...American identity is a subject that varies from person to person and typically refers to the way that those who live in America identify themselves. Both Okita's poem and in Cisneros' story demonstrate how true identity is determined by the individual based on experience and actions rather than heritage. American Identity is subjective and not objective, those who aren't American by birth can see themselves as an American depending on what they do and how they live their lives. In "Response to Executive Order 9066", Okita describes her life before the order, and how it was no different from other American girls. She lived an ordinary life with other ordinary people. She characterizes herself using plain words for all to understand, "I am a...
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...Introduction: In an attempt to attend to the profound grievance that surpasses eras of African American history, a taking circle is what I will be using to bring solitude to the issue. “A talking circle is a traditional way for Native American people to solve problems. It is a very effective way to remove barriers and to allow people to express themselves with complete freedom.” African Americans have been placed at a great disadvantage for many years by White Americans and continue to endure this placement by many other races through their portrayal on media. If you knew African Americans were one of the main contributors that founded what the United States is, and are highly misrepresented, would you perceive them differently? In such manner,...
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...American Identity Paper Indica Mendoza February 27, 2014 HIS/110 Kerrin Conroy American Identity Paper Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur established in New York as John Hector St. John, was a French-American writer. He served in the French and Indian War as a surveyor in the French Colonial Militia, rising to the rank of lieutenant. Following the British defeat of the French Army in 1759, he moved to New York State. Later on buying a farm in Orange County, New York, where he grew as a farmer. St. John started to write about the life in the American colonies and the beginning of an American society. When the American Revolution war was going on, he had a tragic thing he had to take care of. He later tried to leave New York; St. John tried to leave the state to head back to France because of the health of his father. Along by his side was his son, he crossed British- American lines, where he was imprisoned as an American spy for three months without a hearing. Eventually, he was able to leave for Britain. In 1782, in London, he published a narrative essay entitled the Letters from an American Farmer it was a big hit he became a celebrated author the first to make a name for himself as an American author in Europe. The book goes on to describe how he viewed America and its people and how it began to develop its own ways and becoming its unique country. It also explained how the Europeans differ from Americans in several ways. Hector St. John gives example...
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...Verifying who you are seems to be a profound obsession in the United States and it cannot be more evident than we look at the current Native American identity pandemic. To be White, Black, Hispanic, or Asian just simply means to be the race you were born. Maybe identify your race on some government documents every so often, but other than that there is no person or agency telling you who you are, as far as race. So why then is there a formal process to proving you are Indian or even a process at all that claims you are Indian? Shouldn’t you know what racial groups you belong to? Not for Native Americans it is not there are three types of DNA testing to determine Native American ancestry. One is mitochondrial for the direct matrilineal line,...
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...Elements of African American Identity The Pre slavery Era brought Africans from their homes and to the United States in 1619. The Africans were sold to white settlers in Virginia as servants who had the same legal status as white servants. Slavery took place over a span of 300 years, from the 16th century to the 19th century. Slavery practices varied by state or by region (Deep South versus border South). The experience of the slave may have differed depending on the plantation size, the number of slaves involved and the convictions of the individual slaveholder. Slavery in North America delivered the harshest form of social relations to ever exist. Slaves were considered property and not humans. The plight of the slave was doomed to extreme 12-15 hour working days and often deplorable living conditions. African American slaves were beaten, whipped and even murdered, but they kept the spirit to survive. History shows that slaves tried to revolt, always to the detriment of the participants. When the slaves saw that revolting would never work, they sought ways to escape. One such way of escape was the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was an organized effort to assist slaves attempting to escape. The Railroad was believed to have been incorporated in 1804. The Railroad was operated in defiance to the Fugitive Slave Laws and white abolitionists assisted the slaves in their cause. By the middle of the 19th century, slavery had become a serious...
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...American Identity Paper There are many ways of defining American Identity. This can be found by doing research or merely by ones person opinion. In J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur’s 1782 letter, “What is an American” he was determined to express his heartfelt views of the American Identity. This letter explains the prospective that new Americans had for America, their new home. Unlike life in England, they found pride and contentment in being a part of a country that was not ruled by great lords who they feel possessed and controlled everything, including their lives. America was seen as the land of the free and had so much to offer. According to Crevecoeur, am American was a person that had the opportunity to have a new beginning, freedom, hope, and prosperity. They were given the opportunity to own land, start their own businesses, and work for themselves. He stated, “It is not composed, as in Europe, of great lords who possess everything, and of a herd of people who nothing.” (Crevecoeur, 1782, p.49). Unlike Europe the rich and the poor are not so distant from each other. In American a person has many opportunities to work hard and reap the fruits of their labor. This hard work and dedication they can afford to live a comfortable life. On the other hand a comfortable life was mainly enjoyed by royalty in England. When the colonist established the British North American colonies they had no inclination that such a vast and prosperous...
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...American Identity Paper Early America was the collaboration and efforts of many British settlers who left their homelands seeking out the New World in relief of an overpopulated England and opportunities of religious freedoms. The result was a society under British rule, in the beginning, which would become a model nation formed by its people for its people. A letter from Hector St. John de Cre’vecoeurs, a Pennsylvania farmer, accounts the differences of America and Europe in a letter written by the farmer to a friend in England. In his letter, he praised America in its success creating a beautiful nation from land that was once heavily wooded and unsettled. Cre’vecoeurs detailed the descriptions of American farmers, describing them as possessing nice clothing as he rode on horses or wagons with his wife. Their lifestyles were pleasant for a man who would have to be a knight in England for the same standards of living. Instead of peasants that toiled the English soils, American farmers cultivated his lands. These opportunities for farmers to be self-sufficient far outweighed the manufacturers in England in which thousands worked with little opportunity to be independent. Cre’vecoeurs also told of lands not yet populated. Unlike England there was room for growth and expansion in Early America. His letters also noted the absence of hostile castles and mansions; signs of upper class royalty. The absence of these castles and mansions also meant there...
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...Gender Identity Among African Americans Danny Tarantino University of Phoenix The African American Experience SOC/338 Tara Lake May 20, 2013 In 1619, when the first African slaves arrived in the New World, their race's hardships in the new continent began. One can say that early American history is as much the story of African Americans as it is of the Whites. Only their story is about slavery and oppression and lives lived under the control of others. Centuries and many generations later, their story is written while the shadow of oppression has never left them. One would most likely see this perspective from the stories written and shared by the Black males. But this experience was shared by the Black women as well and their actions, their perspectives, and choices helped shape what would be a liberating movement in a fight for Civil Rights and equality. In the fight for Civil Rights - they were pushing for reforms on two fronts: Civil Rights for being African-American and equal rights for women. They inhibited two minority platforms - that of women and that of being African-American. They fought for it however and as a result, African American women today enjoy freedoms and opportunities that those before them did not. One of the key figures in the African American women’s movement was Mary McLeod Bethune. Something of a Matriarch, she possessed a dynamic and even aggressive personality. Not particularly well...
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...Struggle for Identity: American Born Chinese Asian American students today are faced with the issue of identity in the American society. They are faced with this issue because of their unfamiliar background to the American society. They want to fit-in and become accepted in school’s diverse environment. The graphic novel, American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, exemplifies the issue of Asian American students search for identity in the American society. He wanted to target teenager that are struggling to find an identity and acceptance in school. To target Asian American students, Yang uses the stories of three different characters: Monkey King, Danny, and Jin Wang. Each character in the story faces the issue of finding an identity and acceptance. Yang mostly focused on the story of Jin Wang because his Chinese background constantly plagues him. Jin tries to do everything to fit-in with the American students. He tries to conceal his Chinese background, and tries to change his appearance. In the end, he learns to accept his Chinese background; therefore, finding his identity and acceptance. Yang wanted to show that accepting yourself is the key to unlocking your identity and finding acceptance in the American society. Yang wanted Asian American students to connect with his book by strategically converging the three stories, negative experience of characters, and negative stereotypes to show that accepting themselves will allow them to find their identity and acceptance in the...
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...My American Identity The five key values that were studied and learned about in class were civic engagement, freedom, equality, patriotism and democracy. I do not believe that one of these values is more American than the other though three of these mean more to me personally than others. Patriotism, freedom, and equality. Together they make the United States of America unique from any other country. Yes, some countries have freedom, but no other country in the world is like ours because we hold these values nearest and dearest to us; at least most of us do. These five values are the values that we strive for in perfecting to make us so great. Some are more rounded than others but they are all what makes the United States so unique. I decided to chose was patriotism as one of the values that describes me as an American because I feel like no matter what the situation is in America, every American should be patriotic. Not saying that a person has to be a die hard patriotic person and willing to take a bullet for his, or her country, but one should love their country, not the government for say. I feel like patriotism defines who I am as an American because of the support and respect I have for my country, even though I do feel like there are flaws all throughout this country and it’s history, I still stand up and by my country. I decided to do my part and show my love and devotion for this country by joining the military and enlisting this past February. The...
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...Kelsey Abbrat 17 April 2014 The Contribution of Slave Narratives to American Identity Literature as a whole has contributed to the totality that constitutes American identity. It is a powerful tool because of its ability to create conceptions that shape the thoughts and ideas of its readers. It gives glimpses into history by the experiences of its characters; the power of suggestion and information implants ideas into the minds of those who care to explore its pages. From the literature of Native Americans to that of modern day authors, each category has developed a different facet of the definition of an American, and each is needed in its own unique way. The same is true of the writings of those who were forced into slavery in America, who came against their will and suffered under horrific circumstances. Their stories expand the definition of an American into broader territories and reveal the difficult journey that many faced as they endeavored to find their place in a country that championed liberty yet enslaved them. Writers like Harriet Jacobs helped jump-start a new genre in American literature that came to be known as the North American slave narrative which greatly contributed to the defining of American identity. The North American slave narrative was unique in that its authors went to great lengths to present their own personal narrative of their experiences while remaining in the confines of the genre expectations. The goal of these narratives was of course...
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...American Indian Movement and Collective Identity Jeri Pugh Walden University American Indian Movement and Collective Identity The American Indian Movement (AIM), or Red Power Movement, was founded in 1968, as a spiritual movement to promote Native Americans awareness of injustices against American Indians by the national government and calling them to return to the traditions of their people (Kawashima & Macdonald, 1984). The AIM dogma stressed the disparity between the ideals of the American Indians and the white majority in the United States. AIM initially focused on discrimination and police brutality, later broadening its scope to include jobs, housing, and education inequities (Stotik, Shriver, & Cable, 1994). The purpose of this paper to examine how collective efforts aided the American Indian Movement’s accomplishments for their people. Pan-Tribalism One of the AIM’s main goals was to join all Native Americans, promoting unity between urban and reservation Indians, regardless of tribe. They characterized this identity as “Pan-Tribalism,” which refers to “loyalty to race over loyalty to a particular tribe” (Stotik et al., 1994, p. 56). The AIM sought to bring together the different Native American nations by appealing to their pride, spirituality, and connection with nature. The AIM called this “Indianness” and by engaging these sensibilities they aspired to draw a “loyalty to race over loyalty to a particular tribe” (Stotik et al., 1994, p. 57). Although...
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...Western film written, directed and acted by Native Americans is a hidden gem. Too often, Indians are portrayed from a white man’s point of view, which causes misinterpretations and stereotypes of Native culture. Even in movies where the white director highly respects Indians, they are bound to overlook important details or fallback on palimpsest. In Dances with Wolves (1990), a Sioux uses the butt end of a rifle to fight off the soldiers before John Dunbar tells him to shoot the gun with the other end. In reality, the Sioux tribe is known for having great warriors, some were even better with a gun than white settlers. Smoke Signals (1998), the “first feature-length movie written, directed and acted by American Indians” (James Sterngold), fully broke the cycle of producing movies that were merely a “photograph of the mirrored reflection of a painted image” (1, Kilpatrick) of Native Americans....
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...Whether you believe it or not you are shaping something right now. In the midst of all the confusion and hardships we as people are shaping something. Some people choose to ignore it, on the flip side many decide to embrace it. It is called our American Identity. It shapes who we are as people in what we believe in. It also defines our ability as “outcast citizens” to ban as one together against a common enemy if needed. This ability to shape our own government and to take pride in our nation is a special thing that only we as American citizens are able to grasp. We are a nation of loose ends that ship here from miles away to be tied together in one shoe. This shoe of loose ends of the broken ties of the world is a special place on Earth where...
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...The American national identity is solely based on cultural subjects such as race, class, ethnicity, and gender. The American people can perceive as a melting pot, but usually at times of crisis, such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, when we all come together as one nation. On another side of that we can be seen as salad bowl, which is pretty much saying, even though we are all in one nation we still see each other as different or unequal to each other. The American national identity can be something’s in American culture we choose Identify as one whole Melting Pot or a national salad bowl. One of the controversies America faces on its national identify is how much race impacts our culture either individually or as a whole. We can say we see each other as one nation one people, none divided, all equal, but the truth is most of it is a lie. We see each other as different because of the color of their skin; we divide each other based on race through propagandized media and our own stigmas as to which race we can trust and which race we tolerate. Thinking about it there are some moments in history were we have shown that in any situation we are still one nation, but the sad part is it is only time of natural disaster or times of turmoil, when we feel as though we need to be one nation to show everyone else that we are strong and will overcome any obstacle. The annoying thing is that we choose to do this on occasion, instead of sticking together at all times. When race is the major...
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