Preview

Examples Of What It Means To Be An American

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
468 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of What It Means To Be An American
Myia Peterson
Mr. Dalton
What It Means To Be An American
16 October, 2015

America was founded in the beliefs that it would become a land of opportunity, filled with hardworking individuals who wanted to state a claim in this world. Today, these beliefs are still strong, and being fulfilled on a daily basis. Americans have accomplished far more than anyone ever imagined they would within the past 4 decades or so, and are still working to achieve more and more today. To be an American means to be proud of your country, and that any person can have big dreams, and through hardwork and determination, can accomplish them. “When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.” (Quote by Adlai Stevenson.) Mr. Adlai is showing what it truly means to be proud of your country. He is saying that you don’t just love your country, you love everything about it, from its core roots to its modern day values. To know that no matter what, America will always be your true home. That is true pride for one’s country.
…show more content…
That apple pie, family with kids and a dog, living in a nice house vision. For American citizens, the “American Dream” is much more than that. It’s a visual instilled within our hearts that gives us hope when we're at our lowest, that fills us with a longing for something more, and pushes us to achieve that goal. Every given American has a different set dream, each more unique then the next. All it takes is hard work and determination to live our

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    To be an American, means to have freedom over one’s own life. In this country of ours we are blessed to be able to express ourselves through freedom of speech without punishment. Because of our constitution, not only do we have the right to express our own individual beliefs with freedom of speech, but we are also able to practice our own religions, bear arms, and enforce the press, letting us receive news about the government itself. This is truly what it means to be an American. To be individual, and live your own life the way you choose…

    • 113 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (United States Declaration of Independence). In much the same way as the authors of the founding fathers, the American Dream can be defined simply as the pursuit and the achievement of happiness. Clarifications, like not needing to use underhanded means, are not necessary because it is readily apparent that these means do not provide happiness nor liberty. In other words, the American Dream is attainable through hard work, determination, and the fruits of honest labor, even though it is embodied negatively in literary contexts and positively in historical terms.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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.…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Do you know what it means to be an American.Freedom, honor, and patriotism is what it means to be an american.…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although some americans take for granted the oppertunities at hand, there have been several historical figures that know the true meaning of being apart of the United States. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, former president of the united states, said, "My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." He also said, "The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission." Kennedy understood the true honor of what being an american is. There have been other presidents who know it too, such as Theodore Roosevelt. He stated, "I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.” Even before America was formed, there were still people who dreamed of peace and equality. The men who put their lives on the line in order to accomplish their goals of having a country free of slavery and unjust treatment believed in their cause and in their leaders. George Washington, the general who lead the american revolution and the first president of the united states made a speech saying, "Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we can expect - We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die: Our own Country's Honor, all call upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions - The Eyes of all our Countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the Tyranny meditated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What does it mean to be an American for you? We use “American” word so freely but do we know what it exactly means to be an American? Only living in America does not mean that you are an American. Millions of people migrate into the United States of American in order to achieve their dream and earn the name of an American. For hundreds of years the United States has been attracting immigrants from a variety of different countries, races, and religions to come live in a land full of freedom and opportunity. This freedom, opportunities and responsibilities for each other make us a true American. Being an American is about being free and loyal. It's about having freedom of religion, rights, and justice. It's also about being about yourself.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In this day and age, to be American is something frequently mocked. With all the stereotypes, it makes us wonder what it truly means to be American. Does it mean to be fat and unhealthy? Greedy and demanding? Racist and Harsh? This is the brand we are all marked with as a whole nation, but I reject these labels. To be an American is something we should be proud of. By the definition I see, it is something to be proud of, even in the darkest and harshest of times when we do things we will never forgive; these are just mistakes that many make, and it shouldn't deter us from taking pride in morals this country holds.…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Being an American to me, means soldiers. They fight for our country, our right, our freedom. A lot of people died in those war, they died for our country, they fought for us. It must be an honor to serve in the war. To fight to keep my friends, family, and even complete…

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    All Americans are guaranteed equal justice. They are allowed equal justice because America is a free country. Americans are inclined to freedom and with that freedom, have the ability to create infinite opportunities for themselves, which then allow them to find success, happiness, and prosperity. Americans can find these opportunities because they live in a meritocracy, and are provided with rights and freedoms that come from The Constitution of the United States of America. The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments of the constitution, are a significant portion of rights that give Americans their freedom. Some of these rights include, the freedom of speech, religion, right to bare arms, the right to equal justice and right to own private property. They also to enjoy many other freedoms such as raising a family, traveling anywhere in the U.S., having the freedom to receive a free education, and work at any job for which a citizen can qualify. Through these freedoms Americans are able to pursue careers in anything that gratifies them, practice any religion they believe in, and being able to protect themselves from harm with the right to bare arms. This allows them the opportunity of living a life of happiness and success, all because they have the freedom to do so. Americans ability to embrace their freedom, use it for the better of the world, and to prosper in whatever they choose to pursue, is the meaning of what it means to be an American.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Do you know what it means to be an American? There is several ways to show what it is to be an American. For example, the police protect our streets everyday. Also the people that have careers that makes our country a better place. An American is showing patriotism, having freedom, and showing love and devotion for your country.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What being an American means to me is that I have the rights to do anything. Even though we are able to have all of these rights doesn’t mean we are able to take advantage of them there are still consequences for our actions. All the people in the Navy, Army, Air-force etc have the job to protect us, not everyone who shoots people just because. Being an American to me means being respectful to everyone. Like what Harry S Truman said, “you know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created equally and that everyone deserves an even break.” Being an American means to be brave loyal and kind to everyone no matter what. We…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I feel like generations before had a different definition of what it means to be an American. I feel like our grandparents and great-grandparents; whom were mostly immigrates set out to make a better life for generations following. They emphasized on working hard, owning their own homes, and building big families. There was a strong sense of community, and respect. Even though the core idea hasn’t changes much. Now, I feel as if America has turned into a country of arrogance, intolerance, and greed. Although, difference issues and situations have been worked through, there is still much work to be done.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The United States of America is a wonderful country where there is equal opportunities, rights and freedoms, and justice. America’s founding fathers like George Washington saw the potential of America being the greatest country of all. They created the constitution. The constitution created a stronger federal government and gave citizens rights. It wasn’t until 1865 that the United States Constitution ended slavery. America has prospered so much since then and now in the 21st century everyone wants to come to America where there is work and you can live a better life. Sometimes Americans take these rights for granted and end up in prison losing their right of freedom and close all their opportunities. Americans should cherish all their rights. I believe that an American is someone who has liberty, has opportunities to become successful, and can vote.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being an American means having potential, it means breaking but always remembering you can fix this, you can make it better. It means believing in yourself, and others around you. Even if they rip the ground out from below, you still have to believe. It’s all you have ever known.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What this poem means to me is that even though Americas days, past and future, was hard with war and dangerous ways it is still the best country to the author. In a way I agree with the author of the poem “America” because this country has done many things to help out its people and even though the past was dark the future would be brighter than the sun. The dark days of America are still in us but those dark days made America how it is now. African Americans, Indians such as the; Cheyenne, Quapaw, and the other American Indians that faced prejudice and discrimination in the Indian wars helped America become how it is now. The line that supports what I believe in is, “I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!” This means to me is what…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays