What Does it Mean to be an American?

As part of my U.S. history class, I was given this prompt on what it means to be American. I felt a little unsure going into this assignment because of all the experiences I’ve had being the daughter of Jewish lesbian parents, identifying as bisexual myself, and the emotions I had about the election, which happened after I wrote this. I still stand by my writing and feel it’s worth sharing in the light of recent events.

There are a lot of aspects that go into the meaning of being American. From a young age, I always thought the stories of all the American Girl dolls were really fascinating and I would read all the series as I played with the dolls. My parents bought me a doll that looked like me. She was white, had brown hair and freckles, and was growing up in a Jewish household. I took for granted having a doll that looked like me, but I was always interested in the doll with the culture that seemed most different from mine. Kaya was Native American, and reading her books always taught me something new about Nez Perce culture, but more so, I felt guilty when I read that white settlers took their land. It felt very wrong. They were here first, and even by my elementary school knowledge, they should still have their land.

These were American Girl dolls. Keeping this in mind, having American as part of my identity is complicated. I have always had a complex relationship with patriotism and the idea that we should celebrate this country. I never really felt like there was much to celebrate. I feel guilt for living on and industrializing stolen land, but I also feel a duty to make this a place of progression and liberty. I can’t come up with a concise definition of what it means to be American. The anecdote of the dolls is a demonstration of this.

There is a lot of diversity within our country, and I think that’s really unique. People from all over the world visit and live in and move to America looking for different opportunities. I like meeting people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, sexualities, genders, and races. Everyone has a different experience. We have a lot to expand and grow on socially, but I definitely think the amount of inclusivity and acceptance has gone up significantly in the last century. My own aspiration to become either a lawyer or a journalist brings out the hopeful side of being American. Having been educated and having strong role models, especially with my career goals, I am hopeful that we can make America more inclusive and accepting.