Who are the american people?

Question

This is not a trick question. If you think about it, can you identify a defining feature? Or sets of features?

Answer 1

I assume that by "defining feature" you mean some general characteristic that almost all Americans have. It's really hard because we are such a mix (I like that about the USA). I sometimes laugh when I hear people from other countries (or even the US) generalize/stereotype Americans because they usually miss the mark in that, while some Americans may fit their stereotype, nowhere near all Americans do.

Here's something that's pretty universal to Americans who were either born here or grew up here from a very young age. Compared to most of the rest of the world, we are very relaxed and informal. This shows up in lots of ways. For example, there's a tendency to not want to use formal titles like "Doctor". This tendency also manifests itself physically, the way people carry themselves. I lived in Europe for a year and I got very good at recognizing Americans in a crowd just by the way they walk. Someone from India once observed to me that Americans have a very short "power distance" compared to other countries. That is the difference in perceived status between people at different levels in an organization, for example, e.g. between an employee and his/her boss.

Answer 2

*Chuckles* I have formulated ONE thing that seperates an "American" from every other nation on this planet. I have no proof to back this up- only an idea. I am a locksmith by trade, not a geneticist.

There is some limited evidence to support this idea, however.

Consider that historically, every person who immigrated to the United States left because- for whatever reason- they didn't want to stay at home. They came to America permantly- they never returned to their homes.

Reguardless if they were crossing the land barrier between Sibera and the Alaskan coast, or if they came up thru the South Americas- they all had the urge to move.

Now, consider that American Children have MUCH higher ADD and ADHD than any other nation on this planet...

I postulate that Americans have a DNA past that gives ADD and ADHD, which makes us as a nation "restless"- we innovate, we motovate, we ***** a lot, we fight over the smallest thing, we support the most idiotic ideas of equality, we support the Underdog

This can be observed by our TV shows too!

Answer 3

If you are talking about the United States...

True Americans, or people who came from immigrants that came here for a better way of life, yet condemn others for wanting the same?

The indigenous people are the true Americans. Native American, which a lot of the tribes were formally Mexican Indians, before the Mex / Amer war, or the Indigenous Mexican people who were here before the war. Or maybe the people who came here and claimed this land as their own, and decided to forget about the true people of this country, and decided because they are superior it's there ways and belief systems or kill them all. Or didn't they just kill them anyways. They really took hunting to an extreme in those days.

Good question, I'd like to see a good answer, because all I can give you is sarcasm. Sorry.

Answer 4

North American, Central American, South American?
Mostly the have bodies, arms, legs, heads etc like all other human beings.
US Americans, have birthcertificates that show where they have been born. Most speak English as their main language but may have second or more languages under their tongues. Many have passports and other US documents. Many of these Americans care about the USA and it's future, cuz it's their country. These are the legal Americans.
There is a sub class that want you to believe they are Americans but they are not. They are illegal immigrants masquerading as Americans. They are illegals with false papers and they don't care about the future of America. All they care about is themselves.

Answer 5

If you lined up 100 people with 50 Americans present and no one spoke, you would not be able to pick out 20 of the Americans.

Answer 6

Leaving out North American Indians, we are all immigrants. Our defining feature is Liberty and Freedom. I mean, we take it to heart big time! Nothing wrong with that, eh matey?

Answer 7

What is there to think about? Americans are from every part of the world, there are no physical characteristics. Some day however I read that the asian characteristics will be dominate through out the world.

Answer 8

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Answer 9

The American people of the United States of America are registered citizens of that country, as they are with any country.

Answer 10

No, that's the point. Americans are anybody and everybody who wanted a fresh start or pursuit of a dream. We are people from all regions, religions, languages, and cultures. Stop trying to put us in a box.