Being American: My take

[SvenSvensonov]

I wrote this a number of years (at least 10 years, since I was still in high school at the time) ago for a sociology course I was taking… thought I’d share it and get other people’s opinions, views and experiences


SvenSvensonov: Being American – a short look at what I think being American means


I am an American… let me tell you what that means to me. I am an American, yet was born overseas. I am a socialist, yet supporter of the free-market. I am rich, and yet poor. I am a racist and multi-cultural. I am fat, but eat right and exercise. I am educated and yet stupid. I follow “Western Media”, but maintain an open mind. I own guns, and yet don’t. I support my nation’s government, though I curse it too. I demand a reduction in my nation’s military, while cheering its use. I love electronics, and a good book. I pollute the world; I clean it too. I am an American… I am a contradiction. I am a hypocrite. I don’t care.

This is America, there is no America. Beyond its name, America is too diverse to pinpoint a unique identity and classify it as American. Sure we have some common links, or at least a few held by a lot of people, but we differ more then we agree. We are multicultural, people from all nations flock to our lands looking for safety, stability, warmth and friendship, prosperity or fun… and yet we are racist too. To deny this would be a great travesty. It’s human nature to resist assimilating those with whom you do not connect to. From our penchant for looking at Latin American as “illegals” to our thinking of blacks as “thugs” to stereotyping the Chinese as the owners of the US, we have our issues with racism.

We Americans are as diverse in our ethnicity as we are in our political and economic views. Some support one side, other support the other, and many still the third or fourth option. You find plenty of people who simply don’t care as well. There are those that desire an even more free market, there are those that want the US closed off from the outside world. It’s complicated, it’s convoluted, and it’s as American as blaming the president for high oil prices… it’s a problem. We in the US have no direction and it shows in our political and economic policy differences, but this also makes us special. A lack of central direction allows each person to pursue their own course, barring legal restrictions, and forge their own path. This has bred the great innovative mindset that has allowed the US to become the world’s leading nation… it is also a poison. One only has to look at our political situation to see this. We can barely agree in where to eat for lunch, forget moving forwards on issues such as immigration or climate change!

We Americans are as nationalistic as they come, though we prefer the term “patriotic”. This is good, bad and ugly. Good because when we need to we can rally ourselves around “being American”… just look at the 9/11 incident and the almost zealous patriotism that demanded a response… even going so far to declare, “we’ll put a boot up your a**, it’s the American way”. And yet this zealotry is bad as well. For our short sided demands for “justice” or revenge or whatever we call it earned our nation a foul reputation, global instability, and economic and political disadvantaged that we are still struggling to overcome. We Americans love our nation if only because we are not you.

Perhaps they know better, just making a joke, but Americans have a reputation, a stereotype, that has been hard to shake out for the mindset of our overseas brothers and sisters. We’re fat, lazy, love greasy foods and camping out in front of a TV for hours on end. And yet our nation is industrious, energetic, intellectual and constantly moving forwards… both in its literal and figurative manners. We move, literally, but our nation’s movement in its figurative manner is the most important. We don’t remain stagnant. Others have risen, only to fall, while others are rising, but we Americans never stop moving. Our nation has grown bloated with inefficiency, and yet we are still able to maintain our position.

Our nation has no unique identity. For every one person that serves in the military there is another who condemns them for it. For every one person that wants a reduction in social spending there is another who would like to see more. For every one person that desired the US to close its borders and withdraw into itself there is another who would like to see more globalization. There is no America!!! America is a name only, but a name that represents everything that could possibly be represented. From racism to multiculturalism, from violence to peace, from obesity to anorexia, we are simply too diverse to be American in anything other than name… and that’s the way we like it.

* It's not the most in-depth analysis, I'm sorry for that, but I would like the views, opinions and thoughts of others.
@LeveragedBuyout @Peter C @AMDR @Nihonjin1051

you guys are Americans (or at least living here), tell me what your views, thoughts and opinions are. Also I'm extending an invitation to the following users to provide a counter-viewpoint

@senheiser @Galad

 

[Aepsilons]

What a beautifully written intraspective analysis of the American identity, American culture. Thank You, my dear friend @SvenSvensonov for sharing with us.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I wrote this a number of years (at least 10 years, since I was still in high school at the time) ago for a sociology course I was taking… thought I’d share it and get other people’s opinions, views and experiences


SvenSvensonov: Being American – a short look at what I think being American means


I am an American… let me tell you what that means to me. I am an American, yet was born overseas. I am a socialist, yet supporter of the free-market. I am rich, and yet poor. I am a racist and multi-cultural. I am fat, but eat right and exercise. I am educated and yet stupid. I follow “Western Media”, but maintain an open mind. I own guns, and yet don’t. I support my nation’s government, though I curse it too. I demand a reduction in my nation’s military, while cheering its use. I love electronics, and a good book. I pollute the world; I clean it too. I am an American… I am a contradiction. I am a hypocrite. I don’t care.

This is America, there is no America. Beyond its name, America is too diverse to pinpoint a unique identity and classify it as American. Sure we have some common links, or at least a few held by a lot of people, but we differ more then we agree. We are multicultural, people from all nations flock to our lands looking for safety, stability, warmth and friendship, prosperity or fun… and yet we are racist too. To deny this would be a great travesty. It’s human nature to resist assimilating those with whom you do not connect to. From our penchant for looking at Latin American as “illegals” to our thinking of blacks as “thugs” to stereotyping the Chinese as the owners of the US, we have our issues with racism.

We Americans are as diverse in our ethnicity as we are in our political and economic views. Some support one side, other support the other, and many still the third or fourth option. You find plenty of people who simply don’t care as well. There are those that desire an even more free market, there are those that want the US closed off from the outside world. It’s complicated, it’s convoluted, and it’s as American as blaming the president for high oil prices… it’s a problem. We in the US have no direction and it shows in our political and economic policy differences, but this also makes us special. A lack of central direction allows each person to pursue their own course, barring legal restrictions, and forge their own path. This has bred the great innovative mindset that has allowed the US to become the world’s leading nation… it is also a poison. One only has to look at our political situation to see this. We can barely agree in where to eat for lunch, forget moving forwards on issues such as immigration or climate change!

We Americans are as nationalistic as they come, though we prefer the term “patriotic”. This is good, bad and ugly. Good because when we need to we can rally ourselves around “being American”… just look at the 9/11 incident and the almost zealous patriotism that demanded a response… even going so far to declare, “we’ll put a boot up your a**, it’s the American way”. And yet this zealotry is bad as well. For our short sided demands for “justice” or revenge or whatever we call it earned our nation a foul reputation, global instability, and economic and political disadvantaged that we are still struggling to overcome. We Americans love our nation if only because we are not you.

Perhaps they know better, just making a joke, but Americans have a reputation, a stereotype, that has been hard to shake out for the mindset of our overseas brothers and sisters. We’re fat, lazy, love greasy foods and camping out in front of a TV for hours on end. And yet our nation is industrious, energetic, intellectual and constantly moving forwards… both in its literal and figurative manners. We move, literally, but our nation’s movement in its figurative manner is the most important. We don’t remain stagnant. Others have risen, only to fall, while others are rising, but we Americans never stop moving. Our nation has grown bloated with inefficiency, and yet we are still able to maintain our position.

Our nation has no unique identity. For every one person that serves in the military there is another who condemns them for it. For every one person that wants a reduction in social spending there is another who would like to see more. For every one person that desired the US to close its borders and withdraw into itself there is another who would like to see more globalization. There is no America!!! America is a name only, but a name that represents everything that could possibly be represented. From racism to multiculturalism, from violence to peace, from obesity to anorexia, we are simply too diverse to be American in anything other than name… and that’s the way we like it.

Excellent article sir. Your writing skills are very good.

I went to America for one of my vacations, a while back. But still it was hard to see an insight into what America was really like, your post is very enlightening in that aspect.

Similarly, I know some western expats who have been living in Hong Kong for decades, but they still don't really understand what it's like to be a Chinese. And vice versa of course. The whole world seems to be lost in translation.

 

[AMDR]

I'm still in high school so I can't really say anything since I haven't really experienced what America is all about. But to me being an American is about living in harmony with other people of different races to build a great country. Knowing the history of racial relations in this country I find it amazing that we have overcome that to build a economic, cultural, and military superpower. Everyday I go to school with people of different nationalities and races, and many of them are good friends of mine. Never in recorded history has the integration of nationalities and races worked out with such little damage done to the society and nation itself.

In the world I am only once race, but in America, I am them all.

 

[rockstar08]

A very well Written Article .... a must read for All Americans here ..

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

I wrote this a number of years (at least 10 years, since I was still in high school at the time) ago for a sociology course I was taking… thought I’d share it and get other people’s opinions, views and experiences


SvenSvensonov: Being American – a short look at what I think being American means


I am an American… let me tell you what that means to me. I am an American, yet was born overseas. I am a socialist, yet supporter of the free-market. I am rich, and yet poor. I am a racist and multi-cultural. I am fat, but eat right and exercise. I am educated and yet stupid. I follow “Western Media”, but maintain an open mind. I own guns, and yet don’t. I support my nation’s government, though I curse it too. I demand a reduction in my nation’s military, while cheering its use. I love electronics, and a good book. I pollute the world; I clean it too. I am an American… I am a contradiction. I am a hypocrite. I don’t care.

This is America, there is no America. Beyond its name, America is too diverse to pinpoint a unique identity and classify it as American. Sure we have some common links, or at least a few held by a lot of people, but we differ more then we agree. We are multicultural, people from all nations flock to our lands looking for safety, stability, warmth and friendship, prosperity or fun… and yet we are racist too. To deny this would be a great travesty. It’s human nature to resist assimilating those with whom you do not connect to. From our penchant for looking at Latin American as “illegals” to our thinking of blacks as “thugs” to stereotyping the Chinese as the owners of the US, we have our issues with racism.

We Americans are as diverse in our ethnicity as we are in our political and economic views. Some support one side, other support the other, and many still the third or fourth option. You find plenty of people who simply don’t care as well. There are those that desire an even more free market, there are those that want the US closed off from the outside world. It’s complicated, it’s convoluted, and it’s as American as blaming the president for high oil prices… it’s a problem. We in the US have no direction and it shows in our political and economic policy differences, but this also makes us special. A lack of central direction allows each person to pursue their own course, barring legal restrictions, and forge their own path. This has bred the great innovative mindset that has allowed the US to become the world’s leading nation… it is also a poison. One only has to look at our political situation to see this. We can barely agree in where to eat for lunch, forget moving forwards on issues such as immigration or climate change!

We Americans are as nationalistic as they come, though we prefer the term “patriotic”. This is good, bad and ugly. Good because when we need to we can rally ourselves around “being American”… just look at the 9/11 incident and the almost zealous patriotism that demanded a response… even going so far to declare, “we’ll put a boot up your a**, it’s the American way”. And yet this zealotry is bad as well. For our short sided demands for “justice” or revenge or whatever we call it earned our nation a foul reputation, global instability, and economic and political disadvantaged that we are still struggling to overcome. We Americans love our nation if only because we are not you.

Perhaps they know better, just making a joke, but Americans have a reputation, a stereotype, that has been hard to shake out for the mindset of our overseas brothers and sisters. We’re fat, lazy, love greasy foods and camping out in front of a TV for hours on end. And yet our nation is industrious, energetic, intellectual and constantly moving forwards… both in its literal and figurative manners. We move, literally, but our nation’s movement in its figurative manner is the most important. We don’t remain stagnant. Others have risen, only to fall, while others are rising, but we Americans never stop moving. Our nation has grown bloated with inefficiency, and yet we are still able to maintain our position.

Our nation has no unique identity. For every one person that serves in the military there is another who condemns them for it. For every one person that wants a reduction in social spending there is another who would like to see more. For every one person that desired the US to close its borders and withdraw into itself there is another who would like to see more globalization. There is no America!!! America is a name only, but a name that represents everything that could possibly be represented. From racism to multiculturalism, from violence to peace, from obesity to anorexia, we are simply too diverse to be American in anything other than name… and that’s the way we like it.

Interesting analysis. I have a political response to many of the points made, but I'm aware from other threads that you prefer to keep politics at arms-length, so I'll keep it short and simple. We are the world (we are the children...), but we are also the "exceptional nation." It's our universalist outlook that makes our culture so attractive, and provides the effective soft power complement to our hard power; and yet we stand apart from the world, thus avoiding many of the illnesses that afflict it. Nothing says it better than our national motto, e pluribus unum (out of many, one). We do not fear the other, but rather welcome it into our warm embrace, so that it may become a part of us and further enrich us.

 

[SipahSalar]

The America you are talking about is the America of the early 20th century. Sadly, it no longer exists. America of today is something else entirely.

 

[Aepsilons]

Nothing says it better than our national motto, e pluribus unum (out of many, one). We do not fear the other, but rather welcome it into our warm embrace, so that it may become a part of us and further enrich us.

That was beautifully said, Sir. That aspect is definitely what makes America unique in her own right. For the better.

 

[Aepsilons]

I'm still in high school so I can't really say anything since I haven't really experienced what America is all about. But to me being an American is about living in harmony with other people of different races to build a great country. Knowing the history of racial relations in this country I find it amazing that we have overcome that to build a economic, cultural, and military superpower. Everyday I go to school with people of different nationalities and races, and many of them are good friends of mine. Never in recorded history has the integration of nationalities and races worked out with such little damage done to the society and nation itself.

In the world I am only once race, but in America, I am them all.

Reading your input, young padawan, I have an even greater appreciation for the American youth. And as what @LeveragedBuyout eloquently said in his post, "e pluribus unum", out of many there is one. Out of all the cultures, nationalities, religions, creed, there is one identity. The American identity. This, in my opinion, is the testament, manifestation of the 'American Exceptionalism'.

Thanks for sharing your input. You made me smile.

 

[Aepsilons]

The America you are talking about is the America of the early 20th century. Sadly, it no longer exists. America of today is something else entirely.

No, the America that he talks about still exists. I, as an immigrant, see this. Tho i am a foreigner living in this country, I am treated as an equal, never looked down as a secondary person, felt obligated to do anything. This is why I do honestly love the United States, in the same league as my own Homeland.

I don't feel like a 'stranger' in this country. This is the reason why millions of people are still dying to come live in the US.

 

[Kompromat]

I hold my own against the US govt, however i have found most Americans to be reasonable, friendly and motivated people. One thing i like about Americans is their generosity, something as a Pakistani i can relate to. America is a contradiction, yes...on one hand we see drone and on the other the immense help America gave to our people in 2005 earthquake. We desperately needed CH-47s and aid for half a million people. United States helped us greatly in 2005, the USAF and USMC in particular.

Overall i consider the US to be contemporary equal of the Ottoman Caliphate (minus its last 100 years) , in terms of its diversity and inclusiveness.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Nothing says it better than our national motto, e pluribus unum (out of many, one). We do not fear the other, but rather welcome it into our warm embrace, so that it may become a part of us and further enrich us.

I really like the sort of "50's era" America, the sort of America you see in the Twilight Zone for instance (the original show from the 1950's).

But maybe they can have another golden era again.

 

[Aepsilons]

I really like the sort of "50's era" America, the sort of America you see in the Twilight Zone for instance (the original show from the 1950's).

But maybe they can have another golden era again.

What an interesting comparison, ha ha!

 

[F-22Raptor]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rafi]

A great country, who at it's best is a true role model, but like anything built by humans, has it's flaws.