American Identity Changes

To me the question of American identity is partly a question of character. I think in order to survive in a democratic society, we must be able to pass these ideals on to our younger generation so they learn to value the commitment of all citizens to civic responsibility. Also, to instill in them character traits such as honesty and personal responsibility that are necessary to support a democratic political culture. In John Winthrop’s "City upon a Hill" he talks about how we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, meaning that all eyes are upon America, and in order to avoid destruction we must come together as one despite our differences and provide for our future generations.

Since the time of the American Revolution, people always asking “What is an American?-Today, Americans tend to believe the religion and the politics of government have had the biggest impacted on American identity because it has introduced a new system structure nations, cultures, and the Enlightenment's ideas to form the United States.

Throughout the life span of the United States, from its infancy after the Revolution to the present, people have asked, “What is an American?” This question goes far beyond asking who is a citizen or who resides in this land. No, it asks what the identity of an American is? Through popular, art, film, and literature, the American image is defined as being based on embracing our individual identities.

The topic of American identity was used by many poets, novelist, and other writers. The short stories ''Response to Executive Order 9066'' by Dwight Okita and ''Mericans'' by Sandra Cisneros both have the common theme. Cultural heritage and appearance do not determine your American identity. Both of these pieces of text prove this theme.

Despite the state of the situation, Americans have developed a unique sense of identity and we can always seem to be optimistic we can benefit change. Whether we create change, follow change, or need change, this identity which brings it about represents all the people, and serves the good of all. The ability to reform, adapt, and recover as an American is unmatched. This theme of a developing identity continues to develop up to modern day and will never stop evolving. With new challenges arising on the horizon, it is our responsibility as the people to never forget our history, as it defines our identity, destiny, and most importantly, what it means to be

For hundreds of years, people have been immigrating to the United States in search of freedom, better living and the fulfillment of the American dream. Being an American means to uphold values of independence, responsibility and freedom. Patriotism and unity are main agents for a nation's identity. These values have been forged by our forefathers, and still remain vibrant in the American culture from east through west. As we will see, the existing American identity has been influenced by many factors, such as the Frontier, the Melting Pot and the political thoughts on this nation.

American identity is the way a person experiences the American culture. However, that is not always the case. American identity is often confused with how someone physically appears or where they came from. Examples of this confusion can be seen in Dwight Okita’s poem, “In Response to the Executive Order 9066” and Sandra Cisnero’s short story, “Mericans.”

Over the generations, what people think being an American means has changed. The change for some people was nothing, but for others it could have been drastic. The things we do has definitely changed, like outside doing activities to playing games or on your phone constantly. The question here, is “How have generations changed what it means to be American?”, also “Do Americans from different time periods see American Identity differently?”. Overall, through the generations the thought of American Identity has changed and stayed the same in different ways.

“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”. This infamous quote from the declaration of Independence not only personifies the hope and desperation for opportunity so many immigrants long for before coming to America, it also exemplifies the true “American Identity” that is embraced by native born Americans. This promise for a better life that America is dangled in our faces of other countries that bonds the people together stronger than anything that would divide them. The American identity has taken several decades to develop from the influences of old European ties, the meshing of

An American identity has never been the same thing all throw out time what it was and how it is created have never stayed the same thing. There will always be a conflict of what an american identity is and the description of an American identity will always change. The biggest change was immigration that changed what being an American means and it still effects the American identity today.

American identities Is a huge impact on our life. It’s who we are! Well if you are not sure or just have no clue how an american identity is made well I will tell you my point of view of how they are made. Being an american has nothing to do with the color of your skin or what race you are. Some people confuse that though. There are conflicts in america almost everyday on race and immigration. I have strong beliefs that If you go with the traditions of america and you work hard at being an american that makes you one. We discriminate

There is no set American identity, and anyone should know that. Everyone has their lifetime, not to find, but to create who they are. We create our own identities as we go, whether we take the road of lies, or truth. I´ve had my fair share of jerks, and jocks, and plain stupid people in my life, but those people have helped me create and mold who I am today, even though I may not like the way I am.

Since 1893, when Fredrick Jackson Turner announced that the American identity was not a byproduct of the first colonists, but that it emerged out of the wilderness and only grew with the surfacing of the frontier, America has placed a great emphasis on the notion of a national identity. However, the paradox of the American identity is that although the United States is a melting pot of many different traditions, motives, and ideals, there are nevertheless, distinctive qualities that define the "American." It usually takes a crisis to cause an individual, or a nation, to renew itself. However, sometimes it takes a fight for survival to induce it.

The modern identity of the United States of America is predicated on the notion that “all men are created equal.” However, behind the idealism of aphorisms such as these found in America’s founding documents exists the truth of the American situation: that “equality” has exceptions. In the eyes of Thomas Jefferson and other framers, “all men” were white landowners. The dichotomy of equality for “all men” and the third estate was a feature of democracy in America for centuries and a defining characteristic of the American South in particular. The belief in race based dichotomy was perpetuated by the landed gentry of the South, the political elite, to the masses, establishing the rise of a conservative base in the latter half of nineteenth century which hindered black civil rights for decades and defines the enduring qualities of the Southern political ethos to this day.

The Identity gives the Dream a backbone to hold itself up. As the Identity changes, the Dream gets harder and harder to make real and will crumble under its weight and importance. When the country’s government got revamped after the first few years of being established, the Founding Fathers created the Bill of Rights. Over the centuries, these rights and the ones in the rest of the Constitution have been added on and/or amended. Congress and the President have passed laws and executive orders (P) that have changed what it means to be American. After these past few presidencies, America is viewed as a laughing stock to the rest of the world. We have lost what made us “great,” and we keep making it