What is an "American"?

For years, this country has battled with the idea of "American identity" and what makes a person an "American". Who or what is an "American"? Is it the person who was born here? Is it the person who has been here since they were a child? Is it the person who speaks English? Is it the one who works tirelessly day and night to provide for his family? Is it the one who files his taxes? Is it the one with white skin? Brown skin? Black skin?

 It seems through the way that different cultural and religious groups are treated, the "American" identity consists of the following characteristics: white skin, accentless English, having been born on American soil. The white culture has become that which is normal and anything else is considered out of the ordinaryAnyone else seems to be unfit to call themselves American. People emigrate from all over the world to come to the United States to create a new life for themselves. Unfortunately they are treated like second or even third class citizens by Caucasians who were born here. Even those who are born here are given trouble because they do not have Caucasian features. 

Going to school, children are also subjected to the same discrimination. Anyone who is not white is considered the cultural “other”. Being modern and future-oriented is reserved for the Western world while anything remotely traditional or cultural is called “backwards” or “uncivilized”. This pressure makes children feel ashamed of their roots and try to hide who they really are and where they come from. This country was created on the basis of immigrants yet it is the immigrants who are made to feel bad for their roots. 

For example, students who do not speak English fluently or those who bring ethnic foods for lunch loaded with spices are made fun of by their classmates. These kids are asked “Why don’t you bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead?”, “Why does your food smell?”, “Ew is that curry?”. This pushes kids to go home and tell their parents that they do not want to bring their ethnic foods to school in fear of being mocked. 

The problem with this way of thinking is that even if these kids stop bringing their cultural foods to school, stop speaking their language, and stop wearing their traditional clothing, they still will not be accepted by their peers or by society as Americans. Changing who they are only makes them reason to be further ridiculed: “I told her to stop bringing her smelly curry, and she stopped! What a loser! Her culture is so weird and she’ll do anything I say to fit in”. Similarly, if adults try to change their accents or the way they act, they are still not accepted by their peers or colleagues. They will still be considered outsiders or foreigners. That is the sad reality of trying to fit into the "American identity".

However, there is truly no set “American identity”. This country is built on the efforts and lives of immigrants; therefore, why it is rightfully called a melting pot. An American identity should be gifted to anyone on this soil, anyone who works hard, anyone who lives here. It is not something inherited nor given at a price.