Question 18 (Free response)



|What does it mean to be American? | |

| |To be American is not only people who are born in the United States. It is a feeling of having pride of living in this country. I was |

|1 |born in Mexico but was raised in the United States. I am proud to have been raised in a country where everyone has an opportunity no |

| |matter where they are from. The United States gives us all an opportunity because it is a country that is a melting pot of diversities. |

| |To be American is to have pride of having this freedom and of being happy about living in this place where we all have the same |

| |opportunities. |

| |"What does it mean to be American?" That is a question I am asking myself. Honestly, I don't know at this moment in my life. What does |

|2 |it mean? Does it mean someone born here, someone who takes an active role and interest in the politics of the country? Do you have to be|

| |a good citizen to be American? Are you still an American if you are an illegal immigrant, if your parents were? What is a good citizen? |

| |This is something I struggle with as I begin to take a deeper interest in politics and the things that are going on around me. The first|

| |thing that comes to mind when I hear the word "American" is politics and the fact that there is a presidential election in the US later |

| |this year, and I'm confused about where I stand on many issues. Perhaps, all being American requires is a love and appreciation of |

| |America, regardless of whether that America is North, Central, or South. |

| |America means freedom and choice. There are many people from other cultures and countries, and even many Americans who may show |

|3 |discontent with America, but in reality, America is the place where all the cultures inhibit. People come to America for many reasons, |

| |to make choices without being ridiculed or persecuted, to receive education, for better healthcare, and overall living arrangements. |

| |Being an American makes me PROUD because it is a society where, although we have our issues, we still remain strong! |

| |American to me means freedom, although things are drastically changing from day to day and I am not so sure just how "free" we are |

|4 |anymore. I want to learn more about Latin America because my background is of Latin heritage and I want to return to my roots. |

| |being american is loving where you live and devoting your time to make america a better place. An american is someone who is devoted to |

|5 |living in the country and living to the best of his or her ability. Being american is having the freedom to choose in many situations. |

| |Being american is not about being white or one religion. Being american is understanding other cultures and beleifs and appreciating |

| |their value while practicing your own. |

| |Being an American is a great blessing. America has been called "the land of opportunity," and it truly is. Americans are free to make of|

|6 |their lives whatever they choose. This is the most important part of being an American. Freedom abounds in America and that is what |

| |makes this country great. When people are denied the freedom to worship, speak, and choose their own path in life, they are denied the |

| |basic human rights given by God. Because we as Americans recieve these freedoms, we are truly blessed. |

| |Being an American is one of the best things that you can be. American 's have more freedom than people in a lot of the other countries, |

|7 |that's why many people come here and leave their homelands. I am thankful that I was born in America so that I can enjoy all the |

| |traditions of America, plus I get exposed to a lot of other traditions as well from all the immigrants and people migrating over to |

| |America. |

| |Being an American not only means living in America, but it can also mean being from or living in North, Central, or South America. In |

|8 |the U.S. there are many people who come from different backgrounds and cultures. Being an American here interacting with all of those |

| |who come from different countries, respecting them, and considering them part of their society, considering them Americans. |

| |For me being American is about living in a country with people from all different backgrounds and cultures and feeling comfortable. I |

|9 |also feel that as an American I don't have to live in fear of anything. For example the people in Africa with such war torn countries |

| |I'm sure it's hard not to fear for your life every day. |

| |I believe being an American means being born in America. I don't believe it has anything to do with the color of your skin or your |

|10 |family's origin. America makes me think of freedom, though that is not uncommon for many other countries. In fact, with freedom comes |

| |crime and violence which is a big part of America. |

| |I feel that being an American is being apart of what Christopher Columbus called the "Americas". To me this means that if you are from |

|11 |the US, Mexico, or Brazil we are all Americans, not saying that we all have the same rights but all in all everyone from North, South, |

| |Central/Latin America are all Americans. |

| |To be American is to be free. It is the right to express yourself and what you believe in. It is not necesserally where you came from, |

|12 |but it is something you can become. To be an American is to live in America and embrace the culture of the people and things around you.|

| |To be American means many different things to different people. To some it means freedom and to others it could mean diversity. To me, |

|13 |it means a combination of both and more. To be American means that we have an opportunity to do things and achieve more than some other |

| |countries could only dream to. It means that we are accepting of other cultures and open to change and uniqueness. |

| |To be an American means that one has the privilege of enjoying many freedoms that people in other parts of the world only dream of. |

|14 |Being an American means that you can pursue any career or dream that you want without being held back by your social class or the |

| |government. |

|15 |To me being american is the greatest feeling in the world. I love my culture and my people! |

| |To me, being American means living in the United States. It also reminds me having freedom and a love for your country. |

|16 | |

| |usually being american means being born in the united states, although there are other ways to be characterized as an american. for |

|17 |example my family was all born in uruguay but when we came here, we just did some paper work and we became citizens. the majority of the|

| |people in america think that being american means going to war and joinning the army and doing things like that basically just being |

| |patriotic. |

| |Well, I am not American, but I will do my best to answer this question. We can make the distinction of South and North Americans. North |

|18 |Americans have the right to their own opinion and the freedom of speech. North Americans are fortuned enough to vote on and select their|

| |government. Using a general assumption, one can say that they strive for money, success and prestige, which are three components of the |

| |"American dream". South Americans are generally outspoken and generous people. They are family oriented and hard workers with a strong |

| |belief system. |

| |What is means to be an American to me is that you have the freedom to be who you want to be. An American can have the choice to have a |

|19 |say in what they want to do in their life. Americans can also have any life that they want to choose and live through the admendents and|

| |laws that this country has. |

Responses given by PERS 2670 students – January 2008.

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