Who is an American | Teen Ink

Who is an American

January 8, 2014
By MelanieS BRONZE, Boulder, Colorado
MelanieS BRONZE, Boulder, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

You may live in a country for your whole life, but never fully understand the origins and characteristics of the citizens who surround you every day. When thinking about America, one must first learn the history. When the pilgrims first immigrated, they came for fortune and family. They wanted to become a different society and break away from the bonds of England. They achieved this with hard work, creating a whole new nation that was unique to any other country. People of different ethnicities united together to become the Americans of the most powerful country in the world today. So who exactly is an American? An American is someone who will do almost anything for family and wants to become a part of society. Doing so makes them strive for the many opportunities America has to offer, so that they can become successful and achieve the best in life.
Americans bond together, strengthening the community. One thing that unites the country, is its pledge. As quoted in his speech defining the Pledge of Allegiance, Red Skelton construes, “Indivisible: Incapable of being divided.” Americans will stick together no matter what happens. They are united with each other and care for each other. They remain a strong community as a whole. When the English settled in America and wanted to break away from England, they all united to form a unanimous vote to declare independance. If it weren’t for their cooperation, the America we know today, wouldn’t exist.
Americans use the many freedoms and resources America provides them. This has been true since even before 1770, when it was stated in Poor Richard’s Almanack, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today” (Franklin). Americans strive for opportunity. When there is potential to do something, they do not waste any time. When they find something they love, they go after it. They work hard to get the job done, and benefit from their efforts. This reminds me of myself because I have many goals, one being to learn how to fly planes. I buy books, watch videos, and took ground school for it. I know I will work hard to one day become a pilot, because I have the opportunity and the perseverance to.
Americans jump at the chance to better themselves and their lives. As stated in the article, “What is an American?”, “An American is anyone who loves life enough to want the best that it has to offer” (Hudgins). Americans want to be the best of the best. They do not stop at “good enough”. There is always room to improve. There are many ways to spend one’s time, but the goal is to find what makes them happy. When one is happy, they will love their life. Happiness comes with achieving one’s goals and dreams that will get them farther in life. Those who’ve really put in a lot of effort, have good fortune, like the president. He wanted to work in politics, but didn’t stop at senator; he strived to be better, and so he ran for president and succeeded.
A united community with the opportunity for achieving great success is what defines an American and the American society. Being united brings the country together which makes opportunities available for success of all citizens. Without cooperation, the country would be in chaos, and few would have the chance to succeed. The country would not be at its best state. Americans are the reason why America is such a great place to live in.



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