What does it mean to "be an American"?

Question

My understanding of America is that it is a tossed salad of cultures, and that to be an American is to be proud of that. I see a lot of people on here saying they're frustrated because Latin immigrants won't act "American."
So my question is: What does it mean to be an American to you?
All viewpoints welcome.

Answer 1

Being an American means that you are first and foremost supposed to be a free person. An individual with God-given rights from the day you are born. Including the right to speak your mind, to bear arms and to agree or disagree with your gov't and its citizens. It means you can go where you choose when you choose without having to ask permission and that you can exercise your freedom to practice your religion, unhindered. And it means that you are willing to fight for and if necessary give your life for the freedom of your country and the ideals it embodies. Being an American knows no original color or religion and there is no test that asks you to espouse any type of belief or religion. It means practicing good will toward your neighbor and a willingness to let go of all things selfish and the willingness to help your brother in need. Most importantly it means freedom unhindered. Unfortunately that is rapidly disappearing due to the lethargy and complacency of our citizens and the prevailing ignorance that most politicians play to.

Answer 2

Teddy Roosevelt said it best 100 years ago.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Being an American is NOT about a "tossed salad" of cultures. It is a melting pot...E pluribus unum.

Since 1782, the Latin phrase E pluribus unum—“out of many, one”—has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States.

But what happens when we neglect and even deny the importance of the “one”—that is, cultural unity—and emphasize the importance of the “many”—that is, individuals—which, today, we call “diversity”? , nothing good.

To be an American means that all cultures, through the melting pot process, become one unique culture, the American culture.

Answer 3

It means being a natural-born or naturalized American Citizen or American National.

In an ethnic sense, I suppose it also means identifying primarily with the language and culture of the United States of America. While the culture of America has always been a dynamic one, and thus is hard to pin down, /not/ cleaving primarily to the language and culture of some other nation would clearly be a good start to being an American in the ethnic sense.

I can see how you're having trouble with that, though. The mutli-culturalist dogma that you've clearly internalized does teach that America has no culture of it's own, it's society serving as nothing but a convenient geopolitical 'salad bowl' to host the many foreign cultures that are to be valued and respected on pain of 'hate crime' charges. Any intimation that America has a culture or, worse, that any such culture might have any value or demand any respect, is a heresy that must be denounced as blatant racism.

Answer 4

Tossed salad? Psh. It's always been "the melting pot" - a blend of cultures, everyone new who comes bringing the best of their homeland.

If you want to be an American, then you should act like one. Don't leave your allegiance elsewhere while benefitting from the American way of life (not to mention America's social service programs). If people simply want to sneak in here to "get a better life," as I've heard so often lately, why don't those millions of people get together and force their own governments to make the improvements they want?

Answer 5

Yes you are correct. America is a tossed salad of cultures. But cultures that came together and made one single culture, called the American culture. A culture that has English as it's official language. Something that immigrants were honored to do at one point. We do not relinquish the right of anyone to practice their own religion or culture, we only ask that immigrants embrace ours when they come here. Also, at what point do you keep the doors open to anyone coming here, regardless of our history? There comes a point when this country is more hurt, than helped by the influx of immigrants. Not even immigrants, as they are welcome. But illegal immigrants. Being an American to me, is people coming to this country legally, adapting to our way of life, our laws, and our language. But it also includes being proud to be free to protect ourselves, our land, and our boarders. Hot dogs, apple pie, and baseball. Enough said!

Answer 6

Assimilating into and accepting the culture and laws. Learning to speak the language of the country. Becoming an American national. Personally, I don't care if someone wants to preserve the heritage of their country of origin in the home, privately, but not in public everyday life. Adhering to the Constitution of the US, not the laws of the country they came from. Appreciation for being here, not taking advantage of what America has to give. Loyalty.

Answer 7

I think what your hearing is the fact that people would like immigrants to speak the language and not expect special treatment when choosing to make the United States home. Also flying another nations flag inside the United States will not make you popular even though we have the freedom to express oneself do you really want to express that your loyalties are to another nation?

As to what it means to be an American, I would have to say it means something different to each individual. We are a diverse nation and all those cultures blend into one society of people who value their freedoms above most other things.

Answer 8

To be a true American is to distrust the government. The state can be an umpire of our rights, not the arbiter of our fates.
The spirit of America is to oppose taxes. Taxes are a necessary evil, no doubt, but if we are true to the first principles, we must oppose any growth in government and above all any new taxes.
The right to carry arms makes us distinctive. To be American is to defend the right to defend oneself. Guns define American identity -- a point that I had heard made aggressively .
Extremism in the cause of liberty is no vice and moderation in the defense of freedom no virtue -- a quote from the arch conservative Senator Goldwater.
And some more in this vein. All linked somehow to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'.

Answer 9

Do you somewhat need to flow there. Yopu do know the phraseology undemanding era became possibly coined by applying christrians. in spite of everything, it is not christ era it is christian era. it is not any secret that christians have ruled the planet militarily for the final 2000 years. even while the "BC" designation became usual it in basic terms shown what all of us already knew, the romans desperate to make their calendars coincide with their new stumbled on faith. i'm confident if muslims take over they're going to chaznge the calendars to verify their ideals and which will make it not extra or much less valid.

Answer 10

hmmm ... America is a melting pot, but most immigrants came here in the past to embrace the ideals (see the constituion - original, not the ammended to death version) ... I think what bothers people is the a lot of illegal immigrants (in the present) come here, want to get paid under the table, don't want to learn English, don't want to pay taxes or social security, but want out free health care and social security and other wages to send home ... basically people are upset b/c the appearance is that of "we don't want to be anything like you, we want to behave as if we are in our own country, but we want all of the benfits you have that it doesn't w/o having to contribute to your society"

there are also a lot of immigrants going through the process legally, paying a lot of money, going through a lot of frustration, not driving since they can't get a license, finding employers to appoint them temporary visas, etc ... it really doesn't seem fair that there people work so hard and contribute and spend years cintributing to society and trying to become a legal citizen, and others don't ...

don't even get me started on obeying the law around here!