What makes Americans American?

Question

There was a british version to this question and it got me thinking what makes Americans well American. I don't mean the negatives but the positives. Do people like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe make you more american. Other countries didn't have them. So what makes U.S. us?

When I ask this question I don't mean the wiseass answer of "being born in America makes you American." Duh. British people have their fish and chips, sunday roasts, constant rain, love for the queen. What do we have?

Answer 1

The reason I know I'm an American is because I'm a Southerner with Southern culture. We have our own dialect, cuisine, music, folklore, history, literature, etc. Things like that really make you identify with a place in a way that's deeper than something written on a sheet of paper so for most Americans there is no such thing as what you might call generic American culture because it's so mixed and varied. This means Italian Americans identify with their culture, Irish Americans with theirs, Mexican Americans with theirs and so on. The U.S. has 300 million people and is the third largest country in the world spread out over an immense area. We cannot be reasonably expected to be so similar if you consider places like Russia, China, India, Canada, etc. have traditionally had their own languages and many have their own traditional ethnic groups and so on. I mean you cannot expect us to be like some small little country with all our races and political persuasions. Everywhere you go you see foreigners saying Americans are so insular because most don't have passports but the U.S. is much bigger and varied than most countries so that it often feels like you need a passport sometimes just to move to another community. We don't have to get a passport to hear tons of languages, experience foreign cuisine, or view almost any type of generic scenery. Many Americans forget this but many other people have to travel to see such diversity. For better or worse, the U.S. is what it is.

Answer 2

Americans beliebe in basic rights like freedom of religion. The US is one of the few countries you can actually legally burn the flag. Being American means you can over come problems even if you are out of work you odn't move to another country. Being American means believing in Democracy. America had Marilyn Monroe dressed sexy. This would have been alowed in a Islamic nation. They would want her face covered. Americans many times fight for a underdog that are mistreated because of their Religios believes.

Answer 3

America is like a circus sideshow 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and I like it that way. In no other nation, is the presidency decided by a judge (like in 2000). Americans are the only people who use 5 dollar bills as bookmarks, and then forget. when I'm hard up for money, I go to the library and page through the new releases and best sellers. you'd be surprised how many books have bills in them. that's america!

Answer 4

If one looks at the history of the the Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, the Vietnam conflict, and/or the present Iraq occupation...one might conclude that what makes Americans American is the ability to redefine illegal invasions and occupations as "liberations."

Answer 5

hardly is a new child born stupid. the way stupidity is presented into society is by utilising coaching. the 1st lesson a new child gets is, "Obey authority or face punishment." (It makes no difference whether the authority is suitable or incorrect, or truthful, or ethical). In time the youngster will the two riot and go through punishment or dying, or substitute into an obedient slave asking permission for each little thing he does and believing no longer something different than what the government tell him. this is noted as training. people who stay to tell the story with their straight forward experience (and honesty) intact call this indoctrination.

Answer 6

Being born in the continent named America is what makes you American, not being born in the US. I am Argentinian and I consider myself a proper American, as America is the continent where my country is located.

America is a continent named after an Italian cartographer Amerigo Vespucci. It goes from Canada in the north to Argentina in the south.

This man was one of the first Europeans to imply that America was actually a new continent.

I hope it helps

Answer 7

Our true love of truly bad (for you) foods.
McDonald's
Our love of denigrating ourselves.
Our television programming--2nd to none.
Disneyworld
Our nonchalance over our abundance.
Our charitable natures.
Our gun laws.
Peanut butter.
Thanksgiving turkeys.
Santa in the malls at Christmas.
That feeling we get when the Star Spangled Banner is sung.
Sweet tea in the South and Chowdah up North.
Freedom.

Answer 8

My wife is from another country, and she says that without a doubt, the thing that makes Americans American, is the sense of community.

Answer 9

We have freedom, to do what we want from birth. We have people that choose to be soldiers and die if necessary to protect the freedom you have. We have an elected government that can be changed completely upon the next vote. Yes we have our faults, but then why does everyone else want to come here?

Answer 10

It's the diversity that makes us American. it's the fact that we can find any "kind" of peole here. And the fact that the American dreams have chances to come true.