1/15/2019 Nathalie Brand - Setting the Scene - What Is It To Be An American - Google Docs

Writing Prompt:

What is it to be an American in the 21st century?

How might this have changed for the better or worse over history (draw on what you think it was
to be an American after the Revolutionary War - freed from the chains of British rule)?

How do you see the identity of an “American” (and America per se) changing in the future.

How do you think the western AND non-western countries of the world view Americans?

Instructions:

Using a well structured essay format (introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs [don’t
care how many] and a conclusion), using your own creative voice, personal opinions (yes, you
can use first person), address the above.

Don’t answer as if these were a string of bullet point answers. Blend your response around all
issues within the prompt and USE EXAMPLES from the REAL WORLD (current, historical, and
possibly a FUTURE outlook for what it is to be an American that you predict in your own mind,
as a young adult of the twenty-first century.

THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER. THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO STRUCTURE YOUR

ESSAY. AS LONG AS YOU ADDRESS THE ISSUES ABOVE AND DEMONSTRATE
STRUCTURE/FORM IN YOUR WRITING, YOUR ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX,
AND TAKE A RISK.

Please don’t try to please me. Don’t think that you will upset me. For example, if you
think that adults of past generations of wrecked your world now and are responsible for
the state of world opinion, SAY SO!

Type your answer below:

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To be or not to be an American; that is the real question. There are many ways to
describe what it means to be an American in the 21st century. Everyone who has had different
experiences have different opinions on what it means to be an American. Some may have
positive views about what it means and others negative. Over time, these perspectives have
changed due to occuring events and actions taken by Americans. Today in the 21st century, to
be a positive American means to be innovative, a millennial -- you know they’re up and coming
in the world and have big plans for change -- creative, and kind. Some may negatively view
Americans, though, as crazy and obnoxious.
Positively speaking, to be an American in the 21st century means to be innovative,
creative, and kind. Today’s youth and younger generations; such as the millennials; are
constructing plans for change and innovation in the U.S. in order to progress and better the
country and the society and economy. Older generations; like the Baby Boomers, for example;
tend to knock down the young ones and blame them for the problems the U.S. is facing. In
reality, these millennials are just trying to get by and make a living in order for them to survive.
Millennials, I believe, will continue to help progress the U.S. and bring valuable changes to the
country. They will continue to advance technology and bring equality to everyone; seeing as
many people in the country today are still struggling to find equality to the white men. Being an
American, these millennials have plans to fight hard and bring peace and innovation to the
world. They are fighting to bring equality to women, all races, the LGBTQ community, to all
people. These battles being fought will allow the rest of the world to see the kindness and
innovative thoughts of the American millennials and how they aspire to bring peace and equality
to all. They exhibit the new meaning of American and ground us, bringing us back to where we
started when we were once fighting for our own independence. But with a positive, there is
always the chance of a negative. To be an American may also mean to be obnoxious, selfish
and oblivious to other problems. Today, many kids and young people who are not necessarily
apart of the millennial group, have become addicted to modern technology; more specifically,
video games. Kids today are worried about their fantasy football teams or whether they will be
home in time to hop online and get in the latest game of Fortnight with random people. Now,
children around the world do the same, but it is more predominantly seen in American youth. It
has also become apart of their culture. The U.S. may not necessarily be the top country that
plays the most video games, but it is a close second behind China. Countless kids do not know
the struggles others face around the world; they fail to understand that kids their own age
struggle to get an education; that they take for granted nevertheless; or even get some fresh
water and food; which, again, is taken for granted. These young kids are our future and their
technology addiction allows the rest of the world to see the negative side of what it means to be
an American; obnoxious, self-absorbed oblivion.
Over time, people’s views on Americans and America have adjusted and developed
based on surrounding societies and conflicts. Certain actions that Americans make can change
the identity of “Americans”. The identity of Americans is constantly changing, going back and
forth between different views and ideas. For example, during the U.S.’s rise to becoming an
established country and throughout the duration of the American Revolution, others may have
viewed Americans as brave for taking a stance and standing up against the British Empire.
Fighting for our freedom from British rule allowed others to view Americans as strong, brave and

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powerful people. But it also allowed others to perceive Americans as foolish and ill-advised. For
fighting against one of the more powerful empires at the time, others may have viewed them as
foolish people due to the fact that the Americans were a small group deciding to take a stand
against the British Empire. These views have changed and gone between these thoughts
throughout time and can be reused during other parts of American history. In more recent
events, the world has been able to see how Americans have been able to band together and
stand tall. For instance, with the attack on 9/11, the world was able to see how Americans all
rushed to aid the victims and then commemorate the tragedy with the memorials and
remembrances. Even more recently, the 2016 presidential election allowed the world to recreate
their opinions and perceptions of Americans and their thoughts. I feel as though today, many
people around the world now view Americans as senseless and naive. My family and I have
friends who live overseas in England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, and Spain, and all of
the people we know contacted us, asking if we know what was going on and why? Wondering
what on earth have us Americans gotten ourselves into as they were in total disagreement with
the outcome of the election. The world returned to the views that Americans are foolish, naive,
and just outright stupid. Western countries may view Americans as similar to them, yet very
different as many think differently and have different views on certain problems in the world.
There are some out there who think Americans are great and very intelligent and there are
some out there thinking the complete opposite, that Americans are very arrogant and not the
brightest bunch. People stand on both ends of the spectrum. Non-western countries may think
the same about Americans as well.
To be an American means several things -- it means to be innovative, creative, and kind;
but it can also bring negative connotations (laziness, meanness, etc). Throughout time, the
views on the meaning of being an American have changed. These perspectives change with
events currently taking place and bring innovation and progression to the U.S. and around the
world. These advancements also can change other’s views on Americans.

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