i don't understand this essay topic!?

Question

I don't know what to write about it...

my essay topic is ...

=In what ways should immigrants to the United States identify themselves as "Americans", people who share "something" culturally with all others in American society?

Answer 1

I think you may have left a few words out of the topic description... but....

People who chose to immigrate from another country to become Americans. What should they do or change in their life to prove themselves to now be Americans... ? Perhaps the big gripe that is going around today... Learn to speak English. My grandparents and Great Grandparents had to. This was their new country and they were determined to speak the language... proud to speak the language of their new home.

In what ways do you think immigrant's cultures are similar to the American culture? Which is actually a hodge podge of many, many cultures....

Do you think their hopes for their children are any different than our own? Do you think their need to provide for their families is any different from how we want to provide for our families?

Each culture melds into the American culture, each bringing their own rich diversity into our lives... For instance... the Italians brought wonderful food to America. The French their sense of fashion. The Germans their gusto for living. The Irish with their pride and willingness to die for what they believe in. The Spanish with their lovely architecture. Where ever you travel in America you will find little tastes of all of their individual cultures, but still see it as "American Culture".

We are the true multi-cultural melting pot of the world. When people start to realize that they do not have to lose their own heritage just because they are now Americans, that their cultures are already a part of our culture... it is much easier to start to feel a part of the American culture for them. Their children do not have the difficulties that they have assimilating their lives into the American way of life, and can still embrace the family's heritage without feeling threatened. They were born considering themselves Americans.

I hope this helps

Answer 2

Whoever gave you this topic is an incompetent.writer. The meaning seems to be that the writer thinks that immigrants to the United States take up qualities or values or concerns in common with everybody else who lives here, and since immigrants share values with all others in American society, they should be able to identify themselves as Americans even if they are immigrants from someplace else.

So besides bad writing, the writer of this topic question forces the person who answers to agree with what he already has decided about immigrants.

So decide if you agree that immigrants share cultural values with all others in America and decide if you agree that that is enough for them to call themselves Americans.

If you don't agree with that, you have to write the question clearly in your answer and answer clearly why merely sharing some cultural values with all others in American society is not enough.

If you do agree, then come up with some ways they could identify themselves as Americans.

I am not anti-immigrant, and I agree that many immigrants are here in the first place because they have values in common with Americans that they cannot act on in their home countries. And I agree that even if they are here just for work, living here causes immigrants to adapt and take on American qualities and expectations. But I don't agree that they can call themselves Americans because of that - they have to become naturalized.

Answer 3

Hmm the way Im reading it...basically write an essay stating the different ways that immigrants in the US would do to show they have something in common culturally with other Americans.

Answer 4

Think about the word "American" and what comes to your mind? Is it food, language, a way of thinking?
Would immigrants feel more American if they learned to speak English? What other things would make them feel American? Being able to vote, serve in the armed forces, make a decent living?
These questions may help you think about what you want to put in your essay.

Answer 5

Well my understanding would be the teacher is asking your opinion of immigrants who identify as say Mexican-American, for example, and do you think that they should identify as that and if so what do they contribute to the American culture.