The Fluidity of Identity

Here's Rice Nelson's Identification Project!

The Fluidity of Identity

If someone asked you to explain your identity to them, how would you begin?  You would probably, naturally, start by giving your name.  What would you tell them next?  The type of ethnic blood that runs through your veins?  Do you tell them that you have nothing but Italian blood in your veins and you are proud of it?  But blood does not matter much, at least it shouldn’t, because your blood is the same as the person asking you about your identity.  Maybe you would then say, well, I have skin that is this or that color.  They would probably blink at you, because unless they are blind, they already know what color your skin is.  That does not matter either, though.  Defining your identity by the color of your skin is like pointing out the living room wall to the north is green, while the one to the south is blue; they are both walls, so it doesn’t do much to differentiate.  At the same time, though, these are some aspects that are used to categorize people so that they are easily identified.  An unfortunate side effect of naturally categorizing--it’s human nature to do this--as well as socially categorizing people is that in the process stereotypes tend to formulate.  The problem with generalized stereotypes is that on an individual-by-individual basis there are a lot of fallacies; everyone is different in some way.

This is a reason why I find identity to be a funny subject.  Now, I don’t mean funny as in “let’s make a joke about this or that group of people” because they are different from what we know and consider to be normal; this attitude only creates negativity that, if left to flourish, can create some pretty nasty situations of discrimination.  No, the reason I find it funny is because of my own personal identity.  When looking back on my life I have realized that over the years my identity has not been one that is constant, and I think if you stop and look at your own past you would realize that yours hasn’t been either.  Nonetheless, when identity is discussed it seems to me that it often is spoken about as some concrete idea, some thing that is a permanent marker of who or what a person is.  That’s not the case, though.  So there is something amusing, for me at least, in the realization that, when looking back over my life, whenever I found myself identifying my person as this or that, at various points in my history on this planet, I never had conceived of being anything different than what I was at that moment in time.

What I’m trying to get at is that identity is not so easily defined, but that doesn’t stop us from creating categories as a means of identifying people so that we can quickly come to a conclusion about who they are and how we should interact with them.  But despite the fluidity that I find being involved with the concept of identity, there have always been two categories that I place myself in: a reader and a gamer.  Some of you may find this as a strange way to begin identifying who I am as a person; others of you will completely understand why I use these two qualities to start with.  The ones that find this strange might be the people who would typically start off with what race or nationality or ethnicity they are or religion they follow; this isn’t uncommon.  For a long time now, probably since the first semblance of civilization, those qualities were the ones that people most readily acknowledged--on a primal nature, recognizing these descriptors could be used to determine safety or hostility.  Those that understand why I started with those interests are probably the same kind of people that would identify themselves first as sports players, or cooking enthusiasts, or engineers, etc.  That, I think, is a shift from previous ways of determining identity, because for me identity is more useful when utilized as means of figuring out interests.  I find it much more amiable to figure out interests and passions rather than figuring out whether or not the next person over believes in the same deity as I do or if our ancestors are from the same mother country.  To that end, let me tell you a little about myself and how I have identified who I was over the years.

            As I said, I have always had at least the two identifiers of being a reader and a gamer.  They have been hobbies of mine that have been consistent within my life since I was old enough to read and able enough to handle a controller of some sort.  When it came time to start making friends it would typically be the people who either were gamers and/or readers.  Even these two things could be broken down into subcategories; for example, I would have more to talk about with those readers that enjoyed fantasy fiction like I did.  The reason I like to identify myself with my interests first, if it wasn’t already obvious, is because it makes meeting people and creating friendships easier, and probably in the long run stronger.  Back in the late '80s and early '90s, though, these means of identifying myself for others didn’t seem like the most popular way of doing so; at the time, being anything resembling a geeky kid felt like instant social estrangement.  This is just one reason that I do my best not to look at differences and mentally, or verbally, degrade my view of a person.  Relief came as the years went on, though, and I met more and more individuals who were like-minded.  And as great as these two big interests are, they did keep me in a somewhat sheltered state until after graduating high school, although a large part of that was probably due to my shyness.

            After graduation I figured my identity as a gamer and bookworm caused me to miss out on a lot of those “high school” experiences--which, at the time, I considered to be mostly partying.  So, one of the first things I started doing, in lieu of going off to college, was to start seeking out people that had similar interests in getting intoxicated in various ways and drowning myself in altered states of consciousness.  Wherever I was working I would do my best to ferret out those people that had that same urge to “get fucked up” that I did.  Those first few years after graduation consisted, then, of working and partying: I worked to pay for intoxication.  During this time I came to find myself forming a new identity to be categorized under: a pothead.

            There is a whole subculture to the lifestyle of a pothead, but that shouldn’t be a surprise, it’s been around for quite some time.  Here, now, was another way to define identity, that is, what kind of lifestyle do you have?  Whereas before it was simply partying, now there was something more specific.  Again, wherever I was working, or whatever party I might have been at, the first thing I would figure out was who the other reefer smokers were.  That more or less detailed the next five or six years of my life, and at the time that is as far as I could see at the time, just being a smoker.  Who I was and identified myself as became intrinsically tied up with my lifestyle.  All the people I met, hung out with, and avoided, depended on whether or not they also smoked marijuana; sure, my identifiers of being a reader and gamer were still there, but they took a backseat to my then current habits.  This way of living lasted a good, or bad--depending on how you look at it--six years or so; then the next shift in identity started sneaking into my life.

            I didn’t realize it during the time, but those substance indulgences were serving a purpose, one that was no longer effective.  This purpose is, I think, more common than one might think: the use of a drug (be it alcohol, marijuana, or any of the numerous others) to cover up from ourselves a problem we have.  For me, this problem was depression.  At first, the trick worked great; I completely forgot about any kind of worries or issues I had.  But in fact, the post-high school lifestyle and identity I had chosen, at some point, were only worsening the depression and anxiety.  When I realized that, I took a good look at my life.  I looked at the way I was living, the friends I kept, and thought about what I was doing for myself in the long run.  I determined that the identity I had fallen into, or walked into, was not the one I wanted, and so I made a choice to escape the category I had placed myself in.  This is one of those things that is easier said than done.

            So, shortly before I came to Fredonia I made a choice to better myself in every way I could.  I started by separating myself from the people that still wanted that kind of lifestyle; this way it would be easier to change what I felt needed changing.  Once that was done I began seeking ways to provide self-healing so that I could escape the depression and anxiety that I had accompanying me for so long.  As a result I found myself becoming a fairly spiritual person--I say fairly because I know there are others that devote a lot more time to their spiritual practices than I do, but I will acknowledge that time commitments to school play a part in that.  I began my search for a different self-identity (although I didn’t think of it that way at the time), and through my meditations, the learning of various kinds of spiritual thought, and the modes of healing I participate in and with, I formed a different way of living.  These things have become a crucial aspect of who I am today.  I try to surround myself with people of a similar mind-set, but I am also open and aware to the differences of the people around me.

Think about a major aspect of your life.  Think about all the people associated with that aspect, think about all those things you have become comfortable with, and think about what they mean to you.  Now think about removing them all.  I’m not telling you that you should actually do this, but I want you to think about how difficult it would be to pull out of your life all those facets of your character.  It’s not easy.  These are characteristics that you have either grown up with or grown into.  Now I want you to think about those people that you find to have differences of their own that seemingly separate them from you.  While identity can help categorize people, as our human minds naturally want to do, there shouldn’t be a whole load of judgmental weight put behind those categorizations.

Identity is fluid, and to put only one generalized identifier on someone leaves out all the other things they may be.  When we confine people, it doesn’t do us any good.  As I have mentioned previously, I had lived a relatively sheltered life as a young child.  My experiences with those outside of my own family and friends, social class, and ways of living were rather limited, even up through high school.  I know I’m not the only one that has experienced this kind of personal history. Through this upbringing an idea of what people were like was formed, and there wasn’t much that changed my view until many years of my life had gone by.  Even going over the events of my life, it is hard to pinpoint some experience that was truly significant in its effect on my notion of identities, more specifically, the American Identity.  Not until I was twenty-six did I have an experience that was capable of showing me the differences in who we are, generally speaking, opposed to someone not from this country.  This happened when I was taking a Writing Tutors class and we had the opportunity to help tutor a group of Japanese students over the course of several weeks.

Not knowing a whole lot about Japanese culture, because undoubtedly culture is inherently tied into identity, just like lifestyle is, I was surprised by how proper, if that is the right word, the four initial students we met were.  Their posture was very straight--I am fairly certain, if memory serves me correctly, that there was not one sloucher among them.  Their manners were very polite, almost timid and apologetic.  Just these two things felt strikingly different than the idea of the usual American’s presentation of one’s self would be; unfortunately an image of an American slouching and entitlement comes to mind, rather than someone who is of a reserved nature. 

Reserved is a very good word to describe these girls from Japan, especially when comparing them to the usual American.  I never realized the sense of freedom of character that we have here until we--the group of us in the Writing Tutors class--began hanging out with the Japanese students.  One way this stuck out to me was when we all gathered at someone’s house for a pizza and movie night.  The group of us introduced them to the movie Superbad, since we all were in consensus about how funny the movie is.  This turned out to be an interesting ordeal since we had to explain to them a lot of the slang and idioms in the movie that we, as Americans, take for granted.  It gave me the feeling that, generally, Americans are somewhat “loose” in conduct; but, then, this is only a comparison to four young students from one country.  Nonetheless, the values they were taught were completely ignored in the movie we were showing them.

The experience as a whole was very interesting because I had an opportunity to compare my own ways of living and thinking to that of a group of individuals from another country.  On a surface level it was a comparison of two national identifiers: American and Japanese.  Once the initial introduction was done, and I had time to really converse with the visiting students, I found that they weren’t entirely too different from anyone here.  They still identified themselves in relation to their interests and what they wanted to do with their lives.  As it turns out, the identity of being American or Japanese was almost superficial, barring some cultural differences.  We were able to compare the kinds of music we liked, what kind of reading we enjoyed, movies we were most interested in, and even whether or not we had similar tastes in video games.

When we look at ourselves as a nation and try to compare us to another country in a negative way we lose opportunities to have a more universal understanding of being human.  We still have a tendency to think about ourselves as American and to use it as a base comparison.  But what it means to be an American has changed numerous times throughout history, no doubt.  We have had so many sources tell us what exactly it means and how to properly be an American that it almost seems impossible to figure out a way to define and understand that notion.  Honestly, there has been few times where I have actually thought about the idea of an American identity, so this will be an exploration for me of the understanding of what that should be.

From early on we are given the idea that we are this great nation under God--which seems to be the Christian sense of God, rather than what should appropriately be a universal understanding of what a higher power may be, if this notion is to be included at all, considering we are, or at least from my understanding should be, a nation that values freedom of choice in religion and thought rather than a direct link to one particular belief.  This acceptance that we are a part of a nation that is supported by God might be part of the reason why Americans believe that it is our duty to bring awareness to others in the world on how to properly conduct themselves, which usually involves bringing our ideas of capitalism and democracy to other areas of the globe. 

So it would seem that part of our identity would include a sort of light-bearer role to the rest of the world, a model for others to follow.  While this is a great idea in that, just as people, nations should have someone as a role model, the problem is that no one is perfect.  I believe that it might do well to no longer see ourselves as a shining example of all that a nation should be, because, let’s face it, as we’re currently seeing, the condition of things here is not exactly rosy.  Instead I think it would be prudent to identify ourselves not as perfection, but rather a nation that is a work in progress always seeking to better ourselves.  This may be tied up in my own personal values as an individual, but it is a notion that feels right.

That is a macro look at the identity of America and may be sidetracking the issue of what my beliefs/principles on how we ought to define and understand American identities.  As nationals of America we can define ourselves in a variety of ways.  After getting past the nation we are a part of, we can look at more individual aspects of ourselves.  A problem with looking at individual parts of our identity to create a larger group to identify with, though, is that these can create barriers between ourselves and other Americans that may not necessarily share those same traits.  Unfortunately it seems that we have always been led to create these barriers: are you black or are you white?  Are you a Republican or Democrat? What’s your gender preference? Yankees fan or Red Sox?  We have built this inherent tendency to side ourselves in unnecessary oppositions. 

Getting beyond the “sides” of how we identify ourselves would be difficult, but maybe it is possible.  Maybe we would be able, one day, to just say that our American identity is that we are human.  Then, maybe, we could just use those identity cues as categories, rather than a standpoint.  As I said earlier, though, identity is fluid to me.  For me personally, I am a gamer, a reader, a tai chi practitioner, a spiritual-minded person, and so much more at once.  I guess the reason that I find identity kind of funny, then, is because while it gets made out to be this concrete thing, I don’t think it can be.

American Identities and American Education: Keeping the Melting Pot Simmering

Here's an Identification Project from Catherine Kilian!

American Identities and American Education:  Keeping the Melting Pot Simmering

A. Perception of My Identity:  “My Childhood Has Defined My Life”

            Intrinsic self-exploration for the sake of discovering personal identity has existed through all of time. Individuals and citizens from all types of societies with varying natures have long contemplated the question “who am I?” Throughout my life, I am convinced that I have a basic understanding of what defines me. I believe that within the timeframe of my lifetime, I have become familiar with some of the characteristics that distinguish me as who I am. These perceptions of my identity were most likely shaped by the same factors I am going to use in an attempt to explore who I am.

            I am part of a family. I am a daughter, an older sister, a cousin, a niece, a granddaughter, and a friend. I am part of a closely-knit family system. My entire family was born and raised in western New York. I have four younger siblings; two brothers and two sisters. My siblings and I have always been extremely close to one another, our parents and the rest of our extended family.

            My parents gave me a variety of experiences that provided me with ample opportunities to explore myself as a person and develop my own identity. There are various pieces of my life that I strongly value, that hold importance and guide my actions and decisions. First and foremost, my family, friends and boyfriend serve as the fence around the perimeters of my life. Like fence posts, they are grounded, stable and reliable. I depend on my family because they have never been undependable. These people are the most valuable part of my life and they have made the largest impact in it. They influenced the development of my values, morals, beliefs and principles.

            Since last summer when I adopted my dog, I have become more aware of what it requires to provide for and have complete responsibility of someone else (I say someone because I pretty much consider Tiko a person trapped in a chihuahua's body). He looks to me while trying to express his wants and needs because he knows I'll understand him best. He understands that I am the one who will get him water from the sink. He understands that his dog food is in the bottom drawer of my dresser and I need to get it out for him. He understands that when he barks near a door that I know he has to go outside. He understands that when I'm not home, he doesn't have the support necessary to fulfill some of his needs.

            I am a very important part of Tiko's life. Tiko's dependency provides some explanation of the excitement he experiences when I walk through my front door. Playing that crucial of a role in my little dog's life (the kind where when they see you they're so overwhelmed with good feelings they can't breathe), brought me to the realization that I strongly value compassion, understanding, dependability and providing for others. This instance was additional support of my choice to further my education and become an elementary school teacher.

            In today's world it is often easy to forget about your heritage and what it means to be who we are. We celebrate American unity claiming that our country's boundaries combine individuals from all walks of life into our “melting pot” society. Are we straying from our roots and leaning towards the belief that we're all simply just, American?

            I hope I never lose the interest I have towards my heritage and my family's history. I am German, Irish and Lebanese. My last name represents my family’s ties with Germany. As opposed to the likes of the Irish and their beer, “Killian's Red,” Kilian, with one L, is the German spelling of our name. My mother has curly red hair and I'm sure I've inherited my own curly hair and freckles from our Irish ancestors. My grandmother was one hundred percent Lebanese. She was a very important part of my life.

            Through her passing during recent years, I came to the harsh realization that she would no longer be here to help carry on some of the traditions and customs that she had shared and passed down to us. She left a bit of our heritage in our family and my father, which he passed on to me. I see her in myself through my dark eyes, my olive-colored skin and my inexplicable interest towards the customs and cultures of the Middle East.

            I intend to celebrate all of my ethnic roots through the constant exploration of my family, their predecessors and our history. Another ambition of mine, to celebrate my grandmother and our Lebanese heritage, is to further my ethnic cooking abilities. I am going to pass down the tradition of my favorite Lebanese foods. I will become more familiar with traditional Lebanese foods like seasoned rice pilaf, which is given texture and flavor from pine nuts, and stuffed grape leaves, which are filled with a rice-ground beef mixture. I also have high hopes and ambitions to travel to these three countries, to explore the places and people that have defined my heritage and sculpted my identity, as a person and an American.

            It is important to note that being an American citizen has played a role in my identity. The acquisition of American citizenship is sought after by many individuals. The government gently steers my actions towards our country's main interests and priorities. Regardless, I am appreciative of the many rights and freedoms my citizenship entitles me to. Many other nations and individuals are forced to abide by restrictions and government-mandated limitations, situations that strongly effected by the forces of various governing bodies. I believe that their ability to endure these often unfavorable circumstances, makes these people ideal candidates for American citizenship.

B. Experience with American Identities:  “The Influence of Diversity on My Past, Present and Future”

            Throughout my childhood, my parents have always modeled for me and given examples of ways to be--for lack of better words--a “good” person, based on the morals, values and beliefs they had already formed. They stressed acceptance and selflessness, treating others how I'd like to be treated. I've learned not to form my views of individuals off of other people's opinions, to give people an opportunity to reveal themselves before forming any criticisms. My parents were able to impress into my malleable, developing brain the concepts and perspective I hold today. I think genuine care and kindness are important aspects of my identity and my understanding of other's identities.

            When I was younger, I was given the tools and devices necessary to develop creativity and imagination. My parents had created an environment that was crucial to this development. Not having this background would have changed the way I perceive the world around me. I had baby dolls and stuffed animals, a kitchen set, a work bench and a construction hat, barbies, matchbox cars, blocks. All of these provided hours of entertainment, but more importantly, gave me various options to explore all kinds of play, instead of restricting my toys to “girly” ones. I played on the work bench. I'd wear the construction hat and talk about how I'll help my father at work in the future. I'd dress my stuffed animals up in doll clothes and push them around in strollers. I'd play “house” with my siblings, playing different roles. I truly believe that the vivid imagination I've held onto until today comes from the methods used by my parents to supplement my development at such an impressionable age.

            There should be a nationwide agreement made between our country's citizens in concern of our future, our children's future, and our grandchildren's future. The importance and overwhelming influence that parenting has on a child's developmental growth and their definitions of personal identity needs to be discussed with all individuals in all situations that are raising children. Stressing the importance of parenting, either through more thoroughly detailed explanations or more expansively, and making this knowledge and awareness available to parents and guardians from all backgrounds and circumstances, will likely cause an increase in conscious and informed child-rearing actions and decisions. Having the knowledge that you as an individual are a crucial element, a necessary requirement, in the development of a young child's identity is not only honorable but a humbling realization as well.

            I might have made the decision to enter the field of education during my childhood. My siblings and cousins would play more realistically as we grew older. We moved onto games like “court,” where we'd develop ridiculous scenarios for a case. My cousin received an overhead projector one year for Christmas. Paired with the desk I had, we made an excellent classroom set-up to play school in. We would take turns, reversing roles from teacher to learner. Creating tests and worksheets, correcting in red pen, raising our hands or shouting out obnoxious answers, we modeled strategies used by our real teachers and experimented acting out the behaviors we observed in our peers.

            My enrollment in the school district I lived in exposed me to an increasing amount of diversity. Once I had reached middle and high school, I was accustomed to the nature of diversity. I already had a good understanding of treating everyone equally, respecting all individuals; if this wasn't common sense at this point, my parents had already taught me. I also understood that while we treat everyone equally, it is not the case that we all live equivalent lives. The schools I attended encompassed a variety of students from many different ethnicities, cultures, economic backgrounds and family histories.

            My freshman year of college I had already defined my major as early childhood education, with a concentration in art. Ideally I would like to have an art classroom at the elementary level. However, I believe that to get the most value out of my education at Fredonia, I should strive to become a classroom teacher at the elementary level and incorporate all of the skills, strategies and methods I have learned thus far into a resourceful, stimulating classroom environment. The fact that I chose elementary education as a career path, driven by my morals and values to have a positive impact and influence in young children's lives, reflects my identity.

            The totality of my field placements here have presented me with the opportunities necessary to observe, experience and better understand what it's like to teach a group of largely diverse learners in a multitude of teaching styles. I have worked with students from Pre-K to 2^nd grade. These students have come from all walks of life, and are all a part of something bigger. Despite all of their cultural and ethnic differences, I saw beneficial relationships form between these children. Collectively, these groups of diverse American students belong together as part of American society and a classroom community.

             My participation in this American studies course has made me aware of the fact that one increasingly more existent aspect of our national identity is “American competitiveness.” Over time, American citizens began to shift from not only challenging their “mother country” and comparing one another's differences, to competing globally with, for and against members of other worldly countries. With the state of today's society and global economy, it only makes sense for parents, guardians and educators to raise and prepare our nation's youth for the competitive challenges tomorrow and in the future. By learning from experienced and devoted, educated adults, in a supportive, comfortable and culturally sensitive environment, young children will begin to recognize the existence of similarities and differences, equality and inequality, fair and unfair. Once students understand the inevitable nature of diversity and global expansion, they will be more readily able to appreciate strengths and understand weaknesses. Being enlightened by the environments that surround them, and becoming increasingly more accepting of others, gives young children the opportunity to become more exposed to and familiarized with, the diverse people, ideas and concepts of our world today. Multicultural education that provides a foundation for global awareness has been made possible in many areas of the world (some even in exist within our country's borders). These experiences have been made possible for students in today's society by the systematic provision of: a. equal educational opportunities that cause learners to become accustomed to varying cultures through diverse classroom composition, b. opportunities to learn and practice second (even third or fourth) languages in a world of multiple linguistics, and c. adequate opportunities to explore, discover, and make meaningful connections, in order to begin forming a level of individual understanding. In the future, those students that were able to experience valuable educational experiences, are most likely the individuals that will succeed. Our world is now populated by a global society that has (and will continue to) experience exposure to an ever-changing, constantly altered state of existence. The preservation of our world will be made most possible by the extent of which our future generations participate in global affairs and develop environmental and humanistic consciousness and are aware of the impact that is (or isn't) occurring.

            Knowing this, it was difficult for me to witness segregation by teachers of students in some districts. The segregation was not meant to divide students by race or socio-economic status. Rather it was meant to separate students of varying academic abilities. Ironically, this basically entailed that these American students who were speakers of different languages and less socio-economically advantaged were struggling learners. The backgrounds and circumstances children live in will affect the way students learn. With English being a second language and parents working too late to be available, these students have not experienced the enrichment necessary to succeed at the same level as their classmates. In my opinion, this type of labeling seems detrimental to the construction of confidence and self-esteem and therefore the students’ success. If students at this age continue being identified in this manner, it will undoubtedly influence the way they form their identity.

            In addition to being criticized or treated unfairly by someone in person, even the history textbooks used in some classrooms are used to delude the youngest generations of American citizens from truth of our prior experiences as a nation. These textbook 'stories' are often fabrications of historically true events and real accounts, that have been intentionally designed and very specifically chosen to effectively create the standard “American Identity” one may see today, designed in respect of our forefathers' ideals (regardless of the circumstances that influenced them over a hundred years ago). Not only do I worry from my standpoint as a future educator, I also play the role of an adult, concerned with humanistic values, like honesty and the well-being of children. I have now become aware of the fact that many classroom social studies textbooks contain misleading text that makes them unreliable sources. For this reason, I have become unsettled by the notion that records of American history could be equally unreliable and untrustworthy.

            My teaching methods are going to reflect the manner in which I was raised and the information that I have gained through my past experiences and observations in the classroom. Using American identity as a common ground, a group all students are a part of, I intend to teach acceptance and celebration of culture. I want to use this as a basis to form lessons addressing all levels of learners. In theory, I hope that this practice helps eliminate, or at least lessen, the existence of discrimination and stereotyping that is so prevalent in society today.

C. What Can We Define American Identity As? “Our American Identity as the Melting Pot Is Soupy”

            American identities can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In being citizens of this country, one would assume these individuals might classify themselves as American. However, I made the surprising realization that, despite having been born and raised a citizen of this country, when asked how I would define my identity; “American” would never be my first response in describing myself. I oppose the view that as United States citizens we should mask or blend our heritage into the generality of being an American. When asked to define myself, I would have first listed the people that have defined my family's heritage, giving my culture and family history more credit to the creation of my “American identity.” This view should easily be accepted, even by those individuals who truly classify themselves first and foremost as American.

            Publicizing our country for generations as “the Melting Pot,” the juxtaposition of cultures, race, ethnicities, it should come as no surprise that we, as a society hold so many different perspectives and outlooks. I believe that the existence of “the American Dream” seems like an illusion to so many of our citizens as they make their way into our American society. Our country's definition of “well-being” and “success” do not meet the expectations of those individuals who have left their homes and families to come to American in hope of searching for, finding, and experiencing a “better life.” Different cultures have different standards and definitions for these ideas. While reaching “the American Dream” might be an attainable goal for an individual who has lived in the country their whole life, it is often impossible for immigrants or migrants to succeed this far into American society.

            With the increasing amount of diversity that exists within the United States, is it really possible to create a definition that reveals the identities of all Americans? The amount of discussion, debate and inequality that still exists today, gives me the impression that we are currently involved in the process of defining what it really means to identify ourselves as American. Although I am American, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and nationalism for our country rarely occurs.

Defining what American Identities is on a universal level would not be supportive of the United States. Other countries seem to use degrading stereotypes to express the negative connotations they hold in association to our American identity. Since this is the case, it must also be plausible that American citizens define our identity in more than a multitude of ways. Definitions of what it means to be American would most definitely reflect an individual perspective. We would define American identity individually, based on personal life experiences, history, etc. So is it even possible for our nation to develop an American identity that encompasses all of our citizens? I am convinced that continually over extended periods of time, individual perceptions (as well as generalized opinions), are influenced by the most current status of general societal perspective and the most widely publicly-supported beliefs during that time. I am led to believe that visible trends and patterns have been documented by our nation's history, but are often ignored or manipulated in meaning.

What really defines us as “American” besides the fact that we live in America? America was established hundreds of years ago. However, with the misconstrued, altered stories of our country’s history, we shouldn’t use any one specific defining action taken by our American predecessors to define our identity. Maybe our identity could be linked to the fact that the people of our country are free. For example, the freedom of speech is not something traditional to the rest of the world. The fact that America is a young, growing, changing country might define us. But I think as long as we’re still learning what works best for our country and our people, that we’re still constructing our American identity.

            At this point in my life, I believe American identities can be most accurately defined as follows: the existence of American identity is composed of our diverse citizens. American identities reflect the vastness of our people’s culture, race, ethnicity, customs, faiths, beliefs, principles, morals, lifestyles and backgrounds. We are “the melting pot.” Not only does the society we exist within today still exemplify our country’s diversity, it is constantly growing, adapting and changing our identity, as well. American society and identity are continuously in progressive, adapted movement, like the motion of simmering contents inside of a melting pot. I think that American identities are a conglomerate representation of our diverse nation. As an educator, in hopes of furthering young children’s development as “Americans,” I will not only aim to provide the most accurate American history possible, I am driven to teach tomorrow's generation of children to live compassionately and to accept, celebrate and understand differences in one another.

What Is the American Identity?

What Is the American Identity?

Anonymous

How I define American identity is living in the land founded by both political and religious leaders, and being part of the American culture. As Americans we are viewed as the abolitionist who fights for what we believe is just. During the founding years of our nation we were led by thoughts of both the radicals and constrictive, religious and political leaders. Over the years we have come to reach a state of equilibrium between the opposing groups for a stable and functioning society.

            Most Americans value civil rights. Compared to countries around the world, the United States is a younger country. From day one the United States has always been known for its freedom and democracy. Today’s society is in a constant state of evolution. Every day there is new progress made somewhere; whether it is along the lines of technology, medicine or knowledge, somewhere in the world there are new advancements beings made continually. With America being such a young nation compared to other countries around the world we evolve at a rate much faster than most. If you look at the recent revolts over the past few years, they take place in regions where the governing limits the power of the people. In our society we the people limit the power of the controlling government.  The Declaration of Independence opens with “We the people,” including all of those who make up the nation. When the power is literally placed in the hands of those who it directly effects, by no means does this limit our people but pushes them to explore and question the unknown of the nation we control.

Even though our society can be broken down into different ethnicities, as a whole we are a culture of our own. A very unique bread of all our own, the values, dedication, hard work, and perseverance makes us American. With America being an infant country, we pull the strengths from all different regions of the world to build what we call the American identity. Regardless of where your blood has come from Americans come together to value hard work, perseverance, freedom, and determination to better their lives. Even though we all come from something different we all have the pursuit of happiness. All of this combined is why we call ourselves American and is what makes up the true American identity which we all can relate to.

To me, I am myself and no one else.  I don’t find following the role of someone else to be unique or enjoyable.  I do what I enjoy regardless of other people’s opinions. I personally would much rather become my own leader then follow someone else. Setting aside others' views on how I live my life allows me to live my life how I enjoy it, not how others think I should.

I enjoy a lively social life while still having my own personal alone time.  One of my favorite pastimes is motocross or, anything a little on the edge mixed with speed. At the end of the day when the small things start to get to me, I always have my bike to hop on and just let everything go while I ride. When I am riding it allows me to have that time to myself and just enjoy what I am doing. Not having to worry about what else is happening in life with all of the stressors and responsibilities. Once I reach that point when I am relaxed I start to rewrap my head around all of the thoughts. I find that time important to clear my mind for that point in time. This allows me to regroup my thoughts and process them clearly.

One example that strikes my mind is from a few months back right at the start of my first semester at SUNY Fredonia. In early August I had experienced a loss in my family that really was quite mind-blowing, the death of my uncle and the next day the death of a friend.  After the news was first relayed to me I didn’t seem to believe it to be true. The first thing I did was grab my keys and load up my bike and take off to the local track for the rest of the day. That afternoon I spent what seemed to be like ten minutes riding my bike, when in reality I had been riding for hours. During that time I first managed to just lose myself and forget about everything. The very next day I spent the entire day on my bike again in attempts to straighten out what had seemed dreamlike and bring it back to reality. Over the second day, I used motocross as an escape to help clear my head, allowing it all too slowly once again be comprehended and accepted for what it’s worth.

I believe that for myself motocross and bike are just two things that help me identify who I am.  At times I am a bit outspoken; I have created enemies over speaking what is on my mind. To me it is very important to express your thoughts freely and clearly so others can understand your ideas. Sometimes I am not always right but when someone brings up a valid point and backs it up I respect it. When I was younger one of my teachers Mr. Frank Burst had told me, “Having enemies is not always a bad thing. It shows that over time you have stood up for something you believe in; consequently you will be taken seriously and never as a joke.” I always try to keep that in the back of my mind during everyday life. By doing this I will never be pushed around and walked over for having a different opinion on something. I believe if you feel strongly about something you should stand up and support what it is you believe in. If you don’t have the courage to stand up and support the belief you should not have the belief in the first place. I have learned that you sometimes have to act alone before others start to follow. Most of the time if you have a unique view on something there is someone who also has the same view, and if you act first others will follow. While I am not always the most open with discussion I am never afraid to support something I believe in. If it is something on personal side I most likely will not share it with you. When it comes to personal privacy I am respectful. If I feel the need to share something from my personal life it will be known. The odds are if it is something a bit more personal than I am not willing to share you will not clue there is something relevant there to relate to.

My own personal experiences I’ve had with American identity are something you cannot teach in a classroom setting. To me they are something that is much easier to comprehend with reflection on your own experiences as you grow up. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the country and different parts of the world to experience culture first-hand. The American culture is truly unique, like no other. The American identity is full of perception and personal opinions. What your beliefs are something only you have to own up to. Not every family lives in a beautiful two-story home with a dog and a yard. Today the true American identity is becoming more of another radical. While we all have the same endpoint, individually we have our own pathways in the succession of achieving the goal at the end. Everyone takes in their own past experiences to create how they see topics differently. Psychology has proven that we all reflect back on our past experiences when it comes time to make a choice. In fear of committing the same mistake twice, we learn how use our experience to dictate our future actions.

Even though I am very proud of my Native American and Irish heritage it is not very often that I will identify as strictly that. I am sure that my ancestors before me have worked very hard of what they had become and shaped the lives of those after them, but I have been shaped by more than just my ancestors. I am one person who has been shaped by everything I am exposed to, from my heritage to those I come in contact with daily.

For me in my own experience from around the world the American lifestyle is something idolized by those who do not have it, and taken for granted by those who do have possession of it. I personally have spent the time over the years to sit down and talk with others from various parts of the world and hear their opinions about Americans as whole. The general consensus is that most do not appreciate what they have and how lucky they are. Over the well-invested time I have spent talking with others, I have heard several people mention radical gestures stating what they would do to just live the life of freedoms Americans have. I myself have been in both public and private schools going up and have had the chance to meet all different people. Some of my best friends are anything but a similar person--much more like opposites of each other. One of my best friends growing up would always tell me “you are so lucky that your parents are not divorced.” Even though I would get into fights with my parents I would not have to deal with the stress of living out of two different homes with different sets of rules. I am come to understand how lucky enough I am to have only one place I call home. Another one of my good friends came from a very wealthy family with what most would call a very expendable income. This allowed me to witness the difference between someone who had too much and someone who hardly had enough. In high school he would buy new shoes every week simply because the other pair was dirty or scuffed. At the end of senior year for graduation he was handed the keys to a new truck while the rest of us got a pat on the back from mom and dad as they said, “we are proud of you, son.”  Most people would be happy with just having a car being me age, when he would not settle for a vehicle that was nothing less than what some would consider a small mortgage.

By being exposed to different extremes it has opened my eyes to how different the people of America are today but how as a whole we can come together as one country. One of my favorite questions I have always managed to ask over the years is “how would you feel if the government took away just half of your freedom and threatened your pursuit of happiness?” Oddly enough most people respond with very strong feelings of how they would feel obligated to stand against it and fight for it back. As Americans as a whole we are very fond of the privileges that we do have, even if we all do not use them to their true potential.  Each individual has a unique place and without them, the country would not be the same. My own personal life experiences and those shared by others have helped develop who I have grown to become today.

Today I would identify myself as who I am and what I have become over the past 19 years. Everything from my hobbies, heritage, friends and family, personal characteristics, and past experiences have helped me find myself on what I would use to call my own personal identify. With my own personal identity discovered it can be used to contribute to another variety or blend into the personality that we have come to known as today's American Identity.

American Identities: What They Mean to You and Me

American Identities: What They Mean to You and Me

K. Thompson

How I Used To Think About My Identity

Personal identity is a complex entity that combines many different aspects of a person. It encompasses a person’s gender, race, religion, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, where they were raised, their beliefs and many other things. Your personal identity is essentially how you view your self. Who are you? Most people, including myself, have a very definite idea of who they are. It has become clear to me that this idea of who you are may be incorrect. But how can you not know who you are? Let's start with my original evaluation of my identity from a few months ago.

The most obvious characteristics of personal identity are probably sex, followed by race. These two traits can be distinguished just by looking at someone, most of the time.

            Another important identifying characteristic is my religion. I am agnostic, which isn’t so much of a religion but a belief that the existence or non-existence of a God is unknowable. This belief sets me apart from the rest of my family; it also contributes to the way I act and view the world. I think that this belief is just as important as being white and a male.

Another important part of my personal identity is my economic class. In our society cash is king and it is no surprise that it influences people’s identity. Both of my parents are self-employed and their earnings put them into what is labeled as the middle class. This is also an important part of my identity because it has let me do certain things such as travel abroad and attend college. It is obvious to see that my personal identity is made up of a multitude of things and they all combine to make me who I am.

Another part of my identity is where I was raised. Where you are brought up has a large impact on your personal identity. You become accustomed to certain social norms from your region. I was brought up in the same small rural town all my life, Wellsville, New York. Wellsville is about two hours away from Fredonia near the Pennsylvania border and has a population of about 4,000.

My ethnicity also plays a big role in my life and is another crucial part of my identity. I don’t know too much about my father’s side of the family since his parents died when I was very young. However, I do know that my father’s side came over from England and settled in Canada sometime in the late 1800s then eventually moved to the United States, primarily New York. Since I do not know much else about my father’s side of the family it is not a big part of my identity. However I know much more about my mother’s side and it plays a much bigger role in my life. My mother’s parents were born in Hungary in the 1920s. They later moved to Germany because of World War II and then in the early 1950s they came over to the United States. I regularly visit my grandparents and they are always telling me stories of “the old country” and how things were in Hungary. My grandparents have taught me how to count in Hungarian and a few other random words here and there, such as macska, which means cat. When I am at home with my family we even occasionally eat traditional Hungarian dishes. My heritage is an important part of my identity; everyone’s heritage is unique, which is why I think ethnicity is always a major part of personal identity.

The Problem With Taking Identity Categories For Granted

At SUNY Fredonia, throughout this semester in American Identities, we have read numerous books, had many discussions and debates about the ultimate American Identity. The first class was dedicated to finding the ultimate American stereotype. A poll was taken and the best 16 stereotypes were chosen. The stereotypes faced off tournament style with our class as the voters until just one was left standing. Our class ended up picking “American Idiot” by a landslide. Our class thought that this stereotype best represented America due to Americans’ general obliviousness and apathy toward other cultures and other points of view. Obviously this stereotype is not true for all Americans, yet we thought it was the best representation of America’s people. Stereotypes, true or not, sometimes will be accepted and even considered to be fact. These stereotypes become even more entrenched as time progresses and can eventually be accepted as fact. Stereotypes are not always negative, they can be positive, and when a certain group in power has enough influence they can choose their own positive stereotypes and assign negative ones to people who are not in their group. This can be seen all throughout history; Hitler and the Aryan race is a good example. Another good example is slave owners using stereotypes to justify slavery. By making another group inferior it is easier to keep power and exploit the other group.

Considering all this, it is necessary to reanalyze my identity, and I encourage you to do the same. When I first analyzed my identity I identified race as one of the most defining characteristics. But after reading Matthew Frye Jacobson’s book Whiteness of a Different Color my opinion has changed. I have realized that the term white has not always been consistent; in fact, it has been constructed. If you identify yourself as Irish, Italian, Greek, Slavic or Jewish, at one time you would not have been considered white. In his book, Jacobson states that:

This increasing fragmentation and hierarchical ordering of distinct white races (now in the plural) was theorized in the rarified discourses of science, but it also reflected in literature, visual arts, caricature, political oratory, penny journalism, and myriad other venues of popular culture. It was this notion of variegated whiteness that surfaced in 1863, for instance, when the New York Tribune characterized the rioting Irish in New York as a “savage mob,” a “pack of savages,” “savage foes,”… It was this notion of variegated whiteness that undergirded Henry Cabot Lodge’s claim, in 1891, that Slovak immigrants “are not a good acquisition for use to make, since they appear to have so many items in common with the Chinese.” (Jacobson 41-42)

Jacobson gives many more examples of different prejudices against these probationary “white” groups, such as Italians being referred to as “white niggers” in the South (Jacobson 57). However, because of the Naturalization Law of 1790, which permitted “free white persons” to become citizens in the United States, these prejudices eventually fell away because the debate shifted toward two other minority groups, specifically the Blacks and the Native Americans.

Being partially Hungarian I can relate to the Irish being called savages because the Hungarians have been referred to as barbarians. When my Grandmother lived in Germany she told me a story that her second son was mistaken for having a black father because of the darker hue of the Hungarian skin tone. The malicious side of stereotyping people based on race can be seen in James Der Derian’s book Virtuous War. Der Derian begins his book by talking about the conflict in Kosovo. This conflict arose over a territorial dispute but turned into an ethnic cleansing led by Slobodan Milosevic and the Serbian Government. After seeing how the definition of “white” has changed solely for the purpose of power, political and economic, I can no longer consider being white an important part of my identity because I do not think it means anything. My definition of my whiteness has been built off of other people’s attempts to make other groups inferior, and at one time my Hungarian heritage fell under this category. To continue to accept this “white stereotype” would go against my personal beliefs.

American Identities in the Real World

I think it is hard to analyze American identities based solely on experiences that took place in America. We are so used to our own culture that it is very difficult to see what is really going on and how we are actually being perceived by others. When I was a junior in high school I went on a ten-day trip to Italy and Greece. While we were there we visited all sorts of tourist attractions such as The Vatican, the Coliseum, the Parthenon, and Pompeii, to name a few. Being immersed in a totally different culture was a bit of a shock but it made it easier to analyze how people in other countries viewed Americans. One of the first things that I noticed dealt with the language barrier. Our tour group knew practically no Italian or Greek words; we relied on our tour guide from the area to handle all the speaking and translating. Most Italians and Greeks we talked to knew a little bit of English; I assume this is because they were shop owners and most of their business came from tourism. Since I did not speak to any Italians or Greeks on the street I cannot comment on how their English was, but regardless this goes to strengthen the stereotype that Americans do not care to learn other languages and that we expect everyone to speak English.

This also goes hand in hand with culture. While we were there I was trying to absorb and learn as much as I could about the Italian and Greek culture. However I noticed that other people in my tour group could seem to care less about the culture they were in. Some people were even bored with all the tours we were taking and were even complaining! One night about half of our tour group went to an Italian club/bar, since there is no drinking age in Italy. We did the typical “American thing” and got drunk before we went to the club. While we were there I noticed some Italian girls staring at our tour group and a few other American tour groups that were in the club. This was obviously due to our drunken nature. One of my friends ended up getting kicked out of the club because he had too much to drink and was falling down all over the place. A few people in our group also puked out on the street. I was walking back alone form the club and accidentally stumbled into the wrong hotel; after realizing I was in the wrong hotel, I apologized and left. All of our actions were scrutinized by the locals, and rightly so. I think a lot out-of-control drinking was because we were so young. It was obvious to see that it is not the norm in Italy to party and get drunk like in America. Alcohol is treated very differently in Italy and all throughout Europe; they grow up with alcohol and learn to drink in moderation. This seems to be a severe contrast to Americans and the way that we drink alcohol.

I think that this behavior also enforces the negative stereotype that Americans are irresponsible and only like to party. American shows, like Jersey Shore, which are popular in Europe, can give Europeans a false sense of what the American identity really is. It is very hard for foreigners to get a sense of the real American identity without sitting down and getting to know us. Otherwise all their assumptions are usually based off of television shows and stereotypes. We need to make an effort to connect with other cultures and learn what their true identity is, not just assume things that reinforce stereotypes.

Analyzing Culture as an Identity

            If you have traveled to a different city, state, region, or country, you have probably noticed some cultural differences. The most obvious is often language or dialect. If you look deeper you will realize these differences occur because of how these people are brought up. I think that this shows where a person grows up influences them much more than their race.

My time in another country and reading Amy Chua’s book The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother made me realize this. Now after reading Chua’s book I can make a connection between the differences in culture in the United States and abroad. Chua’s style of parenting seemed very strict to me and to our class. At the start of the book Chua gives a list of things she never let her children do:

Attend a sleepover, have a play date, be in a school play, complain about not being in a school play, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, not be the #1 student in any subject except gym and drama, play any other instrument other than piano or violin, not play the piano or violin. (Chua 3-4)

Throughout the book Chua tells stories about raising her children by these rules. To most people this standard of parenting is considered very strict and some of the stories Chua tells, in my opinion, border on abuse. However in the book Chua states that her mother was even stricter. It became obvious to me that we were looking at her book and style of parenting through our own cultural lens. To us her parenting seemed strict and abusive but Chua’s Chinese mother might think she was too lenient on her daughters.

I connected this difference in cultures with my time in Italy and Greece. Until I actually went abroad I would have never know the extent of differences in other cultures. When you grow up in one town your whole life that mentality becomes your status quo and this can be hard to break. This is best illustrated by my story of my classmates and I drinking in Italy. In our culture alcohol is treated very differently than it is in Italy. Kids over there grow up with alcohol and it is not the “forbidden fruit” that it is in the United States. This has taught me to recognize the differences in other cultures rather than the differences in people, such as race. The association between race and culture can cloud people’s judgments and lead to false interpretations that can be harmful such as the American Idiot stereotype or the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo.

My Opinion of America  

I truly believe that America is the greatest country in the world. It is also very unique when you compare it with other countries. The most important thing about America is that it was founded on the premise of freedom and individuality. The pilgrims came here in search of religious freedom; along with freedom of religion came a list of others such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press, to name a few. But there is also another kind of freedom, the freedom to be yourself and pursue your own interests, essentially the entitlement to the pursuit of happiness. I think that this is a good example of American identity.

When you compare America to other countries many differences become evident; for one thing, America is made up of a multitude of different people. America doesn’t have a definite ethnicity like most countries. Most countries in Europe are made up of people that have had a claim to the land for hundreds of years like the Germans or Swedes. America is truly a melting pot of all different ethnicities and cultures. Another thing that sets us apart from other countries is the diversity of different languages that are spoken here and the religions that are practiced. Unlike other countries, such as Iran, we do not have an official religion or official language. While the majority of Americans are Christian and speak English we have a sizable population that does not and we recognize this as a country. Because of the sheer variety of people in America it is hard to define what the American identity actually is; we cannot define our country by race, or religion or even language like so many other countries can. As Americans it is sometimes difficult to come together because we are so different and believe in so many different things.

I think that as Americans we are united not through a common religion or common language; we are united through freedom. We are united through the ideal that we are all created equal, that we are individuals, and that we are free to pursue our own happiness, whatever that may be. I think that this is the true American identity--it is not based on the characteristics of our people such as language or culture, but it is an idea. Everyone can get behind this idea and support it, which is part of the reason so many immigrants have come here in an effort to better there lives.  The American dream sounds cliché but rather than the American Dream being a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog I think the real American Dream is about opportunity. This opportunity for a better life has brought people from all across the globe to America in pursuit of their own American Dream. I think that this is the true American identity: freedom and opportunity.

Expanding on My Opinion of America

The above section describes my view of the ultimate identity of America; this idea of freedom. However after reading eight different books and discussing various aspects of the American identity, I am again forced to change my view. It now seems as though this idea of freedom is not distinctly American but it is an idea that the whole human race strives for; America is just the place to be for this idea of freedom to flourish. One of the more analytical books we read was Peter Spiro’s book Beyond Citizenship. His book analyzes what citizenship means and how important American citizenship actually is. Spiro states in his book that even non-citizens', such as illegal immigrants, freedoms are protected under the Constitution. If you do not have to be an American citizen for your freedom to be protected it is not inherently an American characteristic. I linked this theme back to the first book we read, The Death of Josseline by Margaret Regan. Her book is a tale of various immigrants trying to get into the United States to enjoy this freedom I described in the above section. It chronicles their journey across the border, the dangers, and what people are doing to help. Their own country does not provide the economic freedom that they need so they are forced to find it elsewhere. In addition to Regan’s book Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father also plays with this idea of freedom in a more subtle way. Obama chronicles his grandfather's, father's, and his own struggles for freedom from oppression in various ways. This idea of freedom is not isolated to America.

Analyzing Your Own Identity

My American Identities class really got me thinking about every aspect of my identity. It was something that I never really thought about because identity is so natural and usually something you usually do not analyze critically. Now I think that it is essential to analyze identity on a personal level and national level. We all need to be more conscious about what influences us and where our identity comes from and what it is based off of. I was very surprised with what I found when I examined my identity and I think you will, too.

Bibliography

Chua, Amy. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. New York: The Penguin Press, 2011.

Der Derian, James. Virtuous War. New York: Routledge, 2009.

Jacobson, Matthew Frye. Whiteness of a Different Color. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999

Obama, Barack. Dreams from My Father. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1996.

Regan, Margaret. The Death of Josseline. Boston: Beacon Press, 2010.

Spiro, Peter. Beyond Citizenship. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.