American Identity Essay Samples to Help You Break the Writing Code

Term limits are an essential part of legislative control, but the processes also detriment the welfare of central actors in the system. Actors in the legislative system especially the members of the Senate are regarded in the office stay, and their careers also conform to the same criteria. Limitations in the American legislature deter the existence of service deliveries in public. Moreover, the fact that the advocacy was acquired through the use of voters has approval enhancing the functioning of the legislature. Principally, the essence of term limits was orchestrated under the participation of Congressmen from large states in ...

Abstract

Today, more and more people declare that they have Native American roots, due to the fact that America has become fascinated with the culture and history of this minority. This form of imperialist nostalgia which causes Whites to look at Native Americans with admiration, after having spent many years trying to destroy, harms Native Americans even if it seems to represent a positive change of attitude. By claiming a fake Native American identity, Whites try to appropriate the Indian culture and past, with the same lack of respect and consideration as they did in the past. They attribute stereotypical ...

Many people have questioned the existence of multiple consciousness. In his book, The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches, W.E.B. Du Bois writes about the “double consciousness” of African Americans. In his views, the double consciousness of African American can be seen through their racial identity as well as the identity of what remains of slavery into which all African Americans are born. President Obama is an exampleof someone who had experienced a multiple consciousness. In many ways, one can say that African Americans live a multiple consciousness existences and in his book, Du Bois attempts to lift ...

“Othering” and Minority Issues

In the discussion, “othering” refers to the connection people have with each other as opposed to the ones that are not like them. In other words, the person or persons are regarded as part of a “historical generation,” distinguishing themselves from others who are not a part of that generation. According to Diana George and John Trimbur (43), there is a bond between those who have created a common bond, common experiences, and a common history. Even within this context, there is a difference in the way generations view the goals and aspirations of previous generations. ...

_____________ University Many people question the existence of multiple consciousness. In his book, The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches, W.E.B. Du Bois writes about the “double consciousness” of African Americans. In his views, the double consciousness of African American can be seen through their racial identity as well as the identity of what remains of slavery into which all African Americans are born. President Obama had experienced a multiple consciousness during his term as President of the United States. In many ways, one can say that African Americans live a multiple consciousness existences and in his book, ...

In the Aftermath of the September 11 Attacks

The September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001 on the New York Twin Towers of the World Trade Center constituted a traumatic event for Americans of all social classes and ethnic backgrounds. The memories of such violent attacks have been kept alive by the numerous terrorist attacks perpetrated abroad in places like Madrid, Paris and Brussels and in Americans cities such as San Bernardino, California. Unfortunately, all of these attacks have been perpetrated by Muslim extremists. Besides a sense of fear and vulnerability the September 11 attacks aroused a sense of patriotism and a reconsideration of the meaning of being ...

The meaning of identity takes on a very broad concept as its context can be defined in terms of socio-political circumstances. In any ways, culture is also one of the primary reasons that help in shaping identity of a person that makes them unique from different cultures. In terms of visual arts, many artists have tried to preserve their identities through painting, mirroring themselves, providing symbolisms that make their painting stand out from the rest. Especially in a place called museum, making a painting stand-out from the rest can be difficult and depending on the iconography they portray, the ...

Hello Dave,

You know, a couple days ago I watch a TV show where the theme of intolerance was slightly noticed. The thing is in this ‘slightly’ – it seems like nowadays only a few people can clearly formulate its origins and reasons it still exists. With it, I also remembered the movie Crash, which also discussed some racial tensions (Crash). It was as if the TV show and movie were pulling me in the same direction. Maybe it is a coincidence, but on our last lecture we had some topics connected with this problem. Thus, in this letter I will try ...

Introduction

Eva Hoffman’s Lost in Translation is a story of a young woman explaining her endeavors after migrating to Canada with her family at the age of 13. She then moves to the United States and later immigrates to London. Lost in Translation by Nicola Mones is a story of a young American woman who tries to fit in China as a translator. In Lost In Translation by Eva Hoffman and Lost In Translation by Nicole Mones, both Hoffman and Mones successfully cultivate our appreciation for cultural differences by exposing the reader to foreign languages and terms, by challenging ...

Cultural Representation in Native America

According to chapter four, Native American religion has become a commodity today because people have taken advantage of the practice of shamanism in order to capitalize on the potential monetary benefits that come from it. People are assigning themselves “leadership roles” but are really just vying for control and exercising their hidden agendas (Sutler-Cohen 45). Knowledge and spirituality are thus transformed into profitable commodities run by businesspeople instead of true natural healers. By saying “You can own grandma’s songs,” Sutler-Cohen is referring to the practice of taking Native symbols and religious icons and transforming them into trendy or ...

“Should Immigration Require Assimilation?” by Tom Gjelten explores the complex dimensions of what it means to be “American” through the experience of one Salvadoran immigrant and several theorists’ views of assimilation. Gjelten focuses specifically on the experience of Hispanic immigrants to the United States, as well as the political and cultural aspects of “American identity” (Gjelten 4). I agree with Gjentle’s assertion that what it means to be an American is not as simple as citizenship, but I do not agree with his assessment that “ ‘Americanization’ brought certain obligations” (Gjelten 5). I agree that American identity is composed ...

Introduction

In his essay entitled the Hispanic Challenge, Samuel Huntington claims that the traditional American identity is now facing a serious challenge with the increased and continuing immigration of Latinos in the United States. Huntington is considered as one of the country’s influential political analysts, but his suggestion that the Mexican and other Latin immigrants are likely to destroy the American identity is unfounded. Huntington’s argument in The Hispanic Challenge reflects the ethnic prejudice against the Mexican’s and other immigrants in the United States, and how the liberal press favors such attitudes. This paper aims to show ...

The America as we know it today traces its roots to the influence of European settlers in the 16th-18th centuries. Throughout the years, America developed a unique system of governance and revolutionary socio-economic transformation never seen anywhere else before. The New World progressed first from a marginal colonially-suppressed society, through an independent agrarian economy and eventually to a highly complex technological-industrial society. During these times of evolution, America was compelled to develop correspondingly complex systems of governance and institutions to match its growth. Politically, the country embraced democratic ideals that set forth a representative government in which each person ...

The concept of American Exceptionalism is based on the idea that America is a unique and distinct entity and America is a leading nation in the world based on what it represents and stands for. To this end, this paper will examine how American Exceptionalism is engrained in the society and the international community. American exceptionalism is viewed from many angles and many contexts. One of the approaches of viewing American exceptionalism is one that views Americans as “a morally elevated people set apart from the rest of the world and living in a land of opportunity that is ...

Many peoples across the centuries have attempted to define themselves. This is obviously a very difficult task, as it attempts to collect a group through a supposed label. This has been especially hard for Americans, as they have had a very diverse cultural beginning. Samuel P. Huntington discusses this problem in his book Who Are We? The Challengers to America’s National Identity. Particularly, in chapter 4 of this book, he attempts to define it as distinctly Anglo-Protestant. Nevertheless, his argument is very faulty at times, and his central thesis does not use proper logic. Huntington studies the history ...

Introduction

Sociology is a social science that seeks to create the impetus for the utilization of objective standards and views for the review and analysis of concepts and ideas. This include the use of empirically proven methods and theories to examine and critique ideas and pointers. Several approaches and methods are used for the evaluation and analysis of different cultures. The purpose of this paper is to utilize the etic (outsider’s) and emic (insider’s) approach of cultural analysis to evaluate the African-American subculture of the United States of America.

Emic Perspective of the African-American Culture

The emic perspective is to provide an insider’s ...

July the 4th, 1776 is considered to be the birthday of the US nation, since that day the Declaration of Independence was adopted (History.com). Thomas Jefferson’s proclamation that ‘all men were created equal’ destined America’s political course towards democracy; however, the notion of ethnic diversity was excluded from defining traits of the American identity. The Declaration was written for white Americans, while other inhabitants suffered from being enslaved or dispossessed of their lands. According to historian Paul Finkelman (Race: The Power Of An Illusion), Thomas Jefferson was the first person, who implemented the idea of race in ...

What is multiculturalism?

Multiculturalism is a notion applicable to a society represented by people from diverse ethnic groups and cultures. Nowadays, it is the reality that everyone is used to. However, the issue of multiculturalism is quite controversial as multiculturalism differs on each side of the Atlantic Ocean – the United States of America and Europe. What is multiculturalism? Fist of all, multiculturalism can have a demographic dimension, meaning pluralism in a form of coexisting minorities groups, like in case with Switzerland where several linguistic communities coexist successfully, or because of migrating people with different cultural, ethnical, religious and educational background (Bloemraad, 2011, ...

The American Revolution War (1775-1783), sometimes referred to as the American Revolution or the U.S war of Independence, was a war that was fought between the Kingdom of Great Britain (the colonial government) and its 13 North American colonies. The colonies later declared themselves independent in the year 1776, which eventually resulted in the creation of United States of America (Alden, 3). The brewing tensions between the residents of the colonies and the colonial government that represented the British Crown escalated into a full war. The skirmishes between the colonial residents and the British troops kicked off an armed ...

History 1745, US History to 1865

Summer Session, 2015

Introduction

Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense” in the first month of 1776, and by the end of the year, it had sold 150,000 copies throughout America, constituting itself as the country’s first “best seller”. In this pamphlet, he put forth all the arguments that had been built up by the time, regarding the Colonies’ right to independence, and the evils of absolutist monarchy. The ideas of Natural Laws, and the roles and limitations of the Government, which are expressed in this document, were in wide circulation in the educated circles at the time, and even ...

Johnny Cash arguably became one of the most influential people to ever step onto a stage with a guitar. He won many awards and honors for his contributions to music. Later in his career, which spanned over five decades, he was also a published author. These and many other achievements earned him places in not one, but three prestigious music halls of fame. However, not many know about where Johnny Cash came from, or the story of his life behind the curtain, when he stepped off stage. Johnny Cash was born the fourth of seven children, in Kingsland Arkansas. His siblings ...

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a fictional novel by Junot Diaz. The book chronicles the lives of its main characters in two contexts, New Jersey in America and the Dominican Republican. The main character in the book is Oscar Wao, an obese boy growing up in New Jersey who is obsessed with fantasy and science fiction books as well as falling in love. Oscar is also obsessed with a curse has he believes has plagued his family for many years. The book also features a host of other characters with one of them being Yunior who is Oscar’s ...

Introduction

There are several stereotypes that are associated with Mexican Americans living in the United States currently. Most of these stereotypes have never been proven to be true as they were just a creation of most whites in this country. From research it has been found out that most Mexicans who have immigrated in the U.S. have faced racism either one time or another from most whites and even blacks some time. This racism was however in form of people stereotyping these Mexicans and their way of life. One of the most common stereotyping that Mexican Americans face is the assumption ...

Apparently, almost all cultures are associated with some kinds of stereotypes. While some of these stereotypes hold water, they are, in most cases inaccurate since they are biased generalizations based on subjective judgments. In the following arguments stereotyping will be presented as inaccurate with a special reference to the Mexican Americans, who, according to many researchers are among the most prominent victims of ill treatment, thanks to the stereotyped information available in American circles (Worthman. et al.2009:389). The findings of this paper can be used in relevant studies as it has been observed that the cultural group of Mexican American ...

Book review of ‘Childhood and Society’ by Erik Erikson – Book review, Literary and Psychological Analysis, Reflections on reading the book

[The author’s name]

Abstract

This paper will present you with the book review of ‘Childhood and Society’ by Erik Erikson. The review will focus on the analysis of its context in literary and psychological terms, its contribution to the field of psychology as well as on the reflections deriving from its reading. A short presentation of the book’s structure will be given providing you with a highlight of the basic elements of each chapter. Emphasis will be given on the psychological theory developed in this book on behalf of Erik Erikson, a widely acknowledged psychologist and psychoanalyst who has developed ...

Every American is more or less familiar with the concept of the American Dream, yet today, probably none of them agree on what the American Dream really is. Nonetheless, the theme of the American Dream has always been fundamental to the American society. Traditionally, it was the media that introduced the American people to this belief that as long as they worked hard, they were free to pursue prosperity and success, a better life for themselves and their families. For generations, the media has been powering the aspirations and hopes of the American people by present this dream. Initially, the ...

First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History

First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History Yes a white person who is less than a tenth Indian has a right to claim to be Native American. This is because of the principle of self-determination and sovereignty. Native Americans acquired this status in the 1970s and have over the past four decades fought to reshape their relationship with the wider American society. Based on this premise, it is therefore clear that any individual can claim the Native American identity because the Indian tribes make their own decisions, run their own affairs and chart the course of their own future. ...

This landmark play is set in the South when in its years of decline and is a landmark play by Tennessee Williams. Two interesting characters which I wish to discuss are Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski who in their own ways demonstrate the delusional Southern grandeur which mask their problems of alcoholism and general despair. This is truly a portrayal of American identity in a subterfuge manner. Dubois is perhaps a typical Southern woman who is faced by depression and the fact that she is no longer the woman she once once in a fast declining South which is faced by high unemployment ...

Independence is a nuanced state of being, a concept affected by circumstance and measured in degrees. In her introduction to Anzia Yezierska’s novel Bread Givers, Alice Kessler-Harris writes that Sara Smolinsky, the story’s protagonist, returns home to her abandoned and destitute father in a state of triumph, having achieved the independence that signals her liberation from a repressive Old World misogyny. Sara becomes an educated, successful and happily married American woman, turning the tables on her tyrannical and ascetic father, whom Sara finds in financial ruin near the novel’s end. This is Sara’s moment to exult, to revel in ...

If you want to see a cultural myth, turn on the pre-game show that comes before a Dallas Cowboys football game. Somehow, back in the 1970’s, the Cowboys were given the slogan “America’s Team.” This was also around the time that their then-general manager, Tex Schramm, finagled them a home game every Thanksgiving, in what seems like perpetuity. If you watch that pre-game show, you’ll see images of great Cowboys from the past: Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman and the like. You’ll also see a montage of current Cowboy highlights, and you might even see the fedora-wearing coach ...