Hmm, got you thinking there, didn't I?
Just yesterday, I had a discussion with a few friends about this question. We had to think about it for a few minutes to.
What does it really mean to be American?
Do you have to be born here to be American? Do you have to have an American passport? Are you still American if you've lived in America your whole life but you aren't a citizen?
What if you're like me, lived in two different countries during your lifetime and have a different nationality? Does the fact that I'm an American citizen and a Palestinian citizen make me Palestinian or American?
Here's what I said: I think that as long as you can refer to America as your home, no matter who you are or where your family is from, you're still an American. And this doesn't just concern America. If a person is American but has lived in Germany or France during their life, and they can somehow refer to that place as home, then that makes them German or French.
Another point I'd like to bring up: Because we are American as long as we've lived here, no matter what nationality we are, then that means that we should be treated like Americans too. Something that one of the girls sitting with us yesterday brought up was that as Americans, we have the same rights as other Americans, the same protections, and the same liberties. Because of this, shouldn't we be treated equally by other Americans?
Some of us try hard to exclude ourselves because we are different, while others try too hard to fit in, adapting the American lifestyle and becoming someone they're not.
We are the same and yet we are different. That sounds really confusing but it's really not.
Many many years ago, well actually not that long ago (let's think Sept.11), people who were different were not widely accepted. You were not American if you were Muslim. You were just Muslim. You were not white if you were black. You were not allowed to be treated like a white American if you were black and couldn't have the same rights.
Thankfully, times have changed. People have fought, strongly and boldly, to be accepted. So why would we want to ruin all their hard work? Instead of trying to desperately make the things that make us different disappear, we should be walking around confidently, showing others that there's nothing wrong with being unique and individualistic. And most of all, making those who started this confidence be proud of us.
In today's society, America has grown on the fact that it has people who are completely different, but joined by a single unique characteristic: that they are all American. America should continue to grow as a nation that accepts people who are anything but ordinary.
(Besides, ordinary is boring. Let's all be unique!)
The only way this can happen is if we are confident in who were are and show those who aren't confident that being proud of yourself is a great feeling! It'll build your character and make you feel like you can accomplish anything without anyone or anything getting in your way.
Why not let people be jealous of your confidence rather than judge you for your differences?
I like that idea better. :)
I hope I've given you confidence to last until we meet again. ^-^
-Wishful Dreamer
Just yesterday, I had a discussion with a few friends about this question. We had to think about it for a few minutes to.
What does it really mean to be American?
Do you have to be born here to be American? Do you have to have an American passport? Are you still American if you've lived in America your whole life but you aren't a citizen?
What if you're like me, lived in two different countries during your lifetime and have a different nationality? Does the fact that I'm an American citizen and a Palestinian citizen make me Palestinian or American?
Here's what I said: I think that as long as you can refer to America as your home, no matter who you are or where your family is from, you're still an American. And this doesn't just concern America. If a person is American but has lived in Germany or France during their life, and they can somehow refer to that place as home, then that makes them German or French.
Another point I'd like to bring up: Because we are American as long as we've lived here, no matter what nationality we are, then that means that we should be treated like Americans too. Something that one of the girls sitting with us yesterday brought up was that as Americans, we have the same rights as other Americans, the same protections, and the same liberties. Because of this, shouldn't we be treated equally by other Americans?
Some of us try hard to exclude ourselves because we are different, while others try too hard to fit in, adapting the American lifestyle and becoming someone they're not.
We are the same and yet we are different. That sounds really confusing but it's really not.
Many many years ago, well actually not that long ago (let's think Sept.11), people who were different were not widely accepted. You were not American if you were Muslim. You were just Muslim. You were not white if you were black. You were not allowed to be treated like a white American if you were black and couldn't have the same rights.
Thankfully, times have changed. People have fought, strongly and boldly, to be accepted. So why would we want to ruin all their hard work? Instead of trying to desperately make the things that make us different disappear, we should be walking around confidently, showing others that there's nothing wrong with being unique and individualistic. And most of all, making those who started this confidence be proud of us.
In today's society, America has grown on the fact that it has people who are completely different, but joined by a single unique characteristic: that they are all American. America should continue to grow as a nation that accepts people who are anything but ordinary.
(Besides, ordinary is boring. Let's all be unique!)
The only way this can happen is if we are confident in who were are and show those who aren't confident that being proud of yourself is a great feeling! It'll build your character and make you feel like you can accomplish anything without anyone or anything getting in your way.
Why not let people be jealous of your confidence rather than judge you for your differences?
I like that idea better. :)
I hope I've given you confidence to last until we meet again. ^-^
-Wishful Dreamer
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