What does Being an American Mean?

What does being an American mean? To me it means Nationality, Freedom, & Loyalty. Nationality being a country full of all races and all types of people you can think of. Next Freedom, Having a right of being able to speak on whatever is on your mind & being a country where you have absolute freedom no disregards & no restrictions. Finally Loyalty, A very strong word so strong of a word that it is an action which many show up on America, Why? Because too many it is their home that they must protect and serve and represent with no harm or disrespect.

First off Nationality is being any race from any given country or even state & also just being apart of an ethnic group. For example in the article “ My English” it says in the background for the autobiography “Julia Alvarez the author of My English was born in New York but grew up in the Dominican Republic”.

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As shown there you can be apart of one culture or nationality but be in a complete different ethnic group. But sometimes what is hard for people that have different nationalities it's hard because they don’t get to choose who they want to be 100%. Mainly speaking no matter who you are no matter race, country, or state you can be anyone, & be anywhere.

Second, Freedom being a state of no restrictions but no disregards and always being happy because of living in a free country. For example it quotes in the poem “i, Too, Sing, America” the author wrote “I hear America singing” which the tone of it sounded happy and very proud to be an American.

In the whole poem the statements being made or being spoken of it seems that the person is proud to be an American and loves to represent it in a very good manner. Also in the poem “America” it states this quote “ Although she feeds me bread of bitterness and sinks into my throat her tigers tooth, stealing my breathe of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth”. So it looks like it was a person who is very young that has strong feelings towards America no matter what it throws at them and they love and it challenges them in it feels like life in a way.

Third, Loyalty basically meaning no back stabbing and no betraying the country or state you live in, in this case. On the article “Veterans Day: Never Forget their Duty”

It is talking about a soldier who was held captive but still kept loyalty towards America but it quotes in Paragraph 8 it says “We would hang Mike’s shirt on the wall of our cell and say the pledge of allegiance” reading that shows how much devotion they have towards America and how much hope they still have and also faith. They never gave up and the loyalty that was shown would get them beat which too me it means they do it so much they show it so much to the point they get punished. So loyalty to me means no betrayal and no backstabbing just show hard devotion.

Finally, In conclusion What being an American means to me is that you show hard devotion, and having much freedom, and also no matter the nationality you are welcome into America even if you are colored or even have a different background from everyone else. Being an American is being free what you want to say or do and have the ability to change things in the country so in meaning having a voice. America is a place to come for opportunity and greatness. But being an American means having heart and soul for what you stand for. Through all the struggle and challenges thrown at you for being different or american you still show love to this graceful country.