American....?

Okay so a week ago my English teacher asked us to do a report on " what it means to be an American" the first things that came to my head were Martin Luther King jr. and Rosa parks for the fact that they stood up for there rights. But then I really started thinking about it... who is one to call them self an American? Were posed to be united, but I feel that wanting to be united so badly has made people and society spread more apart having there own systems and colleges. African American, Native American, Chinese American, Spanish American... all of these have American at the end but what comes before it put's each one of us into a category.

So i want to know how other people feel on this topic..

i dont need racial comments or rude one's... Just deep thoughts and comments. People always say how far America has come.

But really how far have we?

I'm not trying to be funny or rude but North American Indians are the first Americans. Before 1492, Indians lived in harmony with nature. Contrary to popular belief they did not fight all the time. They spent most of the time in prayer, working, and gathering food. Indians are the land. To be American is to respect and honor the land that we live upon. It is to love and respect all of nature including humanity because we are all connected. It is to honor our Mother the Earth.

Regarding politics and technology, we have come pretty far. But regarding discrimination and tolerence, we havent gotten far at all.

me being mexican american think that too. i think that the us hasn't gotton anywhere with racial stuff lyk that. i mean all my friends are mexican. i have very little american friends. some black friends and 3 or 4 azn friends. i

i think if you were born in the UNited States, you are an American....PERIOD. I had a discussion with my Dad because he was concerned that I was forgetting my Hispanic roots. He finally understood that they were HIS roots, not mine. I grew up speaking english, going to american public school, watching bugs bunny and johnny quest on saturday mornings, grilling hot dogs on the 4th of JUly, I have no hispanic roots in my life experience. I mean, at some point people in England ceased being saxon and anglo, etc and became just British. If you were from another country and became an american, then hyphenation is understandable, otherwise, what wrong with American and leaving it at that.