What Does It Mean to Be an American

What Does It Mean to Be an American Many essays, articles, and novels have been written on what it means to be an American. For someone, being a true American means living out the ideals of liberty and freedom. For others, Americans should embody the values of democracy and equality that are highlighted in our Constitution. Some may perceive Americans from a negative perspective, associating them with such concepts as consumerism, political hegemony, and arrogance. As with any other nation, none of these perspectives fully reflects the whole diversity of America and each individual specifically. I would like to describe what it means to be an American from my point of view. To begin with, being an American means living in an extremely diverse society. This diversity is manifested in personal, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, gender, and sexual differences that make this country so unique. Being an American means not only belonging to this bright picture of nations and worldviews but also respecting and celebrating the difference. I believe that a true American knows the history of the country and remembers that this nation has been formed by people from different countries and continents. Sustaining and supporting this diversity today is especially important given the current threats to the American society and lifestyle. Politicians divide the country by making people feel insecure and distrustful, while terrorists make us feel scared of any diversity, of young and talented people who are not allowed to come to the USA simply because they were born in the “wrong” place. So, for me, being an American is respecting and promoting diversity in all its manifestations. Furthermore, being an American means working hard every day. Our nation is famous for being hard-working and motivated, which is due to the exceptional commitment and drive of its people. Americans have achieved so much in science, education, culture, and business only because they are not afraid of hard work. On the contrary, they love working and pride themselves on being loyal and ambitious employees able to promote positive changes in their organizations. For me, being an American means enjoying work, no matter how hard it may be. However, no true work-related achievements are possible without a dream. Americans have always had ambitious goals, and they even have a unique concept of the American dream that attracts people from all over the world. I am convinced that Americans can dream globally, that is, aim to achieve or create something that would affect the whole humanity, not just the USA. Naturally, not all dreams can come true, and not everyone can achieve success, like in any other country. However, a true American believes that everything is possible with due diligence and a bit of luck. Finally, I think that being an American means being willing to make this world a better place. I do not agree with those arguing that Americans are selfish and think only about their own well-being and economic stability. I am convinced that the majority of people are empathetic and kind, and they would be glad to make a contribution to the global peace and stability. Some of them already do it by working on innovative medication, making amazing scientific discoveries, donating to international NGOs protecting the environment, and supporting developing countries. Our scientists have made an immense contribution to the global science and made the lives of millions of people better, which proves that being an American means thinking about other people. To summarize, I feel that being an American means much for every conscious citizen including me, as a true American respects diversity and hard work and has a dream that may make people’s lives better. This essay answers the question “What Does It Mean to Be an American?” The author argues that Americans possess many positive qualities, such as respect for diversity, diligence, ambition, and empathy, which allows them to make a valuable contribution to the global peace and stability.