Explain What It Means To Be An American

What does it mean to be an American? I think to be an American it means that you were born in the United States( or if your parents are American) and if you were born in a different country but your parents are Americans and you come back to live here then you're an American too. If you're an immigrant and you have went through the whole legal process not just sneak across the any of the American boarders. Some older people seem to think if you were born on American soil (or if your family was in the army but on another countries soil your still and American). But if you come from another country even if you get your green card or have your citizenship your still a foreigner. My grandmother feels that if your from another country, have