Young Writers Society

There are few people living in the United States of America who don’t remember the September eleventh attacks. Few can forget the sight of the Twin Towers falling down, and of the people who were trapped. Few will forget the overwhelming sense of love they felt for their country, and how they were proud to proclaim that they were Americans. The word, never before understood, became a description, and a title standing for justice, love, and community. Well, for a brief while, at least. Five years have since past, and the word American can no longer be neatly filed under the definition ‘a person who is proud, angry, loving, and ready to fight for America,’ as was the central idea in the months following the September eleventh attacks.

Following the line of thought predominant following the attacks, an American can be defined as someone willing to fight for America, someone who loves the country, and who loves their fellow countrymen. During that time in September eleventh, the country as a whole was addressed, called ‘fellow Americans,’ and ‘American people.’ These words were used to talk about everyone living in America who was hurt by the attacks on the country they loved. The word in this context takes no notice of race, or origin. It merely describes the spirit of a person. Yet can everyone who simply loves America and lives in the country be defined as an American?

It is, in a way, ironic how many have forgotten what the word ‘American’ originally was applied to. European sailors used it to describe the Native Americans. It was later that it began to apply to Europeans that had moved to the new country. In essence, the word was meant to mean one who lived in the United States of America.

Most would say, however, that today this is no longer true of the word. For to say that American now refers to just anyone living in the United States would imply that immigrants too were Americans. Yet we do not refer to immigrants as such. No, they are instead referred to as ‘Mexican,’ or ‘Chinese,’ or some other origin. The fact that they too live in this country, that they too love it and were horrified by the September eleventh attacks often seems to go unnoticed, as they were not born in America, and therefore, cannot possibly be Americans.

But if we cannot properly consider those who were born in other countries Americans, can their actions be considered American? Since the war in Iraq has started, it is being considered ‘American’ to support it, ‘American’ to want to fight for the nation. But can you support it if you were not born in America? Does this mean that to be American, you must support a war, and to support a war, you must be American?

Recently, online, I found a snippet of a story written by an amateur. I do not recall the story, merely one quite in which an English character asks an American character “what type of name is Emily?” The reply was “an American one!” It is in this character exchange that we find what some consider the meaning of American to be. Emily is, of course, not an American name, but one originating from Medieval Europe. But the young author had heard it so many times, that she assumed that such a popular name could only come from America, ergo it could only be American.

Granted the writer of the story was undoubtedly young and naïve, but the writer nevertheless exhibited the egotistical opinion that many people share: that being American means being the greatest. I recently talked to my sister about what she thought of all these people who think America is so great. Her reply was that of course we were the best. We were Americans, after all, and our so-called ‘American’ accomplishments made us the greatest. So is that what it means to be American, I asked? Does it mean that you are greater than everyone else because you are from an advanced country? Is Europe not as advanced as us? Are Europeans not as smart? If they are, than under that definition, should they not be considered an American? If so, than can we rightly consider the word American to by synonymous with being the best?

People have long asked why those in other countries seem to hate Americans. Perhaps it is not the word that people in other countries hate, but the way that the word has been defined in their minds. To them, maybe American has become a word used to describe a group of people with a superiority complex, a group that is irrational and naïve about that which does not involve them or their country.

People have been criticized for stating their opinions on what it means to be American, on what that entails. If you believe that the United States is not the best country, or that it is not the center of the universe, does that mean that you are not American? If you believe that, but were not born in the United States, does that mean that you are un-American? If this is so, then American must be a state of perfect that few can honestly achieve.

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Please comment on this. It is for an AP language essay that is due tomorrow, and input would be wonderful. I can take whatever it is that you feel needs to be said, so don't be afraid to be honest