What Is An American?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an American as so: (n.) a person born, raised, or living in the U.S. I personally do agree with this definition, however I think it is too general. In my view, an American is one who appreciates this country, our customs, and truly feels like this is where they belong. I believe that the meaning of being an American goes much deeper than just what the definition says. 

Yes, by definition, an American is one who is from the United States. However I think there are instances in which there will be an immigrant from a foreign country coming to the U.S. wanting to become an American. Unfortunately, there will always be some born-and-raised Americans who will not accept those who wish to become Americans. For example, my grandmother and grandfather were born and raised in Hong Kong, China, but they came to the U.S. a little over 50 years ago to raise their family and to live a better life here. My grandmother has limited English, however she is a legal U.S. citizen. She considers herself an American, however when other people view her, they see her as another immigrant from China. My grandmother does not bother with what others think, but it bothers me that when people think of American, they cannot accept foreigners as so. 

So in my opinion, an American is a person who was born and raised in America. Nevertheless, if an immigrant comes here and lives here—whether they are a U.S. citizen or not—and feel like they are at home, I agree that they are American.