ReplyDeleteHmm, definitely a good question. I think that our culture is growing, but it isn't be like the rest of the world. many centuries ago, the world was much more spiritual, and it affected every aspect of a person's life. Since its upbringing, the USA has been much more industrial, and i think that it will never truly develop a culture that is like the rest of the world.
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