"We are an American family."

by: Natalie

I sit in my living room with "You've Got Mail" blaring through the TV. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) are sensational. Joe brings in his two young family members, Annabelle and Matt, to Kathleen's store. Well, they get to talking and naturally Kathleen asks if the kids are Joe's. He says no, she is confused, and he explains, "Annabelle is my aunt. Matt is my father's son. Annabelle is my grandfather's daughter. We are an American family."

I love this quote because it is true. American families are not always traditional. And nontraditional families are not outcasts. This is what I love about America. I love that a 5 yr. old girl could potentially be a 40 yr. old's aunt. Strange, but kind of cool. 

Another thing is that family does not always mean your biological relatives. Your "family" can include your best friend and your neighbors. Those people may be closer to you than your blood relatives anyways. Family can mean whatever you want it to. The freedom to essentially choose family (to an extent of course) is rare and unique. Our country is not as family focused as some others, but it seems that we are certainly focused on our self-imposed families.

Maybe we're cold and impersonal, but perhaps we are closer than we are made out to be. 

It's not always as happy as we make it seem.

by: Natalie

**This is a generalized statement and does not apply to each and every American.

While being an American comes with endless advantages (um freedom anyone?), they sometimes seem to get overwhelmed by our greed and selfishness.

This country was founded on the hard work, diligence, and perseverance of many men and women; many of whom are not even in our history books. They sacrificed and risked their lives and liberty to protect ours. But do we think about this as we sit comfortably in our recliner watching the Super Bowl in our warm, safe homes? Why does it often take an American flag and the national anthem to get us to stop and think about our freedom?

I have traveled to many countries across the world, and the general consensus is that Americans are fat, greedy, and very ego-centric. How did this stereotype come to be? Why do citizens of other countries put up a guard when Americans visit their towns? How did we impress them so negatively that they harbor hurt and even anger toward us? We feel entitled that what's yours is ours, and we are better than you because we don't live under an oppressive government. This may not be our conscious attitude, but this is the impression we have made on the world.

We expect things immediately and cannot be bothered with inconveniences. We have things to do and could not be inhibited by helping someone out on the street. Our tasks are the most important things in the world today. No need to worry about hungry nations, contaminated water, or kids who go to school without shoes. We just read the headlines, give a quick flinch of a sad emotion, and continue on to Starbucks to buy our $4 latte. This is America, this is how we demonstrate our privileged citizenship day after day.

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.