Blog #3

The United states has prided itself on its history. We build monuments, rename schools, and declare holidays to honor the decisions and actions of our ancestors. As we advance into the future, the world’s technological advances continue to overwhelm our lives and fade the traditions of the past. Social media and texting has replaced face-to-face conversations to the point that many people undervalue social experiences and public communication. As generations continue to develop, America has slowly closed the door on many traditions of the past and has begun to accept the diverse cultural influence that comes from its citizens. The recent renaming of Columbus Day to Indigenous people’s day in many cities across America is a clear example of this.

                The cultural division across America is easily influenced by the varying landscapes throughout the country. If you ask the question “What makes you an American?” in New York City, you would receive a different answer than in Texas where citizens are more likely to be farmers or come from rural areas. NYC is filled with millions of people that migrate from all over the worlds. Its cultural division is so rich and abundant that areas are renamed to express the local community such as “China Town”, “Little Italy”, etc. This is no surprise because “with almost 200 languages spoken, 40 percent of the NYC population was born outside of the United States”, according to an article titled Cultural Diversity in New York City But only 40 minutes south, in my hometown of Seaside Heights, NJ. The intense diversity of NYC is almost non-existent. Nonetheless, despite race, gender, or social class there are similarities in values and ideas that can be found across every part of America. Values that can be argued to be the core of a ‘true American.’  

                Hirsch’s addressment of the 1972 Black Panther Panther’s 10 point program, in which they sought fair and equal rights to “land, bread, housing, education, clothing justice, peace and people’s control of modern technology” can be categorized as not only an understanding of America’s roots through citing the Declaration of Independence, but also an understanding of possibilities. America has prided itself in being called a land of dreams and opportunity. Financial, social, or ethical dilemmas may interfere with the dreams of many individuals however, this continual desire to work hard and fight for change to achieve new rights and positively move forward into an ‘American dream’ of your own creation seems to be a common practice and a valued characteristic among Americans. Not every person born in the United States is political, but almost everyone believes that no matter how divided American may seem, we have the power and proven capability of sustaining unification better than any other nation in history. This belief that we can come together for a greater good is something I consider a requirement among Americans.

                Fighting for a greater good is a controversial topic in America’s history as we constantly find ourselves in different warzones, sometimes only to defend the interests of other nations. Our country has prided itself on the same military might that released us from Great Britain and eventually guided our troops through the deserts of the middle east. September 11^th, 2001 was a day of tragedy for not only the citizens of NYC, but the entire nation and if you asked them on Sept. 12^th, 2001 “What makes you an American?”, what do you think their answer would be? Panic and chaos filled the minds of millions. The Southern states has always been open and vocal about their support for our military, but a massive culturally diverse city such as NYC is more known for fame and entertainment. Even so, patriotism began to soar in every part of the nation, especially the five boroughs of New York. Support for the military and as a result, enlistments were at an all-time high. It was only a matter of hours before Operation Noble Eagle launched on Sept. 12^th in response to the attacks, according to Operation Noble Eagle published by the National Guard. By September 20^th, Americans had accepted the phrase ‘War on the terror.’ It could be argued that true Americans are patriotic at their core. Race, gender, and social class didn’t matter when the twin towers were struck. A common and overwhelming desire to protect, defend, and support our military became evident.

                Our nation’s identity is constantly being challenged. I view this as positive progress in our nation because we are constantly incorporating the values of other citizens. Some issues of the past continue to linger such as racism; however, my argument for what makes an American is not about race, but instead it’s a matter of where your values are placed. Our constitution is supposed to be the guidelines of our nation, and although it has fought against outsiders demanding a recreation such as in the article titled Conservative national groups battle in the states over Constitution redo that states “Some 27 states have active calls for a [constitutional] amendment on a balanced budget amendment…”, the U.S. constitution is still regarded as the most successful and long-lasting constitution in history. E.D. Hirsch talks about a necessary and deep understanding on American history to truly be an American. It was this point that led him to reference the Black Panther’s party use of the Declaration of independence in the first place. I share this same mentality with Hirsch, I believe that an understanding of our history is essential. Throughout this project I will aim my focus at America’s refusal to recreate the constitution because of an inner-need to improve and revise it, so it remains in sync with the original ideals and traditions of our founding fathers that understood America was young and would require guidelines as it matures. What makes you American an American is simply an understanding of where we come from, what were capable of, and how to use our knowledge, values and traditions to reshape the world.