Culbreath 1 Myia Culbreath American Literature Essay 27 January 2014 America: The Free and United In 1776 when

the last signature was signed on the Declaration of Independence, a nation was born creating a new society for generations to come. After declaring our independence apart from Great Britain, there were a flood of immigrants with their families bringing parts of their culture with them. At first, there werent many features that particularly distinguished people living in the United States from where they may have originated, but that soon changed. Since the individuals that immigrated to America were all going through similar changes, they were capable of forming a bond. This bond that they shared built a foundation for the way Americans were soon understood to be and perceived as. In modern times, the word American doesnt hold the greatness is used to and is usually spat out with a negative undertone. It used to be, and in some ways still is, that being an American wasnt just a label, but a lifestyle where people with rich history in art and science came together becoming assets to a united nation inscribed with freedom. Aside from their rich history, immigrants contributed a lot of their attributes to America and in turn, America gave them new feats. The new lifestyle of being an American led families from being dependent on the alpha male to instead helping one another with different tasks to support them in buying food and clothing ( r vecoeur). The new comers each making their voyage from various locations brought great diversity and masses of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry ( r vecoeur . When Crevecoeur talked of Americans he described them as a people recreating themselves and being proud of their new found country. He stated that individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men that support one another ( r vecoeur . Being new to the country, most people were going through the same experiences and that understanding

Culbreath 2 made them more united. The eventual uniting set a foundation for generations of Americans to come. Not only were the new citizens of America united, but they also injected themselves with freedom and independence. In theory, every American was to be seen as equivalent because all men [were] created equal (Declaration). As an equal and united nation, the people given a voice, were and still are expected to decide what is best for the growth of the nation. The Declaration of Independence contained the thought that Americans were hard-working, independent, and worthy of having say in the decision making which is why it was stated that it was the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to instate new government. Among this right, were dozens more that were summed up in the Bill of Rights which laid out the specific rights Americans had and have. Being American means having the freedom of expressions, having the right to worship as desired, and having the right to feel secure and peaceful (Franklin). These rights and freedoms were given at birth, but doubled meaning when they were used to better a country. America wouldnt be the country it is today, if it werent for the first generations working together and establishing the standards for an American. Late comer foreigners didnt go through the same experiences and added on to the defining characteristics making someone an American. Even though there were labels like Japanese-American or whatever nationality the immigrants originated from, being on the same soil, making it through the same obstacles, made them Americans. In Growing Up Asian in American, the woman speaks of having such a great bond with the people around her that her mother never came home until reassured that their neighbor was home and safe. When growing up in similar situations as others, a greater care for one another is adopted creating a real sense of community. This has been seen throughout history and continues today with each smaller community forming a larger one a country. The Japanese

Culbreath 3 along with others were deemed as aliens, ineligible for citizenship, but that didnt matter because they could depend on each other and were still part of a community (Noda). The sting of not being considered an American even after the number of years being established there soon went away when considering they didnt need to be. The people that had immigrated to America still certainly had a place here in this country, it was just as part of a new community instead of the traditional route (Noda). Being an American is defined differently to different people and comes with a heavy weight of history and expectations. The culture and history held by each and every immigrant didnt disappear once they stepped on American soil, but instead altered and shaping the country by incorporating these traits into everyday life. After the standard for treatment established by the first few generations, there was no doubt that Americans were a people with freedoms and rights that people everywhere should have, but were denied. Not only did citizens have personal rights, but they also had the right to act for the better of the country and control the government. The different times new comers immigrated to America changed the experience they would have. For some late comers, they were treated badly but nonetheless they were part of the country and that was enough for them. An American was part of a community, hard-working, family oriented, opinionated, united, and proud of it.

Culbreath 4 Works Cited r vecoeur, St. John De, J. Hector. Letter from an American Farmer. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1957. N. pag, Print. The Declaration of Independence, 1 (1776) (testimony of New America), Print. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Four Freedoms. Annual Message to Congress, January 6, 1941. Speech. Noda, Kesaya E. Growing Up Asian in America. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.