What is an American?

When people think of Americans, there aren’t many positive things to what they imagine: “’Murica,” McDonalds, obesity, etc. I’ll be honest, it’s what I first think of. Of course, that’s not what being an American is really about. Sure, we aren’t the best country out there, as we falsely boast about, but there’s a reason we got to be one of the biggest countries, why everyone (loosely put) wants to come to America, and why we’re known for our freedom and hope. 

I’m not going to sit here and praise America; I couldn’t possibly. I know all too much about how corrupt our country is. For example, our government shut down? I don’t think I’m the first to think that’s a bit out of proportion. I can, however, recognize that America can be pretty grand, and the people can be kind and accepting . America really is a melting pot, and to be an American, you have to be willing to accept people for their ethnicity, or ethnicities. Unlike many countries, we aren’t built on one particular race; we’re like chunky soup, some races blending together, while others are still are their own. Being American doesn’t mean you have to be more than one race, but it means you have to accept others even when they’re not your race. You can’t claim to be American when you can’t embrace what America is: a huge melting pot.