allow myself to introduce...myself; or, the morphing pot

Part I

Distinctiveness among people helps to shape and create identity. Every person will have a unique personality, family and experiences that make them who they are. My personal beliefs and family help to piece my being together.

I feel that they are many different aspects that go into making me, me. First off, my family is mostly Italian. With a last name like Cimilluca, I’m guessing you had already guessed that. Yet I have blonde hair and blue eyes--not your stereotypical Italian. My family’s heritage is a big part of my identity. Many things that I take part in and traditions that remain with me through the years are based upon my heritage. My great grandparents on my Italian side are still alive. My great grandmother told me how she wanted to be American. She said she only spoke Italian in her home, but wanted to be an “American girl.” I always heard stories of my great grandparents becoming “true” Americans, losing some of that precious “old country” heritage along the way.

I am also a female; I feel very strongly about woman’s rights. My grandmother always spoke of her mother and her fight for woman’s rights. I feel connected to the movement, knowing a woman in my family was involved. This has taught me that as an American woman I have rights that woman in other countries do not have. Therefore I take full advantage of them.

There are so many factors that I’m just thinking about now. One is the way that my family raised me to be “American.” I know that can mean something different to everyone. To me and my family it was always marching in the Memorial Day parades; whether it was girl scouts, dance class or band, I walked in every parade my town ever had. It was saying the pledge of allegiance and it was putting your hand on your heart when you sang the National Anthem. Now it’s voting and talking about the town politics. I never realized how political my family was until I got old enough to understand just what it was they were talking about.

This brings me to the point of where you live and how it affects you. I, for all of my life have lived in a two-stoplight town, Nowhere, USA. It is a mostly Christian town that does not adapt well to other cultures and beliefs. My mother is very liberal and my father is conservative. As a younger child I spent a lot of time with my mother; she instilled the morals that I have today. She taught me to embrace everyone equally, no matter their race, religion, sexual preference, etc.

I was very lucky to be able to travel to Rome, Italy, when I was 14. I went with my church’s youth group. I was going for World Youth Day, to see the Pope. Although I went with my catholic church, I met so many incredible people from different cultures and background, who spoke different languages. This was my first experience being able to see what other countries thought of America. It made me take a step back and look myself. Some people wanted to take pictures with me because of my blonde hair blue eyed, “all-American girl” look, while some people threw things at our group’s American Flag.

I think it was when I got back from that trip I really started to figure out what my identity was. I am American, I’m white, I’m a woman, I’m Italian, I’m German, I’m Irish, I’m Catholic, plus anything else I’m forgetting. I am a supporter of Americans, whether gay, lesbians, Jews, Arabs, Jehovah’s Witnesses or whatever, I am ME. We are all in this country together, living here and dying here. We all deserve the same rights even if we don’t have the same beliefs.

Part II

Living in an area with such a lack of diversity, there are bound to be disputes when a minority group voices their opinion. Living in this isolated world leaves many people in my town very insensitive to others' beliefs and other people’s needs.

Outside of my high school we have bricks that people can write personalized messages on; I think everyone in the town has a brick or two. Usually bricks say something like “John Smith, Class of 1967.” One day someone realized that one of the bricks said “Jesus is Lord.” I of course, growing up in a catholic family, did not see it as a problem. We have a total of three Jewish families living in the area; one particular family, the Bucknell* family, is always involved in political feuds. Mrs. Bucknell realized what this brick said and she went to the town legal system and demanded it be taken out. The town reacted lackadaisically; she went up higher and she didn’t stop until the brick was removed from the front of the school. My little town did not react to this change well. Many people put up signs on their cars, homes and in their lawns saying “Jesus is Lord” in big bright red letters. I had never seen such open acts of solidarity. I saw this from my teachers and from parents of friends, people whom I looked up to. Luckily my church and family did not take part in the blatant discrimination and I identified myself as empathetic towards the Bucknell family for having to deal with such a “nasty” group of closed-minded people.

Although my family is neutral in these disputes it seems as though we are always in the cross-fire. My grandfather is the town assessor and he has been accused of making assessments higher on the Bucknell family. My grandfather of course is not biased and there was no difference in my family’s assessments from other people’s assessments. The Bucknells have four children and a very nice large house; therefore it has a high assessment. Mr. Bucknell was one of my teachers and Mrs. Bucknell asked me to give her oldest daughter singing lessons. She has attended all of my pageants to hear me sing and always praises me. It seems odd that she would think that my family would be capable of that kind of discrimination.

My mother raised me to be aware of everyone around me and to accept everyone for who they are not what they look like or what they believe in. Growing up I wasn’t exactly the “cool” kid; let me rephrase that, I wasn’t cool at all. I was the kid who stood up for anyone who needed help and was always looking to better their life. I know it sounds corny but it was and still is me.

When I was in sixth grade a boy named Mark* moved to New York from Honduras. He knew about 3 English words, hello, no, and toilet. I stayed after school with him and a speech teacher every day of sixth grade to help him learn English and the American culture. I was fascinated by the fact that he didn’t know the Star-Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance. I felt as though it was my job to teach him everything that I knew about America; I even had my mom make him an apple pie.

When I really sit down and think about it I guess that I’ve had more experiences with American Identities then I realized. It’s almost impossible not to: we live in America and are constantly surrounded by its ideals and laws. I’m sure that everyday I discuss some element of a new law being put into effect or the War with Iraq. Whether we know it or not American Identities are at the forefront of our everyday lives.

Part III

“The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to 'create' rights. Rather, they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government from infringing on rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting.” ~Justice William J. Brennan, 1982

America was known as the country of freedom and a place to get away from any injustice. Come to America and allow your dreams to come true. America seems to have a political identity and a social identity. We are constantly judged and looked upon by other countries by what our leaders do. I don’t think it’s fair to judge a whole society by what our President decides to do. Yes, we have a democracy but we don’t have that much say in politics. We especially don’t have a say in foreign policy that may be affecting other countries, leading to them have negative images of our country. I think our political identity should be more judged on what individual citizens say about other countries. We have way too many different thoughts and views in this county to identify with one. We should not all be filed under Bush’s ideas because I for one I do not agree at all with our current President’s ideas. I think our identity changes throughout time with what is happening. We were capitalists, anti-fascist, and anti-communist. Now our county is focused on anti-terrorism. Identities change; they have to in order to make progress and grow. I feel that it’s important to be flexible in our nation’s changing views. It’s easier to understand if you compare it to a child growing up. Take a five-year-old girl, for example: she is probably most focused on when her mom will come get her from the babysitter’s house and what she’s going to eat for dinner. As she ages she’ll begin worrying about other things, like boys and make up, simply because times change and to be successful and productive you also have to adapt and change your identity.

As far as our social identity goes, it has been painted for us throughout the years. I think the most common stereotype of an American woman is blonde hair, blue eyes, a small waist line, a big bust line with long slender legs. Thanks to our media that is what we most see as the “American girl.” But really isn’t the “American girl” any girl who is a citizen of America? She could be fat or thin, short or tall, black, white or somewhere in-between.

When I was visiting Italy, I ate at McDonald’s. I purchased a Happy Meal and it came in one of those cardboard boxes you used to get when you were younger. On the box it had a Barbie representing each country of the world. The Barbie representing America was wearing a full cowgirl suit, hat, boots and all. Is that really how European people see Americans?

Our identity should be seen as what we really are. We are a beautiful mix of many different races and beautiful skin tones. The face of American Identity would have to be an ever-changing face. America is always changing, we have been called the “melting pot” and that’s what we are. We now also carry the identify of a “morphing pot,” ever changing and morphing into something else.

I feel that it is important to teach our children to look at people for what kind of person they are, not what they look like or what their dialect is. It’s an important step for a future with less hatred and discrimination involving Americans against Americans.

*note: names have been changed

An American Identity Is Just a System of Labels

JesseH asked me to post this for him.

An American Identity

An American identity is just a system of labels. As Americans, we define one another and ourselves by these labels. These labels consist of many complicated categories. Most Americans perceive an identity based on gender, sexuality, religion, politics, location, heritage and ancestry. Every person has a border in their identity that overlaps or is misconstrued. There are gaps in these labels. Not everyone is specifically one division of any one of these categories. People define themselves differently, but what is the purpose of labels practiced here in America? America the home of the free? The only two obvious purposes that a labeled identity serves are for people to fulfill their need of being accepted and belonging, and to categorize people based on their life styles and practices. My identity within America is based on these numerous categories, as well as my self-identity. Stereotypically, I am the American identity of the typical and common heterosexual male, the over privileged white man. In America I am a dime a dozen. It’s funny how these self images projected through society determine the way we choose to view and ultimately live our lives.

My American identity of being the typical white male is not how I would entirely define myself. The background that I project on myself would be Native American. I am about one-sixteenth Blackfoot on my Father’s side, and one-thirty second Cherokee, one-sixteenth Seneca on my Mother’s side. I am mostly Irish overall but most of my family identifies with our Seneca heritage. Most of my Irish comes from my Mother’s side. My Father is mostly English, a little Pennsylvania Dutch, and Irish as well.

The question that comes forward is why? Why would my family and I identify with the smallest part of ancestry of our heritage? The answer seems simple: all the stories and history comes from the Native American heritage. But as I dig deeper I see the need to place myself as being native to this land. The underlining projection society struggles to obtain is to be one with the land of America. Since the colonists first came to this land, there has been this necessary theme and ever present desire of being native to the land in one sense or another--the idea of finding a place to be from and belonging to. It seems to me that for my identity I only take what I want from Native American culture. I don’t take upon their struggles; sure I’ve been called a few racist remarks, but I don’t share their same problems. I grew up far from the Rez in peaceful white town. I’ve never had to deal with dirt, poverty, and lack of opportunity. As Americans it is our tradition to take only the best or what we desire, taking what we want and leaving the bad aspect or what we consider undesirable. We are a nation built on fulfilling our selfish desires.

This is not to say that being native to the land grants you an easy access pass of acceptance and fair and equal treatment. My great Uncles served in World War II; in Paris they were permitted to go into the bars and have a drink, but here at home they were not. My great, great grandfather was not permitted to sell the milk of his cows at the stores in Ellicottville just because he was Native American. He was then forced to walk his cows forty miles to Chafe in order to sell the milk. Also, when my Great Grandma Ponde was a young child, the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses outside her house and fired guns shots off into the air. Much of the Seneca culture in relation to me was literally washed away; the state didn’t provide the Seneca Indians enough time to evacuate the land before they let the water from the Kinzua "damn" out and flooded the land. One thing that I personally remember from when I was younger is that my ex-Uncle Ben burnt hundreds of rubber tires on Highway Seventeen in protest of the state not honoring old Indian treaties. Most of my identity comes from knowing this and the stories that my grandmother has passed on to us.

When it comes to religion, my identity seems to match an American identity. Religion in America has been and remains free and ever changing. Fifty years ago the major religion across America was Christianity, which is what I identify myself with. Over time as our nation has grown and changed so has the quantity and diversion of America’s religions. Christianity is still one of the most popular religions here in America, but I think much of religion has changed. The strict interpretation of religious books has diminished as society has changed to be less structured as whole and more the idea of, each person, and their own person within social boundaries. A perfect example of this would be easy to in the movie DOGMA. The thirteenth apostle Rufus said that a strict religious interpretation was dangerous and it was better to just have a good idea. I think that much of the Christian religions are following in this same path.

Another type of identity here in America is the place you grew up. You are labeled and perceived differently based upon your location. People from New York City have a distinguished perception of themselves. This identity or label presses them to act a certain way. They act in a way to represent their location. This is done across America and it seems to that it’s almost like a tribal instinct, defending one's perimeters. I am from a small town in Western New York, East Aurora. My identity would probably be labeled as a hick or country bumpkin. This is a pretty accurate description, but I refuse to be personified or considered ignorant, as a typical stereotype would elect me. I’ve always tried to push myself to have a big city attitude. This is just how my friends and I have altered our identity. This is probably because even though we weren’t living in poverty we still had to always be concerned with money and other domestic problems. We could see the “rich kids” who didn’t have to deal with the economic and social struggles that we did, or at least that’s what we believed. We always took on the identity of being stronger and harder than them. We envied them so much I think we began to hate them. So class distinction formed us in our own niche and them in theirs.

Sexuality is a large way we identify ourselves in America. This label appears so much more important to us as Americans than to most other cultures and countries. American culture is extremely sexually driven. America has created an image about sex and sexuality to have the people express this need to share about their own sexuality. We are a sexually charged nation. Ancient Greece was also a very sexual in nature. Grown men would take on boy apprentices to teach them the ways of the world but also to have as lovers. Having sexual intercourse with a man in Ancient Greek was not part of your identity, it was just something you did or were involved in. It seems that we define ourselves by sexuality in order to prove ourselves or to strive for acceptance. American culture has become much more focused on the primal instinctual needs; the need to eat good food, hence obesity; the need the primal need to fuck, hence the diversity in sexuality. The label of sexuality is important in America because the media presses this view on us. You can’t switch on the television or radio without being bombarded with the media’s versions of sexuality and how you should think of your own sexuality and those around you. We are influenced by these mass amounts of media, to be constantly striving for our image, sexual and otherwise. America places the idea that we are all unique. Our American culture pronounces that we are so divided. In actuality the most accurate view of America and the world is that we are all so similar especially concerning sexuality. The media attacks and misconstrues ideas of sexuality. The media knows that sex sells so they sell it. We keep buying it and the cycle continues. America’s image of being a sexually descriptive and discriminatory country will continue till we can fully accept people for who they are and not who they have sex with.

Overall I would like to see a world without labels, just to see if we could function better as a society. I think a world without labels takes away barriers and would open us up to greater possibilities. A lack of labels tends to take away our identity that we have established that we need. It is our primal need to have an identity. Aristotle said that man is a social animal. So man will continue to need to define himself within relation to his fellow man. In America, identity is all about a description or sense of pride of one's self. As long we don’t abuse labels then they are the most sufficient way of identification.

Scratching the Surface

GeraldA asked me to post this for him.

Section 1: Who Am I?

Identity can be defined one of many ways, but two definitions are profound, and somewhat conflicting. One defines it as, “sameness of essential or generic character in different instances,” the other, “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.”

In order for me to correctly identify myself and cite the most important aspects of personal identity, I have to take both into consideration. Generically, I am Hispanic, I am Christian, I am a New Yorker and a New Mexican, and I am an American. Essentially, I am a human being, I am a freethinking individual, and I am Christian. Individually, I am Gerald; I am a straight, male theatre major (which, in its own right, is quite an accomplishment) at SUNY Fredonia, I am a compassionate, kind, and respectful young man, I am struggling with most areas of my life and personality, and I am Christian.

Now, the task in writing this essay is to describe which aspects of my identity are most crucial. The shortest, most simple answer would be all of the above.

In the “generic and essential” areas lie very important “generic” categories. First and foremost, I am a freethinking human being. I see this as essential because, well, none of the rest would be all that possible without that element. The regions from which I hail, New Mexico and New York, have had a tremendous impact on me. The culture of New Mexico is the one I was raised in--specifically, a Hispanic household that places tremendous values on family. New York has imbued me with a sense of time. The pace of the two cultures is very different. It seems switching between the two has given me a sort of balance, making it easier to relax and not hurry when doing something, but to make haste when necessary. I identify myself with both these places for two reasons: one, I cannot deny my homeland. New Mexico is dear to me. With its rich and beautiful culture and landscape one can hardly deny the appeal it provides. New York also holds a certain beauty in its forests and land formations, not to mention the sheer amount of important historical events that have taken place here.

Then, of course, individuality comes into play. As a theatre major, I am pushed head first into the hardest business in the world--and I love it. Being an actor is one of the most important parts of my identity because actors display humanity at its most magnificently dramatic, tragic, and comedic moments. Portraying the struggles and conflicts people experience day in and day out often leads the actor and the audience to self-discovery. I can’t say I’m an exception. Identity as an actor can mean many things, but in this vision of myself, it means representing the harsh, wonderful truths of life.

Lastly, and most important to my identity, is my religion and spirituality. Born and raised Catholic, I never really identified with the religion. Of course, I went to Sunday school, learned my prayers, and read the Bible, but none of it meant anything. With the benefit of certain influences in my life when I was in middle school, I started to explore and practice Wicca. Over the years, this troubled me. My faith was stagnant, my spirituality was almost non-existent, and I felt like I wasn’t in the right place. Needless to say, I found Christianity again. I attended church every Sunday, and started exploring the religion more in depth. Now, I’m considering priesthood. What a turn-around!

My identity within Christianity is very specific. Accepting Jesus as my savior is defining in the sense that everywhere I go, in everything I do, I try to use him as a guide to my actions. As cliché as it may sound, “What would Jesus do?" strikes a chord deep within me. Jesus was all about love and compassion, caring for his fellow human being. As a way to live life, I think that’s just about the way things should go. I’m not saying everyone has to be Christian; I believe there are multiple paths to an end. But if people would take something from the message of acceptance and tolerance above all else, the world would be an infinitely better place. This idea of “love thy neighbor as thyself” has pitted me in many heated arguments and discussions over homosexuality, war, segregation, etcetera.

The title of this section, Who Am I, is taken from a Casting Crowns song. The lyrics say, “Who am I, that the Lord of all the Earth would care to know my name?” At the risk of getting a little too personal, this question has been plaguing me for years now. Recently I’ve come to some semi-concrete conclusions, but I do have a whole life of discovery ahead of me. This question defines me--who am I? Do I live the gospel as I should? Am I acting like a child of God? Overall, following Christ and believing in God’s promise has led me to this point in my life. It continues to shape and change me as I grow not only in knowledge and years, but faith and spirituality as well.

Section 2: Everyone Has a Past

Experiencing American identities firsthand is such a common occurrence that people don’t even realize it happens. The girl who sits in the back row in class might have been born in another country. That man sitting next to you on the bus could be heading home after a tour in Iraq. Your roommate might have had an abusive, alcoholic father. Everyone has a past, everyone has a history, and within this history lays his or her identity.

Perhaps the most profound, if not the biggest, experience I’ve had with another area of the country, another culture, and another stereotype of people was when I participated in a work camp in West Virginia. The first and most noticeable difference was the poverty of the community at large. The town, Oceana, was a mining town, so naturally the economy of the area wasn’t exactly bustling. Nestled in a small valley in the mountains, Oceana’s citizens were more than 45 minutes away from quite a few conveniences. While here in Fredonia we have the Wal-Mart just down the street, restaurants, clinics, shops and boutiques, this town’s main strip was comprised of two or three fast food places, a hardware/housing warehouse, a few small shops, and scant few businesses. Without much to do, this town’s education standards and average household income were well below the state average, while the poverty level and rate of crime were above state standards. As a community, the identity I initially gave it was negative. To be honest, I envisioned a town of largely uneducated hicks, leading lives that fit stereotypical images of small towns settled around a coal mine.

When my group arrived, Reach Workcamps had already been there a week fixing houses. There were some obvious improvements to the local houses, and others we heard about from the Reach staff. During Thursday’s worship session, after a hard day’s work, one of the red-shirt volunteers stepped up on stage during the witness talks. He shared a story of change in the community. Apparently, Oceana residents were wary of massive groups of inexperienced young adults fixing their houses. Our initial greeting from the community was lukewarm and cautious. But by the time two weeks passed, there was a noticeable difference in their attitude. People had become more receptive to us. It seemed as if an infectious sense of hope had permeated the dull and desperate climate of the town.

What does this have to do with identity? First of all, my interaction with our resident profoundly influenced my faith. He had formerly fallen from religion due to some people who called themselves Christian but didn’t follow the tenets of the religion. During our breaks and lunchtime, my small group talked to him and his wife about the area, about the desperation that accompanied being stuck in a dead-end town. He was on disability due to an accident in the coalmine, and had little to no hope of recovering completely, thereby making his chances of finding decent work little to none.

In this class we’re focusing on our own identities, who we are as Americans. But in being exposed to this sheer poverty, I’ve realized, and I’ll elaborate in the next section, that the community service part of it will likely be the most influential. This identity of an impoverished, deprived part of the nation is bigger than most people think.

Section 3: It’s Bigger Than You Think

When I think of America, initially I think of everything immigrants must have thought of in the late 19th century. America, the land of the free, a land of opportunity and hope, a land comprised of the most astute and honorable men. What is there not to love about this country? It is the most powerful and effective democracy in the world, giving its citizens the right to open a business and make a living for themselves. It fills me with the most just patriotism, the greatest pride, to know that I live in the United States of America.

And then.

And then I remember people; people like Tom Delay, people like John Ashcroft, Pat Robertson, and Dick Cheney. I remember corporations and affirmative action and the “Moral Majority.” I remember the party system, the corruption, the greed, and the self-righteousness we impose on other nations. I remember Vietnam, and the 58,000 boys of ours that died there. I remember injustices, the horrible foundations upon which this country was laid.

If one were to strictly take a look at the events that comprise this nation’s history, it would be view the United States in a positive light. The south’s adamant refusal to give up slavery until the “right” was forced out of their grasp is a prime example. Pushing the Native Americans further and further west and slaughtering them as we went along is another. Segregation, invasion, and self-imposed stupidity might lead on to believe that this country has a horrible identity, one of oppression and hate.

Of course, that plays the part of devil’s advocate. In reality, the amalgamations of identities within this great nation are infinite. Even though this is one of the most inspirational and awe-inspiring things ever, it seems that we’re lost in identity. Floundering in so many identities, it is hard to find who we are. It can be a struggle simply to find out which identities drag us down, if they can be identified at all. Before we can give America’s identity a specific definition, we have to at least examine the broad identities within it. You might call me Gerald, but that doesn’t mean anything; it’s simply another label. Without examining what’s underneath, there is no conceptualization occurring with the name Gerald. These concepts are what make me… me, not just the name.

I believe that issues need to be addressed. Poverty, social security, old people, young people, college people, rights, laws, abortion, homelessness, and hate are timeless issues that the media seems to identify as parts of America. Inner struggles continually plague us as a people. However, when we need to, we can band together. After September 11th, everyone, regardless of identity, came together in support of the victims. We bonded as a nation and took pride in what we stand for (though no one is quite sure what that is).

This, I think, is what America really is. Deep down, buried underneath the layers of politics, religious righteousness, and corruption, the United States’ identity is one of liberty and hope. Now: to find a way to scratch the surface…

An American Identity That Everyone Can Hold On To

The idea of an American identity that everyone can hold on to is a very complicated notion. It may be cliché but America is the “Melting Pot” of the world; here more than anywhere in the world there is a diverse range of ethnicities living in one country. But with all these different cultures together to make up America how does a specific American identity form, and if so what is it?

America was not built on diversity like some would like you to believe; it was built on the blood of Native Americans and the backs of African Americans. Despite this, America has grown, the African Americans were freed, women fought for the right to vote and won, Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus, Jackie Robinson played baseball and they both changed this country indefinitely. More and more people from all parts of the world keep coming to America in search of the American dream. The American dream? A chance to be anything that you want as long as you are willing to work hard for it. Certainly some people have to work harder to achieve it than others but that opportunity is always there in America.

Heredity

In America you can find people of any type of heritage; most of the time it’s not just one cultural background that they are coming from but many. People are very proud of their heritage; they may celebrate traditions that have been brought with them from other countries, wear the clothes and eat the food. People hold on to their heritage and at the same time call themselves Americans. Is this a contradiction? No, I don’t believe so. Everyone except the Native Americans had to travel to America; they were of different cultures, colors and creeds and yet congregated in a single country. There are many people that focus on the problem of racism in America, which should be dealt with, but despite this America continues to be the country where all kinds of people migrate to. All these different peoples created America and therefore all the different cultures they represent are equally important for America. It is the differences that have made America so unique.

Family

At one point the ideal American family consisted of a mother and father, 2.5 children and a pet of some kind. The mother stayed home to care for the children while father made the money. That idea has changed drastically over the years. Women have become much more active outside the house and in the work place; children are placed in daycare centers and some families are only families after work hours are over. This idea of family also includes single parents; they have become as much an idea of the America family as the traditional family. Recently a new type of family has started to emerge in America, couples of the same sex have begun to adopt children and raise them. Like the family with a working mother or a single parent this new type of family is controversial.

I remember going to New York not too long ago; it was the first time I had really been there and looked forward to it. New York in itself is an American experience; one could argue that it is the focal point of American culture. My friends and I did the typical things like walking through Manhattan seeing the sights. We went to Rockefeller center seeing NBC Studios and Radio City Music Hall. Times Square was an entity of its own, buzzing with street musicians and people going every which way. In Central Park I passed a small carnival where people of all kinds enjoyed the summer day with a rollercoaster and some cotton candy. All of this was great but what I believe was the best part of our visit was when we ended up at Ground Zero. It was cleared of all the debris and was hard to imagine that two of the tallest buildings in the world had once been there, the pinnacles of civilization some would say. The terrorists wanted America to fall just like the towers; they wanted everyone to be fearful so that we would be divided. Instead the American people came together after this tragedy; we raised our flags higher and more pronounced than ever before. It is because of this pride that Ground Zero will not stay a symbol of tragedy but be rebuilt into something new, something that says to the terrorists that America will not just cower but will be resilient and push on.

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific idea that makes all people American but not impossible: difference is what makes America what it is. When the whole country is comprised of a population that has roots all over the world, difference is what we all have in common. Of course there are some problems that arise from this but most Americans embrace and celebrate these differences.

Allright, Class, Open Your Context-books to the Reading for American Identities

In Marvel: 1602, we saw familiar superheroes removed from their normal settings and placed in England at the beginning of the 17th century. When placed in a new context, an interesting thing happened to these familiar characters. Origin stories had to change to correspond to the new setting. Peter Parquah, the character derived from Peter Parker/Spiderman, for example, was not Spiderman in 1602 because there was no source of powerful radiation from which to derive spider powers. Similarly, the X-Men of 1602 were not mutants, but mutantir, Latin for “changing ones.” The knowledge of genetics and mutation was not common in the 1660s and therefore did not influence Carlos Javier when identifying and discussing the witch breed under his protection.

Context is also important in Marvel: 1602 for another reason. Before one can understand how the new context affects these characters, one has to understand the context from which they came. If the reader does not know the origin of Spiderman, then the subtle jokes where Peter keeps almost being bitten by a spider become utterly meaningless. In fact, the whole book loses significant impact if the reader is unaware of the context of the Marvel universe from which Marvel: 1602 draws so much. I know this for a fact because a friend who read 1602 who was not familiar with comic books said about it, “It’s a very nice book about wizards in England.” The book was still enjoyable to her, but most of the intended effect had been lost due to lack of proper context.

In the same way that Marvel: 1602 can not be fully appreciated without the proper context, so American identity also needs context to be understood. When I was a very little girl, I went on a day trip with my family to New York City. I was excited by the tall buildings and all the new things to see, but I had no awareness of New York as anything more than just another place. I had only the vaguest of ideas about immigration, so when I saw the Statue of Liberty I was impressed only by its size and not by its symbolism. When we went to the top of the Empire State building I saw only another long set of stairs to climb, I did not see an example of American engineering. I was missing the context that made these places more than mere places. Because I lacked the context I was merely visiting places to which other people might make a pilgrimage.

The more complex the discussion of American identity, the more important the role of context becomes in the discussion. This helps explain why it is so very hard to pinpoint what, exactly, American identity is at all. So many questions exist about the value of different American experiences because of the subtle and varying influence of context. If a man has grown up in the U.S. and lived his entire life in an American setting, is he more or less American than the immigrant who has lived here only five years, but to whom America itself means so much more? Canada and South American countries share historical significance with the U.S. in many ways--being part of the New World, the meeting of native and European cultures, separation from European culture and continent--all these things influence American identity, which means that not only the U.S. but all of the Americas need to be considered when discussing American identity. How can an American superhero be an American superhero in an era when America was nothing more than a handful of British colonies still loyal to the queen? Perhaps they can when the writer is a man in an era when America is a global power, who grew up reading American comic books and wrote with America specifically in mind, but once again, this is a matter of context.

And the problem with context is that there is no sure way to measure its influence. If context is the only determinant of identity, then identity becomes nothing but a pattern in a swirl of discourses. It loses permanence and significance if it can be shaped and changed so entirely by environment. Buddhists and postmodernists may nod their heads emphatically at this point and cry, "Yes, that’s exactly how it is!" but the rest of us probably find that a bit hard to swallow. When I remember climbing the Statue of Liberty, I remember the little girl as myself as an earlier version of the person currently writing this sentence. I certainly don’t look fondly back on the grouping of physical and emotional phenomena influenced by societal dialogue that once existed in a specific point in space/time known as the Statue of Liberty in the late '80s. Continuity of memory seems to suggest that there is at least a central core to identity that external context can’t account for. That central core might be why we can still identify Carlos Javier as Charles Xavier, or why Queen Elizabeth remains Queen Elizabeth no matter how many superheroes she’s hanging out with these days.

So how does one incorporate a thing so subtle and prone to personal interpretation such as context into one’s reading of American identity? Maybe it can’t be done at all. Context can be as limited or as expansive as the reader chooses to perceive it, so how much influence it has can vary. Perhaps the best way to view context, then is not to question how it impacts the observed, but how affects the way it is observed. When looking at American identity, the question to ask my not be “How does context make this American?” but instead, “How does context cause me to see this as American?”

A Plea for Ambiguity

I’ve always had a hard time directly targeting my identity as an American, as my perceptions of it constantly change. Since I perceive my identity as an American to be somewhat convoluted, I tend to shy away from analyzing it too heavily because I feel like I wouldn’t know where to begin. In this day and age there are so many parameters with which to define yourself as an American whether it’s your race or ethnicity, your sexual orientation, whether or not you immigrated to the country and the list goes on. I’ve taken all those different parameters into consideration but the main one I keep coming back to is the concept of race or ethnicity and how it can define and influence your perception of yourself. this may or may not be the biggest factor in determining your identity as an American if you’re white, but as a minority and also as a bi-racial or multi-racial person, by default you’re aware of racial issues and how they tie into your identity as a person in this country. Although I’ve grown pretty comfortable with an ambiguous status when it comes to my background, I still feel pressure from others to identify with just one aspect of my heritage. Also, distilling who I am as an American into a singular term or phrase can be a daunting challenge to take on for anyone.

The reason for my hesitation to categorize myself in any one way probably comes from my having such a diverse ethnic and social background. My mother’s side of the family emigrated from Puerto Rico two generations back and my father’s ethnic make-up contains African-American, Italian and Korean identities. I feel like the more ethnically diverse someone is, the more difficult it makes it for them to identify with just one of those backgrounds because they usually can’t determine which one, or which combination, of those identities is more dominant. It was something I never paid much of any mind to when I was a child, but the older I grew the more pressured I felt from peers, relatives and the media to identify with one or a couple of those identities. I think things might’ve been different had I grown up and interacted with more people from those different racial backgrounds, but from age 2 until about 18 I only encountered white, middle-class Americans for the most part. It wasn’t completely exclusive contact with whites, but it was pretty close. I spent time with relatives and a few friends of the same or partially the same ethnic backgrounds occasionally, but the people that lived in my neighborhood, the people that I went to school, work and church with were mostly white. I still have trouble determining if this impacted my perception of my identity positively or negatively, but I know it made somewhat of a difference. I fully identified myself as an American for sure but beyond that basic label was where things got cloudy. Since a specific identity was something I felt like I could never obtain, I never really worried about it too much. It’s not like I haven’t made any progress at all on it though. Instead of defining my identity in terms of what I was and where I saw myself fitting in, I began to define it in terms of what concluded I wasn’t. I still can’t locate the exact passage, but in Deloria’s Playing Indian, there’s a part where he talks about how some whites in Britain constructed their identity based on what they weren’t instead of what the were specifically. It’s only a short paragraph but he explains how they identified blacks as the “other”, that they felt as if they needed something else to point to and say “Ok, this is what we’re not so it helps us define who were are better.” I just thought it was interesting to read because that’s mainly how I began to describe my identity as an American, through what I knew I wasn’t and where I knew I didn’t fit in. That sort of method helped me to build a general concept of who I am, but I don’t think it could ever be distilled down to one single word or concept that encompasses my identity as an American.

There have been a number of occurrences that have caused me to alter my perceptions of my racial identity. Alter might be too strong of a word though because those experiences didn’t so much change my perceptions of myself as it sparked an awareness of nuances in my identity I wasn’t previously aware of. In addition to those nuances, those experiences also made aware of all the different roles I that were available for me to potentially fill as a member of a certain ethnic group. The main way that I was made aware of these attributes and roles was by observing other people’s perceptions of me within a certain population. For example, when I lived in the small upstate New York town where I grew up, the population was predominantly white and I was perceived by them as “just black” or on some occasions “probably black mixed with white.” Since there wasn’t a great amount of diversity in that area, anyone with brown skin automatically got grouped in the “black” category because the subtleties of their ethnic make-up weren’t as apparent as the contrast between whites and everyone else. Thinking about this reminded me of Whiteness of a Different Color when Jacobson explains how the racial divisions between the Irish, Swedish, Italians, English and other white ethnic groups blurred and came to be seen as “white” when compared with other non-white races. My experience was the same except that it was a reversal of the two categories.

When I moved to Manhattan more recently I noticed that the population had a much different perception of me. Because that city contains a varied mix of pretty much every ethnicity in the world, the subtleties that were previously blurred became more pronounced and I was viewed as “Hispanic” and on occasion “maybe Hispanic and something else.” Since the racial spectrum was so broad within that group of people it was easily recognizable that I was too light to be black and too dark to be white and therefore had to be something else.

Even more recently, during my spring break this semester I spent 12 consecutive days in Florida partying, drinking, clubbing and doing everything else you do on spring break. When I wasn’t engaging in the previously mentioned activities, I spent countless hours in the sun on the beach. Because of my multi-ethnic background I possess subtle traits of all those different groups, so that makes my hair fit in the “kind of wavy but curly but not too coarse but not straight” category and makes my skin fade to a yellowish tone in the winter but with the proper exposure to the sun, tans to a deep brown. I’ve never really thought about the advantages, disadvantages and implications to having those attributes until recently. Like I mentioned previously I spent a lot of time out in the sun so I got really dark really fast. The general population that can be found in South Beach is of course much more diverse than the town I grew up in, not to the extent that Manhattan is, but it’s close. So among this new population, with my new tan I discovered I was perceived as “maybe from India or some weird island somewhere” and occasionally “maybe just black.” On one occasion during the spring break trip my friends and I were outside a nightclub in the line waiting to get in. The woman at the door proceeded to check everyone’s ID and wave them in, but when she got to mine she paused and gave it a scrutinizing glare for a few moments. The photo on my driver’s license was taken in mid-January when my complexion was its palest and was also little overexposed which made me appear a little bit lighter, but I didn’t think looked completely different from how I looked that night. The woman checking the ID thought otherwise and concluded that the image wasn’t of me and that the individual that appeared in the photo “looked like a white person.” At first I was humored by this remark when I considered the absurdity of someone ever mistaking me for a white person. No one had ever perceived me in that way before no matter what population I found myself in at the time. The more I considered the context of this exception though, the more it became plausible. I managed to convince the woman that it was really my photo in the license by presenting her with every other form of ID I had and she eventually let me inside the club. The instances I mentioned earlier provided me with an interesting perspective on how people can attempt to determine one’s race by comparison. This last incident was even more insightful because the conclusion the woman at the club reached was through comparing two images of myself rather than attributes of two races.

I found these experiences insightful because it caused me to think about my identity in a different light and become conscious of the fact that I could go to three different locations in America and be a number of different races in each. Until more recently I always thought of the way which you appeared, spoke, behaved and dressed were the main determining factors if someone was trying to determine what race you were. Now I realize a lot of those perceptions have to do more with context than anything else and that the kinds of people you’re around and how you compare to them are more of a determining factor. I’m willing to admit that this isn’t true all the time, but it definitely caused me to view things from a different perspective.

I think that it’s crucial to develop a sense of yourself especially in America today because identity is somewhat institutionalized and regulated by the government and the media. The government strives to be politically correct when it comes to labeling people that fall into certain categories. For example American Indians went from “Savages and Injuns” to “Native Americans” or “indigenous Americans”. The media has been known to distort or glamorize the truth. Trends and fads are made known to us immediately after they’re started and we start to pick up on certain undertones like how being “exotic” or “not white” is really cool, sexy, etc. Then it’s interesting to see how many whites suddenly find themselves with Cherokee princesses or half-Hawaiians in their lineage.

The concept of American identities have been defined and redefined in so many ways and I think it’s human nature to divide ourselves intro different groups. This is especially true in this country because America tends to fuel a type of competitive thinking. It’s not so much that whatever groups we identify with oppose another group, we as Americans just want to have pride in our background, we want to have a stance or a point of reference. Going back to what I said earlier about defining yourself through defining what you’re not, it also comes from wanting to know where exactly someone stands so we can say whether we’re similar or dissimilar to them, helping us further develop a concept of our identities. I think treating our identities as Americans as a somewhat ambiguous, ever-changing entity is a good way to approach things. I think we should be ok with the fact that we may or may not be able to define ourselves with a single word or concise definition or that we may go our whole lives without ever pinpointing who exactly we are.

I feel that I’ve benefited a lot from this project because as I mentioned before I’ve never really analyzed who I am as an individual and an American in a formal way and I think I’ve started to construct a general framework of who I am, and as to whether that concept will be fully fleshed out, I guess only time will tell. As a whole I fell American identity is an idea, a formless thought whose boundaries and volumes change constantly, but yet is still there and still tangible. To me it’s not so much of something you draw conclusion on, but rather just a starting point whose destination, if any, is ever reached is up to you.

Searching for the Elusive American Identity

These are turbulent times in America. On the global level, the United States continues to advocate Democracy in foreign nations, such as in the recently “liberated” Middle East. On a national level, the United States government is attempting to put new laws into effect, which are meant to limit support for illegal immigrants. On a local level, there is discussion of raising taxes for those who trade with reservations, in effect raising prices on the reservation, thus removing the incentive for citizens to do business on them. These three issues are related in that they all focus upon “others” and “non-Americans”; the foreigner in a foreign land, the foreigner illegally in American lands, and the indigenous non-American, surrounded by American land.

These issues, when simplified, can be seen as imposing the American identity upon others. The Middle East, for instance, is expected to become like America through democracy. Conversely, the illegal immigrant has been labeled as different and incompatible with the American identity, and is therefore being rooted out. The economic attack upon the reservations is an attempt to hurt business, which may one day lead to a collapse of the reservations, along with the Native American identities that go along with them. These issues are based upon the understanding of the American Identity, and how this understanding is applied to others.

This conclusion leads to an important question: what is the American Identity? If global, national, and local politics are to be based upon the understanding of the American Identity, it is of great importance to know what the American Identity is. What is American? To be American, does an individual have to be born in America’s borders, or is it a state of mind? These are the questions about this elusive American Identity that have led me to begin the following discussion.

If policy is often based upon the understanding of what it is to be American, it stands to reason that policy makers would be able to present a definition of the American Identity. With this in mind, I consulted the official government website (www.whitehouse.gov). Much to my disappointment, there was no clean-cut answer presented. The best description I could find was that Americans believe in Democracy, rights, equality, and prosperity. As an American myself, I agree that I do, as a matter of fact, like democracy, rights, equality, and prosperity. Yet, most individuals believe in rights, equality and prosperity. Also, unless I have been misled, the United States is not the only democracy in existence, but rather one of sixty-five democracies (http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/democrat.html). Unless I have been extremely misled, sixty-four of those nations are not the United States. Therefore, the official government definition of an American is not useful for our current task of defining the American Identity.

If the values of America, such as liberty and free trade, are shared with other nations, such as Canada and Britain, perhaps geography is to be considered. Are Americans a part of the American Identity because they were born in the United States? My Uncle would say no, as he was born in an American army base in Germany, yet is still an American by birth. Also, those who were not born in the United States have added to the American Identity. Albert Einstein was not born in the United States, and was not American, yet nuclear energy is seen as American. Currently, the United States wishes to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear power, and justifies its ability to interfere because it was the first to have nuclear power. Yet, as American as nuclear energy is, the majority of scientists working on the Manhattan Project had European accents. This shows that those born outside of America still affect the American Identity, whether they are foreign scientists, or my American Uncle, who happened to be born in Germany.

If geography can’t be used to explain the American Identity, perhaps culture can. American popular culture is, after all, totally unique. Then again, Canada enjoys the same music, television, movies, food, and clothing that Americans do. In fact, many famous American cultural icons are Canadian, including Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Brendan Fraser, Michael Ironside, Rick Moranis, and William Shatner, to name but a few. British culture is also a major part of American pop culture, which is clearly seen by the popularity of bands such as the Beatles and Franz Ferdinand, and the record-breaking sales of Harry Potter books and films. Not only is American culture found throughout the world, but it is also influenced by foreign nations. Therefore, it cannot be used to describe the elusive American Identity.

Perhaps I have gone about my task incorrectly. It might be that the American Identity exists because of the mixing of foreign cultures. America is, after all, the great melting pot. Throughout its existence, America has been the destination of immigrants from all over the world. Yet, this understanding has problems too. The United States received the bulk of its early immigrants from Europe, and therefore much of the “melting of cultures” was, originally, European cultures being mixed together. Does not the European Union propose to do something similar? If the mixing of European culture was an important aspect of the American Identity, does that mean the EU also shares this American identity?

The argument against this would be “no,” because the United States also mixed with Asian, African and Latino cultures. Yet, Europe had contact with Asian and African cultures before North America was even discovered. The English are known for their love of tea, which they obtained from Asia. As for Latino influences, the current laws targeting illegal immigrants affect most Latino Americans. It is this aspect of the American identity that policy makers are trying to remove. With the Latino culture being targeted and “unmixed,” and the EU sharing many of the “mixing” found in America, the melting pot understanding of America is no longer useful.

Perhaps the mixing of cultures in America is too specific an aspect of American history. America’s history is defined by revolution, civil war, industry, expansion, world trade, and being a superpower. Yet none of these aspects are unique. The English had a civil war hundreds of years prior to the American civil war. Mexico and France also had revolutions of their own. British achieved industrialization a century and a half before the United States. The United States was not the only nation to embrace expansion and claim it to be their destiny. Germany used the same argument prior to both world wars. The United States was not the first world power to embrace free trade; it merely took Britain’s place at the end of the First World War. As far as being a superpower, the United States shared this status with the Soviet Union, and today finds a rival in China.

All the more problematic is the nature of identifying with historical events. I am an American, as were my parents and grandparents, yet none of my ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War. Yet, the revolution is the symbolic representation of the American Identity. To make matters all the more confusing, I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the American Civil War. Does that mean that I am both a traitor and an American? I do not believe so, particularly because I do not support the notions of the Confederacy. Therefore, I am American because I pick which aspects of the past I link myself to. I link the winning of World War 2 to myself, particularly because my grandfather fought in it for the United States. Yet, I choose not to link myself to the poor treatment of Japanese Americans during the war. Events in the past don’t give individuals their American Identity, but rather it is the American Identity that allows them to feel linked to past events they choose to associate with, such as the Revolutionary War.

Having run out of options, I am forced to consider my own experiences to find the American Identity. I do this not because I feel I am the quintessential America. I do this because I know I am American, thus I must have the American Identity somewhere within. I am American in that I am a fourth generation American, and that I have had family fight in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. I was raised by a family of optimistic, “hard work pays off” Americans. Yet it wasn’t until I lived in England for four months that I became aware of my one American Identity.

In September of 2005, I attended Oxford University, and lived in England until the end of December. Prior to leaving the United States, I had never thought of myself as American. I had considered myself a New Yorker, a Western New Yorker more specifically. Living in a country of foreigners, however, I became an “American.” When I travelled into the southern United States, the distinction of North and South existed. When I lived in Oxford, however, I did not see myself as a New Yorker and a Texan as a Texan, but rather, I saw us both as Americans.

It was in this foreign atmosphere that I realized the American Identity is abstract, and cannot be defined, but it can be felt through an “American kinship” of sorts. This became most apparent after spending a week in Italy. Knowing only the Italian phrases which I learned as a child from my grandmother, I had no means of communicating with the Italians, with the exception of “yes,” “no,” and pointing. When in Italy, my friend and I ran into two American girls, whom we became friends with. The girls were from Florida, whereas we were from New York. We were from State Schools, and they were from a private university. They were conservative and we were liberal. The girls were vegetarians, and we felt that the more adorable the animal, the tastier it would be grilled. Needless to say, there were clear differences.

Yet, we all got along wonderfully, because the fact we were all American made up for the differences. In America, surrounded by Americans, such a link would have seemed trivial. Yet, surrounded by Italians, the link of being American was important enough to overlook our differences. I believe this is the main aspect of the American Identity.

At first glace, it may be thought that the American Identity exists as an “Us vs. Them” style of thought. But this wasn’t so. We connected because it was understood that we were all American. The first Americans were not Americans because they were not British. They were all American because they were all facing the same problems: a new nation, in an unexplored part of the world. The American Identity cannot be described, because it is always changing. It is not based upon what makes Americans different from the rest of the world. The American Identity is based upon the understanding that all Americans have to face their problems together. This is why the American identity is strongest in times of need, such as war or depression. The American Identity is, on its most fundamental and unchanging level, the understanding that all Americans are equally American.

America's Identity Crisis

My Own Identity

While growing into a knowledgeable individual it seemed as though everywhere I went I had an identity already established. I never understood this and I definitely never enjoyed having someone else’s definition of me proceed my own. The idea of someone already sizing someone up before they actually meet is quite unfair. Our society feels the overwhelming need to label everyone. There seems to be a metaphoric box for every individual to fit in or claim. I often wondered where this need derived from, and I also wondered whether how I identify myself will even be accepted in a society that feels it already has the right methodology of identifying everyone. I have come to learn that it is not about trying to find a difference, but to find one’s self.

I remember one day a long time ago asking my mother “Ma, what am I?”, and she answered “You’re black, do you want to be something else?” Till this day I really do not know what kind of answer I was looking for, but that answer did not satisfy me at the time as much as I had hoped it would. At that point I wanted more and I think I even wanted to be something else. I guess with the way our society seems I just wanted to have some deep historical family tree or sole ancestor to tell stories about, because evidently it matters. I just did not have enough information to fall back on in case someone asked me the same question in the future, which is bound to happen in my lifetime. I mean, even impersonal institutions ask for our race on a normal basis. Back then I did not feel like a complete person, because I did not know my complete past. People in our society who actually research their past can be split into two categories--those who are trying to find out their complete heritage and those who are just trying to find out their complete race. I truly was undecided between the two.

The older I got the less I cared about my past and the more I became focused on the identity I was making for myself. I know now that nothing back then could truly define who I am as a person now. I am African American, but I do not thrive off of knowing that alone. Why do some only rely on knowing their nationality? Would they do so if they were blind? I never anticipated being treated a particular way because I am black, but that is what society sees and for some reason it holds a lot of ground. I consider myself a nineteen-year-old talented, intelligent man who has the chance to make his identity even more distinct and complex by what I choose to accomplish during my lifetime. I was born and raised in Harlem which has had effects on my identity. Harlem, New York, is where my home, friends and family are. They are as much a part of my identity as anything else. Every individual’s identity is based on the similar aspects if not the same. There is nothing I can do about my race, but I will not let that define who I am.

I think what defines me the most is how I was raised and what I have learned throughout my lifetime. With what I have learned in my life I can control many future situations in which I am placed no matter how unfair. Whether it is politics, education or even law you still can give yourself a chance despite inferiority due to race. Your faith and personality will have to get you through adversity. I have also learned that no one has the exact same personality, and what can you identify with more than your own personality? I guess what I am saying is that I cannot be anyone but myself and if I don’t fit into your “box” then that is not my problem. I will do whatever it takes to prevent my race from deciding my life. That is my approach to life and my own identity.

America's View

To myself I am Christopher Perry, but to others in this country I may be nothing more then a African American male destined to fail. It’s a shame some people think and feel this way but it is a part of life. No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life, and my ethnicity will be the reasoning behind some of the unjust things I will go through in my lifetime. My high school economics teacher stopped the class one day and said “These boys in this class will go through some things you girls will never experience.” I think she decided to express that notion because we had recently finished reading a article about the lack of African American men in the workforce. Unfortunately it is believed that the odds are against us, even in our own community. I thought it would be easy for me to get a job being a college student, but I had absolutely no luck. Sometimes it honestly feels as if the odds are against me as soon as I step foot outside my own home. I find it highly unlikely that individuals from every race, of the male gender, feel the same way when they leave their homes. What separates us all is our fears.

One day as I left my house on my way to the barbershop, a routine that I have done a hundred times before, I was stopped, yelled at and thrown up against a gate in my own courtyard. The police officers decided to do so because they thought I was a drug dealer. I felt totally violated and disrespected. I did nothing to imply that I was involved in any drug activity and I was only fifteen years old. Unfortunately this was not the first nor the last time I was thrown up against a wall and treated like a criminal. I understand the need to keep the streets safe, but I do not appreciate being treated like that in front of my own home. Everyone hopes things will change, but a line will never be drawn. Who's to argue with the ones in power? Who do you think will win the argument? It has nothing to do with race, it's just a constant attack at the throne and whoever is king at the time will defend their reign. The more supporters, the longer they will stay in power. It takes a collective conscious effort to change things. How far can we get if we are constantly attacking each other in this one country?

In my own neighborhood I have come to realize how different people can act towards each other based on anything, whether it be fact or fiction. I remember after the attacks to the World Trade Towers on September 11th the community’s attitude towards Arab and Palestinian people became ridiculously cruel. In my area I would say 95% of the corner grocery stores are owned by either Spanish, Arab or Palestinian families who have decided to open their own chain of grocery stores. These stores and their owners are as much apart of the neighborhood as any other establishment. Their ethnicity never mattered before and everyone seemed to get along fine, but after the attacks people began to change and began to look at them as if they were terrorists. They were at the losing end of the power struggle at this point. Every now and then some one would call a store owner “Osama Bin Laden” and harass him. It was really uncalled for and they did nothing to deserve such treatment. It was partly the media’s fault and the ignorance of some individuals.

People can change in a heartbeat. It seems like one minute they love you and the next minute you’re their worse enemy. Most actions are based on what you believe to be a true. Stereotyping has become so integrated into our thinking that it seems to be the basis of most jokes on prime time television, movies and even cartoons. Every day people get away with saying a lot more. The need for a racial identity is becoming more and more irrelevant in America, but deep down inside individuals will still judge based on race, sexual orientation and religion. After witnessing what I have witnessed you ask why the world is the way it is, and you realize what has happened before has a lot to do with what is happening now. I would admit that I now look at all police differently based on what has happened to me on several occasions. I know that is not fair but it is not a way I want to think; it is a combination of developed feelings I have collected over a matter of years. I do not expect anything good to happen when they are around. I also know that propaganda can turn the world against you no matter how substantial their word may be. This is not my fault, this is America’s wrong-doing that may never be fixed.

Identifying Tactics

To decide how we should claim our own identities in America is no easy task. Regardless of what people say, every person desires to belong to some group, some cluster that they can claim. A support system is something that everyone needs. Does one’s support system have to be people of his or her own race? I personally think that overall skin color is not a factor at all when deciding one’s identity. From what I have observed one’s roots, heritage or origin seems to be very important to most. The idea of acknowledging ancestors does not seem detrimental to me. Relating with a past relative and where they came from is a positive thing to know, but when asked about one’s identity that should not be brought up unless specifically referred. This can be considered as personal history not your identity. One can only decide how the world sees him or herself. Their identity should not be based on race, color or creed.

Who you are as an individual and what you do in life to live that life righteously is what decides who you are as a person. Your identity should be nothing more then your name, age and what you have accomplished as a person. Whether or not you want to include your personal history should be an option. Why do corporations, educational institutions and financial institutions have to know where you are from and how you look? Racial profiling is a huge problem in our country. Institutions and groups of people make up their minds about some before even giving them a chance. This is where it all begins to get complicated. This is where hate, constant disagreement and wars stem from. Constant debates over misconstrued history have resulted in the total lack of respect of people all over the world, not just in this country. Racial baggage leads to the development of issues that can never really be solved.

America is a “melting pot.” There can never be a single American identity or even narrowed down to a few. America is supposed to embody freedom but it seems like no one wants to be independent. They want to be tied down to an identity solely based on how they look. If America lived up to America there would be no problems because all mankind would be treated equally. If this were the case there would be no problems with people identifying themselves. If we were all treated the same, ethnic information would be irrelevant. Our society relies on demographical information to make major decisions, and even though this may be used for good it also holds us back. Our nation is one of great unbalance. There are a number of countries whose development has been staggered and therefore countries look at each other as if they are all on a different levels. From this a type of hierarchy formed. The problem doesn’t necessarily have to end at race; wealth also plays a role. It often seems like a competition, and there always has to be a loser. We do not look at each other and see similarities; we only see differences. This goes hand and hand with respect. The land and race a person claims today is the one they respect the most. One’s ethnicity should not decide whether you treat them with respect or not. What determines an American identity is how he or she uses their American liberty to live their lives.

A Search for Identity

Who am I? What a common question for anyone to ask, be her nine or ninety. I cannot help but feel that this is one of life’s questions to which one spends her entire lifetime searching for an answer. So many things make up a person; how could it ever be an easy task to decipher how an entire identity is composed by isolated events and feelings and social constructions among thousands of other things? If it is this difficult to discern an individual identity, imagine how difficult it is to identify a national identity.

My perception of myself and what I conceive as my identity has evolved through the years as I have had new experiences and met new people. When I was sixteen, I found being a musician an important part of my identity; however this does not mean this will be the case in thirty-five years. Not every person involved in music will find music an important factor in her identity. If I were to generalize and say that all people attending SUNY Fredonia for music found their interest in music an important component of their identity, I am certain that that statement would not adequately describe all members of the music school.

One’s identity, or one’s true identity, can be constructed by one person only: that individual. No person will ever be able to ascertain the true identity of any individual other than herself. Even then, defining one’s own identity is a challenge through which people struggle their entire life.

Besides seeking an individual identity, it is always an interesting attempt to develop a national identity. In the United States, the “melting pot” of the world, is it possible to formulate what could be considered a “national identity” that adequately describes all people residing in the country? According to an interview found in the archives of the website for National Public Radio, “Only about one-third of Americans say the country has a basic culture and values that immigrants take on.” The rest of the group surveyed believes that the country’s culture and values change as new people move to the United States. It would seem then, in the mind of the second group, that the American Identity is not a solid, stable condition, but a fluid, ever-changing idea, shifting and adapting to include the new people of the nation.

People seem to enjoy categorizing. Things, people, places, it does not matter to them. Look at college applications, for example. I am in the process of applying to grad school for two different programs. One application for this to-remain-un-named school asks “How are you most comfortable describing yourself?” Answer choices are “African American, American Indian, Asia Pacific, Hispanic, International, and White.” For the other program, the applicant is asked for their “Ethnic Status” with answers of “Black, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and White” available. On the former application, this question is not considered mandatory; however it is a required question on the latter application. The sister of a friend of mine, who I suppose is for all technical purposes “white,” has friends who are mainly “African American.” She now talks, dresses, and acts “black,” identical to the behavior of her friends. What does this make her? I think that this girl could feasibly answer the first question as “African American,” despite the fact that this question is obviously aimed at determining the skin color of the applicant.

While the people who designed questions such as those described above are looking for a clear-cut answer, the issue of race does not lend itself to a definite, neat, one-word solution. This is especially becoming true as more and more interracial relationships occur. When a biracial applicant is only able to select one answer, how does she choose between her African American roots and her White roots? Should she be forced to make such a decision?

People also try to apply this idea of a clear-cut answer to formulating one identity for all of the diverse people in the United States. What constitutes an American Identity? Are there factors that everyone can see as a commonality in an American Identity? I think that many people would like to think so; however, I disagree. America is made up of individuals and each individual has her own identity which she has declared for herself. There is no clear-cut American Identity.

For the last two and a half years, I have been a relatively sheltered college student. I come from your slightly above-average income middle class family, living in New York state suburbia. One of three children, parents still married; things that I always considered to be normal, perhaps even part of what I may have considered at the time (if I had thought of things such as this then) as part of an American Identity. My parents sheltered me from the world as best they could and very much succeeded in their goal. I graduated from high school still relatively sheltered. When I entered college two and a half years ago, life was very different from living at home. I was still what many, including myself, would say is conservative. Somehow, I managed to stay pretty much the same way throughout most of my time in Fredonia. However, this changed slightly this spring semester.

For my final semester spent in this small, public, liberal arts college, I enrolled in a course entitled American Identities. I had been told that I needed one more course to finish my minor in American Studies, so I pulled out the trusty Course Offerings Guide and found the two courses available that would actually fit into my crazy music education major schedule: American Politics and American Identities. After looking at descriptions of the two courses, I opted to enroll in American Identities.

As previously stated, going into American Identities, I would not hesitate to assert that I was very sheltered. I did not spend time thinking about things like race or sexual identities; I seemed to be struggling with my own busy life enough as it was. For the first few weeks of this class, I was struggling to keep my head above water. I had never really had so much reading for one class before. And open theoretical discussion where people voiced their opinions and sounded so knowledgeable? What happened to my lecture music education classes where I sat listening to a professor drone on about the development of a child through music and critical ages? Needless to say, for much of the semester I had trouble keeping my jaw from dropping to my knees with some of the conversations held in this class. Issues such as race, sexual identity, skin color, stereotypes and immigration made regular appearances in our classroom. Besides these issues, the question of the existence of a common American Identity was an underlying theme which often finds its way into classroom discussion.

I entered the class with the idea that there really is no common American Identity and that belief still remains. Out of curiosity’s sake, I have asked friends and family if they believe that a common American Identity exists. The majority of the time, these people say yes, indeed there is a common identity, citing things such as the trait of Americans to constantly do things to excess and to take the idea of “bigger is better” to the extreme. While I must agree with them that these ideas do exist in this country, I would not be able to say that these things form the core of an American Identity. In the past, I would not have been able to support my views of a lack of common American Identity with more than sputtering out an answer of “Well, because.” Through taking this American Identities course, however, I have gained new understanding and respect for why that is the case.

Among a variety of other topics, American Identities has addressed the issue of race. Perhaps because I am white, I never took offense to the question of race. When asked to fill it in on undergraduate applications or applications for scholarships, I would basically shrug wondering why it is such a big deal, check the box for “white” and move on. This changed, however, after we read a text in class written by Matthew Frye Jacobson entitled Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race. This book brought new ideas to my attention that I had never truly considered previously.

Prior to this book, I had believed what is white, is white, IS white. The possibility of shades of whiteness did not even enter my mind. I have a friend whose his father is from India; his mother is from the United States. It never occurred to me that Jayan might not be considered white. Sure, his skin had more pigmentation than mine, but who would say that he was not white? According to Jacobson, this idea would not be so uncommon. After a class discussion, I could not help but wonder how Jayan might feel about these checkboxes for race. If, as some explanations purport, the questions of ethnicity are spurred by attempts to provide people other than whites with opportunity, why should someone who has a parent or parents as immigrants not be afforded more opportunity as well, even if they are white?

Immigration itself was another hot-button topic in this class. I found it to be particularly engaging due to the amount of news coverage currently appearing on the subject. Prior to this class, I had paid little attention to immigration. Obviously I knew that people immigrated legally, but I never really realized just how many people are in the country illegally. This was another one of those eye-opening experiences. I could not help but notice the irony of all of these people trying to get into America, and yet it often seems like so many American citizens hate it here and want to move to out.

Looking at the topic of immigration, I saw how badly some of these people want to be in the country. I read a book entitled We Are All Suspects Now by Tram Nguyen. The stories of what happened to some of these illegal immigrants post-9/11 were unbelievable. Since reading this book, I find myself drawn to news on the subject. In the quest for their own identity, these people are seeking out components of what they perceive to be the American Identity to incorporate into their lives.

With so much diversity in this country, I believe that it is impossible to identify one American Identity. To each individual, different aspects of this country and its citizens matter more than others. For one person, America may be the “land of the free;” to another, America may be a waste of space; to others, America may be the “land of opportunity.” Thousands of factors can impact the perception of the nearly 300 million people living in the United States. Because the individuals of this country have so many different personal identities, it is impossible to identify just one American Identity upon which everyone can agree. Who can say which of these million individual definitions of American Identity is the correct one?

It took some time before I finally felt comfortable discussing subjects such as the search for an American Identity openly in class. I still wonder how I managed to live in a bubble for so long. I would by no means consider myself a “liberal” (here we return to labels and personal identity once again); however, I have definitely changed how I view some things. Issues that have been raised in my American Identities class that in the past I would have turned away from, I now do not hesitate to discuss. On those graduate school applications, I did check the box for “white.” This time, however it was not without thinking of everything that goes along with that question.

As cliché as it will sound, through taking American Identities, I was given the opportunity to take a moment to critically examine my identity and really question parts of it. Prior to September 11th, I had minimal national pride or any sense of belonging in this nation. While September 11th initiated some pride in being an American, it has since fallen by the wayside. Looking at issues of race and immigration and how many people want to be in this country has since revived my pride in being an American. No, I still do not believe in a common American Identity, but I do know that being an American will forever be a part of my own identity.

The Identification Project

Here's the assignment sheet.