American Pride

by: Natalie

I've been thinking much lately about what it actually means to be an American. Does it mean spending summers eating hot dogs and hamburgers? Oh wait... we stole that from the Germans. Does it mean watching football every Saturday (Ok, so it's a rip-off from English rugby, but oh well)? Does it mean spending all year planning Thanksgiving dinner (which we wouldn't have if the Indians hadn't shown the Pilgrims how to do it)? While I don't really think any one of these things classifies me as an "American," I think they all certainly help shape my view of what being an American entails.

To me, being an American means celebrating my German heritage and encouraging my fellow Americans to celebrate their heritage as well. No one is inherently American. We all came from different parts of the world. But, we live in this great country where we can embrace our heritage in unison. That is what makes us American. Our country is diverse, yet we all relate on some level or another. What other country is made up of people from all over the globe? This makes us unique, and so when we celebrate our American citizenship, we should also acknowledge the places we have come from and how they play a part in the "melting pot."

I am proud to be an American and to have the opportunities I do from living in this country, but I am also proud to be a German and to be able to share my unique experiences with other Americans standing by my side.

What does it mean to be an American?

by: Jenny

So many people have different ideas about what it means to be an American. The stereotypical American is someone who loves baseball, apple pies and hot dogs... or something like that.

I have also heard that an American is someone who loves the above-mentioned baseball, hot dogs and apple pies... plus the New York Yankees, peanuts, and Coca-Cola.

Rodney Atkins' new song, "It's America" shares his views on what it means to be in America:

It's a high school prom

It's a Springstein song

It's a ride in a Chevrolet

It's a man on the moon

And fireflies in June

Kids sellin' lemonade

It's cities and farms

And open arms

One nation under god

It's America

I actually have to agree. To me, America is about the memories that I have had growing up. It is my sisters and I setting up that lemonade stand in our driveway and selling about three cups (two of which were to my parents). It is staying outside playing Red Light, Green Light until my mom called us inside because it was time to go to bed. It is spending summers at my lake house and watching the fireworks explode over the water and hearing the "surround sound" of the noise being carried through the neighboring mountains and valleys. America is about running through the grass and lying on our backs counting the millions of stars, and wishing on the shooting ones. It is about being spontaneous. It's about lying in the street; going to carnivals and state fairs. America is learning how to ride a horse or drive a stick-shift for the first time. It's about happiness. It's about bliss. It's about falling in love and making memories.

America to me is home. I know there are things going on in this country that I strongly disagree with. But America is the only thing I know, and maybe that makes me ignorant of problems we face domestically... or maybe not. This is home, and I am proud to live here and be a part of this nation.

Now I turn the question to you... what do you think it means to be an American?