What is an American?

What is an American? The basic thing you can say is someone who is born in the country of America or a legal citizen of it. America is too diverse to just categorize it as one distinct group. America is based upon immigrants. We are also referred to as the "melting pot" because of the mixture we have as a country. But I can entail some beliefs of an American that can distinguish us from other countries.

Americans have this strong believe behind liberty. That is what our country is based upon. This is what original settlers fought for: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Then when you enter our country from the common place immigrants came from, you see this image of the Statue of Liberty. What great power that has to truly leave an impression on what the country is about. And Americans know we have this freedom and are liberated. Based on other countries where citizens are prisoners in their own land, they dream to be free and liberated. And we have this luxury. 

Americans also have this sense of entitlement. We feel that we deserve certain things and that may not always be right. This also branches from the idea that we are the land of opportunity. Because of all these options and choices we feel that we our obligated to certain things that may not always be true. You still have to put in the work and build up from something. Nothing is just handed down to you and because we do give things from that opportunity we do get besides ourselves and take advantage of that. We feel entitled to every opportunity that is given but that may not always be the case. For example, scholarships: every one can apply for different scholarships to gain money for school, but if you do not fall under that groups certain qualifications or put in the work for certain grades or activities to get the scholarship, then you will not gain that scholarship. Some people get beside that fact and feel that just because they applied for this opportunity they should get it, which is not the case. Other countries do not have this sense of entitlement. They know they have to work for what they need and are pushed to great limits to get this accomplishments done. Like in China education is not as common so parents push to the farthest extent the importance of education and for their child so that they can gain these opportunities that were not handed to them.

America is a great, powerful country. It is full of many different groups of people which makes us special and brings us together. Being born in this country of being and official citizen of it is what makes you an American, and also to be behind these beliefs and ideas.