What is an American free essay sample

American. What is a American? Who is an American? These questions raise some of the most biased answers depending on who you ask. Some will say that an American is a fat, lazy, pig who is selfish, and stupid. Others will say that an American is a strong, hard working, upstanding, and prideful person who looks for the American Dream. So which is true? I think that both are true to an extent. I believe that an American is a proud, prideful, person but should they be? Do Americans go for the American dream anymore or is that now in the past? Can they even have a chance now? The American definition has changed significantly over two hundred years but has the American spirit? If you asked an American on the street, â€Å"What is an American†, what would they say? I shall explore what was an American and what changed over the years. We will write a custom essay sample on What is an American? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then what is an American today? Has the American spirit changed for the best or has it rather slumped down into a disgraceful form? To define what an American is, you must see what Americans were like in the past. So what was an American two hundred years ago and what did they endure to become an American? â€Å"Ubi panis ibi patria.† This phrase written by De Crevecoeur in 1782 means, â€Å"Where my bread is earned is my country†, in Latin. This quote was the motto for immigrants at the time that moved to America in hopes of a better life. Immigrants moved to America for many reasons: freedom of liberties and belongings, freedom from religious persecution, or to escape famine, and death that awaited in their countries. However this phrase means that immigrants should consider a country to be theirs if hard work gets you bread(money/goods). In many countries at the time people were having trouble surviving. In countries like France, and Poland, work was extremely hard and barely paid anything at all. So people from those countries went to the land of opportunity, America. They wished for the American dream, and they built this country up because of it. You see without immigrants like De Crevecoeur, America would not be, nearly as successful as it is today. It does make you think however, are immigrants even immigrants? Afterall this is a country formed of immigrants, and the people of this country consider this to be their own country. If you ask somebody who moved here from China or Brazil where their country is, wouldnt they say that America is their country? In the past though there has been horrible discrimination against immigrants. The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 is one example as it did not allow the Chinese to move to America. Then there has even been worse discrimination against the people that originally lived here. The massacre of Wounded Knee is just one of the many massacres committed against American Indians. So if America lets immigrants in freely but tries to get rid of the natives, and after that we almost destroyed their culture through assimilation. So, what was an American back then? An American back then was an immigrant who wanted, like the people who founded America freedom, freedom of Religion, and justice for all. Though some could argue that has changed over the years. Less than one hundred years ago, people could start to say that the American dream was â€Å"changing.† â€Å"Americans look to more than the next meal; they look to the future, the long term, a better tomorrow†, this quote by Edward L Hudgins, written fifteen years ago, embodied what America was in the late 20th century. America after WWII was an economic machine that had no remnants of the Great Depression that struck in the 1930s. Industry was booming, people had jobs, and the world economy(with the exception of Germany and France) was soaring. People were embracing the American Dream that was so hard to reach in the Great Depression more than ever before; it was a Golden Age in America. Suburbia in America was expanding at unseen rates, as it was a great time. This quote emulates the change that was happened in the late 1900s, which was the beginning of the era of the middle class and suburbia. Its also very intertwined and maybe to an extent factually based on the quote by de Crevecoeur as the two are very similar because the â€Å"bread† of this country is the â€Å"next meal.† The Golden Age of America, however, might have sown the seeds of future economic hardship. With what? It was the thing the American Dream might have been based on when it came to industry. Greed. â€Å"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.† This rather chilling quote performed by Michael Douglas from the movie Wall Street, shows how people start to think after they enjoy to much â€Å"decadence† in the American dream. He also thinks that this greed will save the US and Teldar paper, a comp any in the movie, which in the movie and in real life did the opposite with Tedlar paper going bankrupt. This leads up to the more important part of the question, â€Å"What is an American†; what is today’s definition. So what are American’s today? â€Å"It is as much your country as it is my country†, is quote by Red Skelton in 1969 during his word by word analysis of the pledge of allegiance. This quote unlike all the other quotes, this quote is more versatile, and what I mean by that is the quote could be taken, and can be meant towards different people. A lot of people will look at this and think about the immigrants, and while this is true I view Red Skelton’s quote in a different light. I view his quote to view wealth inequality in America. It is now an undeniable fact that ninety nine percent of America’s wealth is controlled by one percent of American people. Sure all people in America have the same rights and liberties, but same the opportunities? It is a sad fact that people and poverty tend to stay in poverty and are not able to pursue the American dream because they either don’t have the chance or the education. Not only that, but the middle class; li ke an eroding cliff, is falling into the poverty line. The Great Recession in 2008 did not help either So with all these weights on the American Dream it begs the question, â€Å"Is the American Dream even possible anymore.† I personally believe that it is still possible, though significantly harder. So hard that some American’s have just given up. So an American is a person who has pride for their country and pursues the American Dream but that pride no longer has a place as we have slipped past the point of being looked up to in my opinion. Americans were first immigrants, wanting to come here for the chance of a better life, or better known as the American dream. After the first century of this country’s existence, and WWII, America entered a golden age where decadence and the â€Å"overdoing† of the American Dream sew the seeds of economic catastrophe. In recent years Americans still try to pursue the American Dream and sometimes succeed, but most are unable to deal with the burdens on their shoulders already. So what does the future hold as America’s economy recovers and people’s hope in the government returns? Does this mean that Americans will start to achieve the American Dream even more? Possibly giving into the decadence or wealth once more? Will America take years to recover? Who is to sa y, all I know is the American spirit is still adaptable, even after all of these years and we shall make it. What Is An American free essay sample For fifteen of the past seventeen years, I have lived in the tiny town of Hopedale. Five thousand people, mostly children and the elderly, call this 5.4-square-mile town home. Once a radical utopian community visited by such greats as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglas, Hopedale has now faded into obscurity. It could be described as a bedroom community: its big main street businesses include Hopedale House of Pizza and Jennys, a new coffee shop. And in this quiet community, more than ninety-five percent of the residents are white, Christian, and middle class. As a young child, I naively believed that every American is like the people of my hometown. However, as I grew older and realized how wrong I was, I learned to question whether any stereotype of a typical American is valid. During elementary school, my afternoons where spent at daycare where I met a friend who surprised me by unknowingly confronting my naivete. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is An American? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unlike the dozens of other children I had played with, she had beautiful dark chocolate-brown skin and black hair done in braids. She did not fit into my worlds neatly organized garden of white tulip people, and suddenly I wondered if my garden was as colorful as it should have been. A few years later, when I was nine years old, I was invited to a birthday party for a new friend, and I was amazed to see the differences between my six-room home, which I assumed to be a universal model, and hers. The party took place in a huge family room filled with lavish comforts such as wall-to-wall carpeting, draftless new windows, and a computer. Though it seemed like a palace, in retrospect I realize that my friends eight-room house was not unusual for a middle class family. My surprise at seeing both her mother and father cheerfully organizing amusing party games and slicing colorfully iced birthday cake has also diminished. But, the experience proved to me that even within a single small town, there are differences in wealth and way-of-life. By the time I entered high school, I experienced many new situations and met many new people. I learned the differences between people are so vast that the minor ones between my life and my childhood friends are insignificant in comparison. Events in my own life easily disproved my early stereotype of the typical American. Now I question whether a typical American exists and, if one does, who that person may be. Though people in this country may be vastly different from each other in many ways, I wonder whether there are common threads that tie the millions of Americans together, uniting our country. Maybe the simple fact that we all live in the same country, learn the same history, and pay taxes to the same Internal Revenue Service is enough to make all of us typical Americans. Perhaps, though, something greater than that links us: our belief in the ideals of freedom and democracy, or our common heritage as immigrants and children of immigrants might be better characteristics to bring us together than our physical, social, or economic characteristics. The more I encounter different types of people and different ways of life, the more I am unsure about what an American really is. What is an American free essay sample What is the American Dream? That has been the question for the past few years and each year the definition changes, but also the American Dream is different to everyone. To some people the American Dream is about money or it’s about family. Some people might even say it’s about being better than their neighbor. The American Dream to me is about being fair/ equal to everyone that lives in America. Certain people get treated unfairly based on colored, sexualitiy, gender, and even how they are ranked in class. What makes a person different from you and me get treated so unfairly? Alot of Americans are racist, sexstist, ect., but that isn’t what the American Dream is about. It’s about treating our neighbors the same as we treat our family. Equal. No one is better than the next, especially based on color, class, gender and sexuality. That is what Red Skelton is saying, that people from different places, and ethnicities should all have equal right to justice. We will write a custom essay sample on What is an American? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page De Crevecoeur is saying that if you work hard enough you can change the world but the only way to do so if people given opportunities. Equality should be something that everyone should get not something that some people get and others don’t. â€Å"and justice- the principle or qualities of dealing fairly with others.† Red Skelton was defining the Pledge of Allegiance by paying special attention to the word choice. When he says â€Å" and justice- the principle or qualities of dealing fairly with others.† he means that everyone deserves equal rights, and every person who lives in America should be treated fairly not just people have more power then the next.He also was saying that justice is something that everyone in America deserves that is why we have trials and no one is found guilty until proven guilty. What I think Red Skelton was saying is that justice is about being fair to everyone who is involved in the problem. What I also think Red Skelton is saying is that justice should be fair to people because America isnt fair when it comes to the justice system. The justice system isnt always f air because some people who work in the system can be racist and judgemental towards certain people even if they haven’t done anything illegal. This act of the justice system is unfair that its to the point where it can take away people’s freedom. Some people get accused of something that they didn’t do and they pay the consequences of someone else fault, which takes away that person’s freedom. In To Kill A Mockingbird is an example that the justice system is unfair because Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Violet Ewell because he was a black man and Mayella is a white woman. Tom got wrongly accused because Mayella’s father Robert Bob Ewell caught his daughter kissing Tom, which isnt allowed back then because of Tom’s skin color.People believed that Tom raped Mayella because she had bruises all over her body from her father. This relates back to the the quote because this shows that the justice system isnt fair by how they just jump ed to conclusion about Tom raping Mayella just because he is black. This also shows that justice should be fair to everyone it doesnt matter if youre a man, woman, black, white, or whatever. In America everyone deserves a chance at a trial to be proven guilty or not, people shouldnt just accused someone because someone else says that person did it or not. America is advertised like opportunities are just given free to everybody, but they are not. Opportunities are actually rarely given. â€Å"whose labors and prosperity will one day cause great change in the world.† De Crevecoeur was describing that any American who works hard enough and doesnt give up can change the world one day. De Crevecoeur was saying that if you work hard enough and try your hardest you can achieve something great, and when you don’t give up even if it gets hard you can achieve great things. In Europe they didnt have many opportunities given to them. People who worked on farms had to give away their food to the lords, so they couldn’t expand their talents, and they couldn’t provide for their families.De Crevecoeur didn’t have any opportunities in Europe and in America, people believe that people get opportunitites all the time which isn’t true. What I think De Crevecoeur is saying is that if people gave more opportuniti es to each other, people could work hard and if they work hard enough we could change the world. I think that not enough opportunities are given to people, especially to certain people. Someone could not give someone a job because of who they are, even though it is against the law it still happens. I also think that people don’t always take an opportunity when they see it. John D. Rockefeller took an opportunity into his own hands which changed his life. Rockefeller, as a child, and his family struggled to put food on the table. and grew up with not that much. When John became old enough him and his brother became partners in Rockefeller, Andrews Flagler. They monopolized oil by making kerosene for lanterns. John D. Rockefeller took an opportunity into his own hands and changed his life himself. He didn’t wait till someone gave the opportunity to him, he saw the opportunity and took it. He came from nothing and ended up changing the world. even if he didn’t kno w how big his company would get. This shows that if people gave opportunities and people took advantage of them, then people who do work hard could change the world in someway. The American Dream to me is about equality. Everyone is America, even if they are not from here, deserves to be treated how we treat the people we love. I don’t understand how someone can treat another human being so badly just because they are different. Isnt that what America is also about, being different? Being our own person? That is what Red Skeleton and De Crevecoeur are saying in their quotes about equality. Red Skeleton explains that justice should be equal to everybody no matter what the situation is, but the justice system isn’t like that. De Crevecoeur says people who work hard will change the world unfortunately not enough opportunities are given to people to change the world. America is still trying to accept everyone for who they are. People get judged every day for something about them like how they dress, talk, act, etc. If people just accepted people for who they are even if you don’t agree with them, it could be a better place. Treat someone like how you would want someone to treat you. What Is an American free essay sample The foundations of American values and traditions began during the Puritan movement. The Puritans determination and unity still echoes in American culture today. Furthermore, Benjamin Franklins thirteen principles of success shows the American principles of self-reliance and Independence. In addition, Franklin also Illustrates the American Dream. Franklins set of virtues that are paralleled today by a multitude of people. For instance, Francisco Jim ©NZ, who grew in poverty, rose from the pure poverty of migrant workers. Like Benjamin Franklin, teachers also strive to share their knowledge with others.It is vital to appreciate the similarities between the Puritans. Benjamin Franklin, Francisco Jim ©NZ, and teachers so that the American nation can carry on modeling unity and determination and delivering virtues such as hope and altruism for others to come. Above all. The Puritan civilization Is one of the basic foundations of American culture. Because of their unity and hardworking ethics, they built the basis of the average American today. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is an American? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Like most Americans, the Puritans came from Europe to escape religious persecution. They found solace in America and created a civilization where everyone Is equal.By mulling together, the Puritans found they could form a society that would thrive in the worst of situations. As Leland Risen states, in Worldly Saints: some of the ethics that the Puritans used and lived by are positive elements In society today. Puritans, such as Anne Broadsheet, portrayed how simplistic Puritan life was. In her most famous poem, upon the Burning of Our House, Broadsheet expressed her feelings towards God and material possessions. The Puritan woman described the moment her house set on fire. l blest his Name that gave and took, / That lady my goods now in the dust: [Yea so it was, and so twats Just. It was his own: It was not mine; Far be It that I should repine. It Is clear Broadsheet feels material possessions are not of Importance. Moreover, Puritans should be credited for their hard work, patience, thriftiness, and organization. They never opposed education, in fact; they looked up to educated people. Learned was one of their most frequently used positive titles for an educated person. If It werent for the Puritans the American people of this century would not have the opportunity to attend Harvard university. Indeed, the Puritan movement has influenced modern America.In addition to the Puritan movement, Benjamin Franklin can be looked to as the OFF dying out. He, like many Americans today, was poorly educated. Surprisingly, he was self-taught. Like America itself, Franklin couldnt be described with one or two words. He was a scientist, inventor, philosopher, and diplomat. He contributed to America by inventing bifocals, the lighting rod, the first library, and the Franklin stove; the list is endless. He never stopped working, or progressing. He created a yearly almanac; Poor Richards Almanac. The almanac contained weather reports, a calendar, poems, and sayings.He did not accomplish so much for himself; this selfless man created all those useful inventions for everyone. Furthermore, in Franklins autobiography he describes thirteen virtues which helped him succeed in life. Qualities such as, tranquility, temperance, order, and industry can be used in this era by Americans. Similar to a variety of Americans, Franklin shows the determination to succeed. In addition to laying the virtues to succeed, Franklin also exemplified the idea of the independent self-made man. This reflects American people today. The poorest person an America can achieve wonders by hard work and diligence.Overall, Benjamin Franklin truly defines what an American is by his hard work and dedication to the American people. Just as Benjamin Franklin reflects American people today by his selflessness, hard work, and diligence, Francisco Jim ©NZ echoes America by his determination and hope. Similar to the Puritans, Jim ©NZ immigrated to America with his family from Tattletales, Mexico. Like the Puritans, his family sought out opportunity and freedom in the land of liberty. As a child he worked in the fields of California. He spent most of his childhood moving around California; having no permanent home.In his best-selling book, Breaking Through, Jim ©NZ writes about life from an illegal immigrants perspective. At age fourteen he, his older brother and mother are caught by immigration police. They are forced to leave their home, and travel all night to arrive at the Mexico-USA border. In Arizona, he, his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sisters fought against the devastating poverty; also worked for drawn- out hours of labor, and obvious procurement. Oddly enough, Jim ©NZ pulled through with hope and determination, and went on to have an illustrious academic career. Graduating from Santa Clara University, he went on to study at Harvard University receiving both a Masters Degree and PhD from Columbia University. He became chairman of the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Santa Clara University, also as director of the Division of Arts and Humanities. Furthermore, Jimenez shared his many works with the entire world hoping to make an impact. Surely Francisco Jim ©NZ echoes many Americans in history and Americans today because of his determination and hope. While Francisco Jim ©NZ represents hope and determination, American teachers represent the altruism and generosity of America.In the dictionary, a teacher is simply defined as an educator; someone who merely educates others. An American teacher is more than an educator; they are potters shaping Americas future. The young Americans today are influenced by the people who teach them. Instead of choosing a different career for themselves, many decide to teach for the sake of others. Like Benjamin Franklin, teachers have no desire of keeping their knowledge to themselves. Their only wish is to share it with others to benefit, not only themselves his career to advance the education system of the United States.He shows he is leafless and only wants to improve America. Surely, American teachers are a symbol of America because of their altruism and generosity. All in all, America is defined by more than one word or object. It is of extreme importance to recognize the resemblances of the Puritan movement, Benjamin Franklin, Francisco Jimenez, and all American teachers so that American society can continue to model unity and determination, and delivering virtues such as hope and altruism for others to come. It is apparent that many Puritans, such as Anne Broadsheet, showed hardworking ethics and unity still echo in modern America.Benjamin Franklin also reflects Americans today because of his hard work and selflessness. Like Benjamin Franklin, Francisco Jimenez shows the undying hope and determination of a true American. Just like Franklins bigheartedness, teachers also parallel altruism and generosity in American culture today. Overall, America will never be defined with one or two words. America is put together like a puzzle. Each piece containing a unique spectrum of color, but all the pieces fit together perfectly and all of those pieces, no matter how small, have a part in creating what an American is.