Beth Salerno

What does it mean to be an American?

February 1, 2008 Author: Beth Salerno

A few months ago, I was a guest lecturer in another Pyeongtaek University professor’s class. A student asked me “What does it mean to be an American?” A month later, I gave a lecture to an international conference on the topic of the impact of the American Revolution on modern American society. Again, I was asked, “How do you define ‘being American’?” In both cases, I was a bit at a loss for words. “Well that is partly what I came to Korea to find out!” I joked. But it was a good question, and one which some people in America hotly debate.

In both cases, I gave the best answer I had. First, despite the massive rise in the use of Spanish, we still define Americans as people who speak English. Perhaps this is particularly true for me because as soon as I open my mouth here in Korea, people ask me if I am American (I speak English and it does not have a British or Australian accent). People would not ask that immediately if I spoke Spanish.

Second, we are people who believe in equality, even if we do not always practice it. We have good ideals in the Declaration of Independence and good practices based on the Constitution. When we adhere to our ideals and practices, we treat each other respectfully and fairly. We generally have respect for the law, and generally the law is fair (even if its application is not).

Third, we are a people who believe in opportunity. It is not equally available, and not everyone can grow up to be President, but Americans still believe in a nation where you can “make something of yourself.” We still believe, if only barely, that our children will be better off financially than we are.

Having now had months to think it over, I have come up with a number of other answers, though all are the small kinds of things that do not make good answers in class. Being in a foreign country puts “the small things” in sharp relief.

We are the only nation that sets aside an entire national holiday to eat and watch professional sports together (Thanksgiving). When we watch sports, it is almost never soccer, the sport of choice everywhere else. We are one of the few nations that encourage small children to dress up as scary things and extort candy from neighbors. We are one of very few nations where in some parts of the country you can carry a concealed weapon in church just in case you have to defend yourself. South Koreans think the right for civilians to carry a gun exists “only in America”.

Americans allow everyone from the corner shop keeper to the President of the company to use our first names - and we often use theirs. We call our sporting events “World Championships” even if no other country is allowed to participate. We never, ever fly our flag lower than anyone else’s. We have very few citizenship responsibilities, and count on underpaid volunteers to defend us.

Perhaps most centrally, I wish I had told both audiences, “Being American means we are allowed to be deeply angry with our government, to protest freely, and to make changes in law or even the Constitution.  But we can also not care at all; apathy is American too.” Both the right to agitate and the right not to care are traditions from the American Revolution; we tend to forget that one third of the citizens did not care who won that war as long as they were left alone.

If you are inclined, write to me or leave a comment and tell me what you think makes Americans American. I think each of us would likely have a different answer and somehow that seems markedly American as well. What binds our nation together? How do we explain that to others? That is my job, and it is fascinating.

Entry Filed under: Teaching, Culture