As we started the debate in class about what does “being an American” really mean, some of the arguments in the debate went from “Having migratory preferences when travelling trough the world” or even “Having the opportunity to belong to the most powerful race on earth” as having the citizenship of the United States of America.

What about the “chosen ones” to live the easy life, isn’t that what Hollywood always sales to us? The American society is the perfect society, where everyone has a place and a variety of opportunities.

If we go to the literal response to that, according to the American constitution the answer would be:

• -    Any person born in U.S. territory. (Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, District of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands.
• -          Children of U.S. citizens, no matter where they were born.
• -          By naturalization (after being a U.S. resident)
• -          Honorary citizenships

But more than a “green card” or a passport, being an American involves a series of behaviors, ethnicities, ideology and more cultural characteristics.

As Bellah mentions in the text “Civil Religion in America”, Americans hold a “civil religion” that cohesion them as a society, this religion is characterized by the inherited symbols, values, rituals and even holidays (as Thanks Giving).

When we think of the north American society we picture in our mind a multicultural society, united by their difference, in religion, in ethnicity, race etc. so when we figure out how cohesionate they are by this supra culture, at least I am amazed.

So another characteristic of what does being an American mean just came up.

This multicultural society exports to the world their “democratic” life, where you can get a burger for a buck and faster than you tinkle, the society of consumption.

As for decades this society ruled the world, when they got “ill” the whole world suffered of it as well, and the economic crisis of 2008 was not an exception.

Inside the country this idea of the solved life crashed as the amount of families in the street rose. The collateral effects in the globalized world appeared as the Greek economy crashed, and the Italian, Spanish and the whole European Union’s economy trembled.

So, this is another characteristic, being an American is to be somehow responsible of the WHOLE world’s wellness.

It would be unfair to blame a simple citizen for everything, but actions of one, makes the destiny of a whole.

SOURCES

“Citizenship and nationality” U.S. Department of State.

Bellah R. (2005), ´Civil religion in America’ in Daedalus, Vol. 134, No. 4, 50 Years (Fall,

2005), pp. 40-55, MIT Press.