Essays on American Identity

How is American Identity created? Do we have to create the identity or does it just happen by itself? I think that you make it yourself, it should be earned. My great grandpa was from Mexico, but when he was old enough he immigrated to...

Americans of today’s society view their home country as a melting pot of culture, customs, and creeds. America has grown to be the most culturally diverse nation in the world but this feat did not happen rapidly. The most culturally diverse country in the world...

In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton attempts to recapture the essence of Old New York, a moment in late 19th century American history when social interaction was dictated by rigid standards of propriety and style. As Wharton explores this milieu through her protagonist Newland...

As America grows ever more diverse, the question of what it means to be an American yields an increasingly complicated answer. From the beginning of colonial period in 1600s, the question, “What is American?” has been questioned and it is so complex to answer this...

In 1607, when the first colony was established in Jamestown, Virginia, the colonists were still essentially British subjects living in America. They were ruled by the king overseas and in exchange for the protection provided by Britain, respected and obeyed the rulings of the monarch....

In American Pastoral and A View From the Bridge, Philip Roth and Arthur Miller respectively present family life as a tense realm of activity where relationship ties are easily stretched and broken. By setting their novels in Rimrock, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, the authors offer...

Frederick Douglass accuses the portrayal of the independent, just, free and individualistic American identity as “inhuman mockery”, falsely advertising that not all people that reside in America possessed the same liberties and freedom that every American was supposed to have. Douglass refutes the common belief...

The topic of discussion for this section of the class was mainly the American identity and the role of the foreigner in our nation and other nations. It is an interesting topic of discussion to think of what makes someone an American, whether they are...

Native American Identity as a Result of Colonialism One of the most profound results of colonialism is the creation of distinctly separate spaces physically and figuratively, that leads to the development of distinct identities rooted on each side. In Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True...

Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” is universally regarded as a classic film. Winning multiple Oscars, launching the acting career of Stallone himself (perhaps not the best consequence in the long run…), and inspiring several people to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, virtually...

As Latin Americans nations fought for their independence and tried to establish themselves as new nations, they faced the challenge of needing to develop a national identity as well as finding their place within the western hemisphere. Some Latin Americans saw the need to develop...

Every country has different everyday ways and cultural mores. To get to know American life, it pays to know certain mannerisms most native-born Americans share. For instance, greetings; Americans shake hands firmly with each other when first introduced, and when they meet again. Social kissing;...

Class is what every person in this country strives for. People spend their entire lives trying to improve their own social stature, and many times end up completely miserable. A person can work their way up a corporate ladder to find in the end that...

An Exodus to Personal Identity: Exploring America’s Identity Subjugation in Americanah How does one define his or her own identity? In Chimamanda Adichie’s novel Americanah, Adichie writes the story of Ifemelu, a Nigerian young woman, who moves to America in search of a brighter future...

In America we come to find that the American dream is not so simple. The American reality is this, a place where everyone has a very hard time finding success, money, jobs, opportunities, and housing. The people of this country are in a state of...

‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ is a science fiction novel written by Kurt Vonnegut. The author of this novel wrote about the bombing in Dresden during the World War II. The author of this novel witnessed as American Prisoner of War and he was able to survive by hiding...

America is a country that allows me to vote when I’m 18, I’ll have a say in who I want for as the next president, or governor of my state. America is a country where I have to follow laws for everyone’s safety. America is...

There’s a lot that goes into being an American, one huge thing that is the root of being an American is freedom, to be an American means that you must continue to grow industrially. When our country went to war with each other, it was...

What does it mean to be an American? Does it mean patriotism? Is it the feeling of pride when your singing the national anthem? To be clear there are many things that makes a true American. They can be of any race, any color, speak...

Have you ever disliked school? I believe education is an essential factor in America along with our rights and equality. Education assists us to do our daily life activities in the most reliable way we can. Our rights and equality are vital because equality apprises...

Culture identity has a lot to do with mental health and how you are raised up. So, having the ability to be able to identify with culture benefits and makes the knowledge of humans stronger and able to relate to more people and interact and...

August 11 and 12 of 2017, a rally called “Unite the Right” was organized by a group called Alt-Right which was comprised of a bunch of white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-confederates, neo-Nazis, and various types of militias to go against the idea of taking down...

Becoming an American is a life changing experience. Most people come to America to start a new and better life for them and their families. When answering what it means to be an American, I believe that it means you have freedom to be whoever...

Being a U.S citizen can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people it can mean being free, having more rights, or just being proud of where you live. America is a safe place where you be yourself and not be punished...

As “Democracy in America” revealed, Tocqueville believed that equality was the great political and social idea of his era, and he thought that the United States offered the most advanced example of equality in action. He admired American individualism but warned that a society of...

Where anyone who is willing to work diligently and honestly obey the law can achieve the happiness declared by the founding parents. And this idea has become relevant to many people in all countries of the world ‘American Dream’ is notable for its vitality and...

The American Revolution was a revolt against the British with help from France in which independence was won and resulted in the United States of America. The revolution centered around the best way to protect “liberty” and republican government, although not everyone agreed on how...

In the early years of the 1500s, people started to question every belief that they had and pursued the right to equality within society. The ideals concerning most of these questions would soon spark a tremendous transition. For most of the eighteenth century, many new...

Just as Joy Harjo reflects, humans hold a natural sense of obligation to our ancestors to live out their traditions and a responsibility to our children to instill these same traditions in them. She urges us to speak our truths, not just for our personal...