All of the Gay

All of the Gay

Megatron

Every single person has their own identity and different qualities that make up that identity. At some point in time, I believe everyone struggles with that identity and has times where they have changed, for better or worse. Quite like that, I myself have had times that my growth as a person has influenced my identity today. I truly believe my change was for the better and has helped me identify myself today.

            When I was in the sixth grade, I don’t think I was too different than I am now, but rather the people around me weren’t as open minded as they are now. With that said, I’m not saying I was or am better than those people, but just that those people were more naive and closed minded then than they are now. We were pretty young, after all. But back then, people would make assumptions about me just because of what I wore or what TV shows I liked. “Oh, you wear black a lot. You must be emo and goth.” “You watch anime? You’re weird. Why are you still watching cartoons? That’s childish.” Try as I might to set them straight that black clothes does not equal gothic and anime is totally different and more mature than cartoons, they would never listen to me. If anything, it would tend to egg the comments on even more.

            I remember for one of our art class assignments, we had to take this rubber-like block and carve out a design on it to make prints. Me being the anime geek I was (and still am), I decided to do mine about the anime Inu-Yasha. If you’ve never seen Inu-Yasha it is a television show about a girl that gets transported to feudal Japan and ends up meeting Inu-Yasha, who is half-demon. They end up fighting against evil in order to gather a sacred jewel. So I went about doing my block just as everyone else did, but for some reason people started picking on me for doing my project about an anime, or rather a ‘cartoon’ to them. I remember one girl specifically was calling me weird and such for doing a ‘cartoon’ when she’s over there doing hers of Strawberry Shortcake, the cartoon character. Needless to say, I thought that was a big pile of bull crap.

            Around this time, I found a friend, who I'll call Soundwave, that didn’t make those assumptions and embraced my weirdness and we became, and still are, best friends. When I’m around Soundwave, I feel like I can be myself. She came out as bisexual pretty early, which really got me thinking. My other best friend that I’d known for much longer, Shockwave, and I would get into talks about sexuality due to Soundwave's coming out, saying that we are cool with it and such.

             Soundwave had gotten me into many different things such as the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation, which I was instantly in love with. I came in on season five which featured a lesbian couple and watching their love unfold on the show helped me realize that I want that someday, boy or girl. Love can come from anyone and that’s how I naturally felt with this couple and in life.  With this realization, I started to notice why I was probably so pulled in by Soundwave--I had a crush on her. I was afraid to tell her about my realization at first, but eventually the truth did come out (no pun intended), although we ultimately decided to keep our relationship strictly friendly.

            In the years to come, I slowly started coming out and finding myself. Although it was scary at some times, I knew that being open about it would make me feel happier in the end. I shouldn’t, and wouldn’t, hide my identity. Instead of hiding, I decided to embrace myself. After I embraced that, I was able to embrace much more of myself. I became more comfortable with myself and who I am.

            Coming out to my friends was the easiest, since most of them are kind of gay anyways. They pretty much knew before I even said anything. I then came out to my aunt who lives in Virginia before I came out to any of my family that lives with me. She’s very open-minded and likes a lot of the same things I do, so it was a bit easier to come out to her. The reason my sexuality came to conversation was because we had gone shopping earlier and I bought a book called Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez, since I knew my mother would never let me buy it with her. We were talking about it in her kitchen when I just told her that, yes, I like girls and she was perfectly fine with it.

            My mother was the one I was most scared to come out to. She’s the one whose opinion matters most in this situation, for me. She’s very religious, so that’s one reason I struggled with coming out to her. I had tried to drop subtle hints, just kind of being “Yay Gay!” around her and I kind of think she knew. One day I was talking about this paper I wrote that had mentioned homosexuality and being accepted. Her response was kind of like “Is there something you’re trying to tell me?” and so I told her. Initially, she told me that she loves me no matter what, but she did think that I was young and that it is a ‘phase.’ We often got into fights dealing with religion and sexuality. No matter what, she would still say that she loved me, though.

            After that, I feel like she denied my sexuality and never took it seriously. There were times that she’d disregard that part of me. If we were talking about the future in which she was waiting for nieces and nephews, it was always me getting a husband. She’d always mention me getting a boyfriend, never a girlfriend. That changed a bit when I got myself a girlfriend.

            My first legit girlfriend came along my junior year of high school. She wasn’t really out at the time and she was more so just starting to come to terms with her sexuality. So, no one really knew we were dating for the first week or so until she was comfortable with me telling my friends. After a couple weeks of us dating, she came over one day to just chill with me. We were just in my room (which is downstairs and has no door but thick curtains) watching television and kind of holding hands and resting heads on shoulders type of thing. My mom decides to randomly come in my room (I call it “mother’s intuition”) and she demanded that my girlfriend go home.

            After we have a mini-freak-out moment together, she leaves and I stay in my room to continue my freak-out, contacting friends for some sort of help. I think one of them agreed that I should go talk to my mom, so that’s what I went to do. I found her in her room, lying in her bed, crying, on the phone talking to her pastor. She said she didn’t want to talk to me right now, so I went back to my room. When we finally talked, she grounded me for a week. Oddly enough, my girlfriend and I broke up in the early days of my grounding (I think my mom scared her a bit), so I was left grounded over a girl that I wasn’t even dating anymore.

            There were still times after that that my mother would deny my sexuality, but I pretty much just went with it since I didn’t want to share anything gay with her at that point. I know I said I wouldn’t hide my sexuality, but it’s different when it came to my mother. I didn’t necessarily hide it but rather didn’t flaunt it around her. I’d still wear rainbows like a pride parade, but I wouldn’t fix her if she only said “boyfriend” and I wouldn’t talk about my latest girl crush with her. I think she has become a bit more accepting now that I am older, but it still can be a bit awkward when it comes to my sexuality. I do know that she loves me, though.

            These events shaped me to be who I am today. I’m proud of my sexuality, but there are times when I feel that it hinders my relationship with my mother. I know that if I were to get a girlfriend, I would not hide it from my mother anymore, though. I’m not sure what exactly would happen in that situation, but I am an adult now so I’m not going to hide it away. I’m sure many other people in the LGBT community can identify with situations like this even though we all have our own stories. 
 
            Your sexual orientation can definitely influence your entire life and be a big part of your identity. Having to deal with coming out and dealing with all of the different reactions that come with that is just one part of it. Just one negative reaction can change things entirely. Since I had already embraced my sexuality, I also needed to come out in a different way: come out of my shell.

            In high school, I was put in a drama class that really helped me come out of my shell. It helped me be less shy and open up even more than what my friends brought out of me. It was intimidating at first, being one of two freshmen in the class, but I slowly began to love it. After my freshman year, I wanted to be in drama every time possible and I was. I had a drama class at least one semester every school year after that. My drama teacher joked that I was into it more than he was. That class really helped me be comfortable around others and to laugh at stuff instead of be embarrassed about it. It taught me to embrace the stage rather than be afraid of it. I even was in the school musical my junior year; that drama class made me comfortable to try out for it. I remember seeing one of my middle school teachers after a showing for the middle school and she said she would have never expected to see me up there. Back then, I wouldn’t have imagined it either.

            Everything in life becomes a part of your identity. These specific moments in my life are the ones that stick out the most in making me realize my identity. Even though I have only just started college, I am hoping that knowing my identity in that way will help me expand. I want to explore those aspects even more now that I have it figured out. Hopefully that will help me build my future and continue on with ease.

            When it comes to national identity, I do believe that the LGBT community does have a big part in it today. There’s always an issue or two in politics dealing with the LGBT community. There’s always something controversial being said. From our rights to get married to our freedom of being out in the military, our fight for equal opportunity and rights is a constant battle. In time, I do believe that these fights will seem almost silly, just as it is to look back and see how we used to separate ourselves by skin color. Race and sexuality are ridiculous things to have to fight about. It’s who we are; we can’t change that.

            I guess this could be biased, but I’ve never understood why gay marriage would be illegal. I understand the arguments, but I just find them rather ridiculous and not really reasonable. We are still humans and we should be able to marry who we want. Recently, there have been videos of Michele Bachmann saying that gay men can marry, but they have to marry a female or that lesbians can marry, but they have to marry a male. What the heck does that solve? We just want to marry who we love, yet people can go get married in Vegas even though they just met that night and it will most likely end in divorce once they sober up.

            It doesn’t make much sense when religion comes into the picture, either. If you’re religious and think it’s a sin and not moral to get married to someone of the same sex, then don’t get married to someone of the same sex! Making gay marriage legal does not mean you have to go get gay married. You don’t even have to like it, but it’s not your life that’s getting affected.

            These struggles of equality will always be a part of the LGBT community’s identity. If everything was just given to us to begin with, our lives would most likely be dramatically different. Now, the LGBT community is slowly becoming part of everyday life. From television shows and channels with LGBT characters to movies, novels, and music, the LGBT community is integrating. You can even find a lot more rainbow pride in stores these days. It’s a long struggle, but it will be worth it in the end. The LGBT community’s identity is slowly intertwining with the rest of the nation’s identity. I think, eventually, those identities won’t even be separate.

            At the beginning of the semester, we focused a lot on stereotypes in America. Stereotypes can be a tricky situation. Some stereotypes can be true, but it doesn’t make them true for everyone. There are lazy Americans, but we are not all lazy. Just because you’re an African American woman doesn’t mean you like chicken and wear a weave. Just because you’re a homosexual male doesn’t mean you’re feminine and like fashion. There are a lot of people that are not the stereotypical version of who people think they should be. Some of these stereotypes can even be offensive.

            I think the problem is that people tend to sort everything into these groups.  The thing is, you shouldn’t be grouping everyone based on this or that… Everyone has their own individual identity. I do think that having these ‘groups’ can make it easier when it comes to making a general term for this large group of people, but you can’t just say they belong to that group so they must be like this. If that doesn’t make sense, I’ll use an example: the term “LGBT Community” gives us a general understanding of who these people are, but there’s so much more to them than just the LGBT side of them. Especially these days when there’s so many more terms than just lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans.*

            With these general terms, people lose their individual identity. They just get lumped in with the rest of that group. It reminds me of a family. There’s the family as a whole, so it’s easy to call them, let’s say, the Smith family. But within the Smith family, John is nothing like Bob…yet people expect John to be like Bob, since they are in the same family. People sometimes forget that they can’t just look at the whole; they have to consider the individuals within the whole. Everyone has their own stories that separate them from the rest and gives them their identity.

            I don’t really think the nation’s identity as a whole should really matter compared to everyone’s individual identity. It’s the individuals that make a nation. America is considered a “melting pot” of all these different identities coming together as one…But just because we’re ‘melted’ together doesn’t mean our individuality gets separated from us. We’re always told that we are different from everyone else, so this shouldn’t change just because we are part of a group or nation. We all might be connected, like in Yamashita’s novel Tropic of Orange, but we still have different stories that are the reasons we get connected.

American Identity

American Identity

Anonymous

Part One: Personal Reflection

            In almost every class that I have taken here at Fredonia or in my educational career the teacher usually asks the class to say or write a brief description of themselves on the first day. All of the answers I’ve heard were all the same, including people's names, where they were from, and possibly a hobby or two. Most people don’t stop to really think of who they are or what their true identity is. Before this assignment I was one of the people that never stopped to think of who I had become over the years, or more importantly why I have become who I am. I was quite surprised at what I found out once I started actually thinking about it.

            I was born in Buffalo, New York, and lived in the same house my entire life. I went to the same school from kindergarten to eighth grade. Although I have lived in one place I have seen a significant portion of the United States. Without a doubt my travels around the country have had an impact of who I am today. I believe this is because my travels weren’t just a vacation but also a learning experience. I was able to see many different historical places and experience the vast cultural differences that exist in this country. I would learn about places such as Gettysburg or Plymouth in school and the next summer see them in real life. That experience gave me a whole new respect and understanding for American history that other students didn’t get. Another benefit of my travels was the exposure to different cultures and ways of living. When I was little I was surprised at how different people could be when they were from the same country, from what they ate to how they talked and where they lived. My parents encouraged me to try everything and experience all that I could. I believe this helped me learn to be more accepting of different people, and had a large effect on my personal identity.

            Obviously my family has dictated who I have become over the years. My mother is a banker and my father has done many different jobs, but currently works as an electrician. Together they have taught me what you can earn with hard work and the value of the money you earn. In the past few years I have been working with my father as an electrician and carpenter. Through this I have learned skills that I can use in the future. Also I have learned to have pride in my work and that things should be done right the first time, because in the end short cuts usually end up being more work. My parents always made enough money to live comfortably but not much more than that. This helped me learn the value of the things I had. I was provided with the things that I need but I had to work for the things I wanted. I was always taught that things don’t come free but that you had to earn everything. I only have one other sibling, an older sister. When we were young we did not get along very well, and often got in fights. Once we got older we began to get along better. She has an impact on who I have become. Being the youngest cousin by at least four years also made growing up rough. Once we all hit a certain age the difference didn’t really matter anymore, though. My uncle also played a large role in who I am today. When I was growing up he took me along with him when he would do things that parents didn’t enjoy doing. When I was young he had a well-paying job but no wife or children. He would usually spend his money on fun things like cars or ATVs. He taught me how to ride snowmobiles as well as how to hunt. He was very caring and always wanted people to have fun. One evening when I was around twelve we were out on a snowmobile ride I hit a patch of ice and lost control. I drove his snowmobile off a five-foot cliff into a small creek. The whole time we were getting it out he kept asking if I was ok. I wasn’t hurt at all but the snowmobile was damaged extensively. The only thing that mattered to him was that I was ok. Once he became married and had a child he chose me to be his son’s godfather. This meant a lot to me and will always be a big part of my life.

            When I was five years old my parents got me into Boy Scouts. I remained a member until I turned 18 and received the rank of Eagle Scout. During this time I was able to travel to Canada, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Florida. In each of these places I was given the opportunity to do things that most people can’t do in a life time. I’ve climbed mountains, white water rafted, shot a variety of guns, saw many wild animals, and hiked over a hundred miles in two weeks, just to mention a few. The skills I have learned in Boy Scouts have helped me be prepared for almost any challenge I will face. The Boy Scouts also taught me morals and values that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Boy Scouts also allowed me to help my community by doing volunteer work. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout you must plan and execute a community service project. For my project I built a walking path over a small ravine to go to their community center. I have also made many friends from all over the United States through my experiences.

            My family has never been huge in celebrating our heritage, but lately I have been trying to learn more about the cultures my family has come from. My ancestors came from Ireland, Germany, and Poland. All of these places have unique and interesting cultures. No matter where my family is from I love being an American and having the freedoms that means.

            Religion has played a large role in who I am today. I was raised Roman Catholic and attended church every Sunday for basically my whole life. I was baptized, had my first communion, and became a confirmed Catholic. My mother was the role model for my religion. My father never really practiced a religion but would go to church with my family on holidays. Since I have gone to college I haven’t gone to church as much, but it still plays a role in my life.

            The latest event to have shaped who I have, or will, become is college. I decided to go to SUNY Fredonia because it was far enough away from my house to dorm but close enough to visit my family. The size of the campus also made a large impact on my decision. I have always been shy when meeting new people so the small class sizes were great. The small classes also allowed professors to help students on an individual basis while still asking for independent thoughts. When I first started college I choose the major of physics and aerospace engineering. These majors were very challenging I was not prepared for the amount of work they demanded. I also became very ill and ended up having to change majors to business. I enjoy taking the business classes but am glad that I attempted the harder major. During my years at Fredonia I made some very close friends. I lived with them for two years in the dorms and another two years in an apartment. They had a significant effect on the person that I am today.

            Thinking about my future has changed who I am as well. Now that I am so close to graduating I’m really looking at what I want to do with my life. I will have a degree in business but I have already gotten multiple job offers for electricians’ positions in various companies. These decisions will easily change who I will become and can be slightly frightening.

            In doing this assignment I’ve truly realized how and why I have become the person I am today. By traveling the United States I have learned that people can be very different from each other in the same country. Although this may be true we all consider each other Americans and enjoy the benefits that means. My morals, values, and ethics came from my family and Boy Scouts. My friends and classes at college helped me mature and become more of an adult. The decisions I will make in the very near future will most certainly change who I will be. These are the major things that have shaped my identity into what it is today. Without one of these things I believe I would be a very different person and have a different identity altogether.

Part Two: My Experience with American Identities

            As I stated in part one I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. Due to my family’s financial status I attended Buffalo public schools from grade K all the way till graduating high school. During my education career I was always a minority to other ethnic backgrounds, whether it was African Americans, Hispanics, or Asians. I enjoyed making friends that had different ethnicities or religious beliefs. I’m glad I went to a public school rather than a private school. It helped me realize how unique and wonderful of a country we live in.

            The time when I best remember experiencing American identity was during my sophomore year of high school. I attended Hutchinson Central Technical High School which was one of the best Buffalo public high schools. There was an entrance exam to get in, which singled out the people that wanted to receive a good education. This meant that there were rarely confrontations and other distractions from the lessons. My freshman year I would always hang out with my friends from grammar school who were very similar to me. My grammar schools seemed to be more segregated than my high school. People became more accepting of other peoples differences once we entered into high school. Once I started to branch out and make new friends, I realized how different people’s cultures could be, even when they lived in the same general area. This would vary from the way they dress, to what they ate for lunch, to the way they talked.

            During lunch I would sit at a table that was very diverse. We all had different religions and ethnic backgrounds that dictated the way we acted or what we ate. My Jewish friend could not eat anything that was not kosher. Being a Roman Catholic myself I could not eat meat on Fridays during Lent. And my Asian friends liked food from their own culture. I realized after seeing how different our food selection was how tolerant the United States really is. The law says that the schools must prepare different meal options for people that cannot eat the original meal that was prepared. This allowed all of the ethnic and religious groups to be treated equally. There was always a kosher meal option in all of the lunch periods. Also there was always the choice to have your meal with or without meat. Not only did this allow Catholics to practice their religion but vegetarians could also follow what they believed in. If you did not like or could not eat any of the school-made options you could bring a meal from home and heat it in a microwave the school provided. My Asian friends would often do this, bringing foods that were extremely exotic to me. My friend Duy brought lobster in one particular day. I have eaten lobster many times before but never saw it prepared like this before. He also said that the brain was his favorite part, which was surprising to me. Once they became old enough to work, my Asian friends got jobs at a Taiwanese restaurant. The food that they cooked and the style that it was prepared in was very strange to me.

            Another way that my high school should me American Identity was the dress code that was in place. The rule that specifically showed this was no hats allowed to be worn on school property. The school made an exception for an Arabic girl to wear a veil or hijab. The usual dress code prohibited students from wearing anything on their head. This showed that people of the United States were able to practice a religion of their choosing and not be persecuted.

            As you can see the United States is a very open and accepting country. People are free to live the way they want and to create their own personal identity. My examples above show that the American identity is not based purely on race, religion or ethnic backgrounds. It is perceived through the freedoms citizens are given by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Part Three: My Understanding of American Identities

            The dictionary defines identity as “the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another.” The American identity is very different than that of any other country, in my opinion. Our country is not defined by the race, religion, gender, or ethnic backgrounds of its citizens. Instead, America’s identity is thought of as the shared belief in individual freedoms that can be found here. In effect, America’s identity is the right for its citizens to have unique individual identities and to be able to pursue their own happiness.

            In almost every other country in the world people can be classified by their race, religion or ethnic background. An example of this would be that 99 percent of all Afghani citizens practice Islam. In some countries people are treated differently due to their race. Many societies have different standards for different genders. In the United States of America there are no distinctions like this. American citizens are free to practice whatever religion they want without repercussions. The citizens are not held to their original beliefs, either. They are free to change their minds when they want and however many times they want. Once someone becomes a United States citizen they share equal rights with every other citizen regardless of your gender, race, or beliefs. You are allowed to be who you want to be without fear. The reason the United States can differ from other countries is our form of government. Through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights citizens are protected as long as they act within the laws. Governments such as dictatorships don’t allow this freedom. The leader of the country can change the laws whenever they want or punish someone as they see fit.

            American citizens often vary largely from one another in all walks of life. There are people that are constantly working while others leave plenty of time to do the things they enjoy and have fun doing. There are varying religions and how much people practice these religions. Americans may use their religion in their everyday life or not practice one at all. Citizens have the choice of where to receive an education if they get one at all. Every part of American life can be varied in the United States. People have unlimited choices in America, and that is what I feel separates our identity from the rest.

            There are many negative stereotypes associated with Americans. The major stereotypes are that Americans are overweight and lazy. There are also thoughts that all Americans are “red-necks” and stupid. In my opinion these stereotypes are not true. Many American citizens are very fit and active. We often have public sporting events and activities such as marathons and 5k races that usually sponsor a good cause. Most US citizens work very hard to earn what they have and to get to where they are. Businesses in America have raised their standards for job applicants in the last few years. There is a very large emphasis on high school and college degrees. This means that the majority of American citizens have at least a high school diploma. This does not mean that some of the stereotypical people do not exist in the United States. There will be these people in every country that you may visit.

            In my opinion, American identity can be defined as having many freedoms as a citizen. These freedoms apply to all citizens of this society. Once you receive citizenship and these freedoms it is very difficult for them to be taken away. The very principle of our country is to allow people to be who they want to be without the fear of being persecuted or alienated. This is done through our government, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Many other countries have tried to follow in our footsteps, but none have been as successful as our wonderful nation.

America Isn't What You Think It Is

America Isn't What You Think It Is

Anonymous

                                                                                                                        My personal traits:

            Competitive, emotional, enthusiastic, hardworking, a go-getter, loyal, trustworthy, and funny would be several words to sum up the type of person I am. Time and time again I am in situations where my character is tested and these aspects seem to shine through.

            Loyalty and being trustworthy is a big thing to me and and I think if you know someone who is both loyal and trustworthy you should feel lucky. Being trustworthy is when you know you can trust someone or be trusted with everything and anything. Over the years I’ve made very strong relationships with many people. When my close friends need someone to turn to, they always know they have me. Even if they’re not my close friend they still sometimes seek me out. I am the type of person that even if I don’t know you very well I will still listen wholeheartedly and try to grasp what is going on and find an understanding of the situation and do my best to help the person or people solve whatever is going on. If you are someone that can be trusted with anything then the odds are that you are a very loyal person. Loyalty is not just doing the right thing in the right scenery or time. Loyalty is always being true to not only yourself but to the people you care about the most, doing whatever you need to do for yourself or for others that they deserve. When someone tells you that you are a loyal person it is a huge compliment. It is saying that they completely trust you and have faith in you that you will always be on their side of any scenario. Being loyal means staying true to your roots and sticking up for who or what you believe in.

            Hardworking and a go-getter go hand in hand. Having those descriptive words compared to myself, are two extreme qualities. To me, nothing is ever out of reach. I view everything as a challenge--but not an unreachable or an impossible one. When something needs to get done or be accomplished I never stop working at it until it is finished. In high school I was the vice president of my class and never stopped working to make our class the absolute best. At home, I live on a farm. Which means up at three am to work and working till six pm at night. Everyone always says that they’ve never seen a kid work harder than me at such a young age. I used to complain about how much I had to work when all of my other friends were out having fun. Looking back on it, though, I am glad I had the opportunity to get some experience, money, and a big responsibility to set me up for the “real world.”

Who I am:

            Enthusiastic and competitive are two words that anyone would use to describe me. Soccer has always been a huge party of my life, and I have never taken anything more serious in the world. I have played since I was four years old and have pushed myself to the extreme to be at the level of competitiveness I am at today.  I have never backed down from a challenge, whether it be an opposing team, a struggle with a teammate, a problem with a coach, or a time when I was unable to accomplish a drill the right way. I practiced day in and day out until I was the one helping others how to improve and overcome obstacles and challenges. I always not only tried to be better than the person next to me, but knew I had to be. Whether it be on the field or in a classroom setting, I always strive to be the absolute best I can be and to try to manage to outshine the others in the room. I believe that if you are not better than the person next to you, you will always get picked last. It is really like kickball on the playground at school. If you are not good at something, you won’t get picked. So when I look at any activity it is: you either slack off and do not get a fair chance to prove yourself because you already wasted it, or you work extremely hard and do whatever you need to do to prove yourself to everyone else in the room how deserving you are to per se get picked first.

            Being funny is a category of its own. It’s weird to say that I think I’m funny and that other people do, too. Everyone has their own sense of humor, and some things are funny to people that aren’t to others. But when you look at the big picture, being able to laugh at any time is one of the most important qualities in life. No one needs to be serious all of the time. In fact, it’s kind of unhealthy to never laugh. Even on your worst days everyone should have the ability to throw a smile or a laugh. I am the type of person who finds the simplest things amusing and can laugh at anything- at anytime. Although some people could argue that that is just annoying, many people say it's my best quality that I always have a smile on my face.

            All of these adjectives that sum up the type of person I am are very crucial to me.  Which means that people from all over the world have qualities of themselves that they too admire and are proud of themselves for. These words make up the individual that I am, and that I hope someone else one day aspires to be like. I have developed into this well rounded person that I am not only from lessons learned, but from my surroundings. Living where I have lived, growing up you get accustomed to the way of life and you realize that you are living the life so many others just want a little taste of. In a book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua, I learned that some children in other countries and cultures are brought up much differently and do not get all of the luxuries I have received. The pressure sometimes is more intense in other parts of the world and in other cultures than mine.

Being a role model:

            Sometimes people go through rough childhoods and are thrown into the world with a big lack of experience or helpful hints and information. The book that Barack Obama wrote, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, describes the hardships he had to go through and in the end it seems as if it made him a stronger person and someone to look up to. It really shows that even if you have a rough time in your life that you can get through it and things will eventually be okay again.

            With these adjectives that describe the type of person I am, along comes knowledge. Knowing that the person I just described is not only myself, but an ideal human being, an American, is a great thing. In America it is crucial to be the best person you can be. Not only does our country want individuals to be role models. It wants our country to be looked up to and defined as a big deal. America is all the adjectives I used to describe myself and then some. We are a very trustworthy nation and keep our relationships and trusts with people. We are extremely hard-working and do not just do the bare minimum to get by. We go above and beyond and set an example. America is competitive, but in a good way. We just want the best for our people and do what we need to do with in reason to see that that happens.

Judging America:

            Everyone in America seems to think that we are selfish, stuck up, money hungry, lazy, etc. There are so many reasons and examples that those people have that can back up their claim. Americans always have, or at least seem to have, a better life than everyone else. Since it is a kind of obvious and well known fact, it makes us appear stuck-up and selfish. People call us money-hungry because everyone always thinks they deserve more money than they get at their job. But no one ever wants to pay taxes or donate to charity. No matter the tax rate, whether it be ridiculous or not, no one is ever satisfied and happy to be paying it and giving their money away that they worked hard for. Truth is, we as Americans are always looking for a way to cheap out; it’s in our nature because we were raised to fight for our rights and our belongings. But realistically we would not progress in the future without taxes and putting money back into the government to stimulate the economy. However, no one looks at anything that we as Americans do on a deeper level. Everyone is just so quick to judge others and point out the obvious flaws and the things that did not work out well and label them as amateur mistakes. No one realizes that when you “point a finger” at someone, it means that technically three more of your fingers are pointing back at you. Judging other people, choices, or countries does not make your country better, in fact it makes your country or personal character look worse for insulting them or what they have done.

            America can be judged by anyone from the outside world in any way, shape, or form but when you are an American your thoughts on things are altered and different than others see us as. There are many different stories and examples one could use to try and sway someone's opinion and prove to them that America is not just a greedy, selfish, stuck-up country.

Defining moments of youth:

            My high school graduated a class of roughly eighty students each year. We were the cliche: small-town, hicks, cow farming, shorts and a t-shirt kind of kids. Everyone had at least one relative in the same building as them and everyone knew everyone. People did not just know who you were, but who you were related to, friends with, the street you lived on, and your parents' names. At times knowing everyone’s business was overwhelming and tiresome.

            My class had a reputation for drama, drugs, and doing nothing but bad things. Somehow, over the course of growing up together we all had a strong connection and even when we didn’t like someone, we still liked them because it was hard not to.

            There comes a point in everyones life where you are forced or pushed more to grow up. The point in my life and in not only my class’, but my school district's, as well, was on April 25, 2009. Two out of three sisters that went to my school died that Saturday in a car accident. The town fell silent. Text messages were sent out, phone calls were made, questions went unanswered, laughter and fun was put on hold, and tears filled everyone’s eyes. Immediately we were forced to grow up, to not take life for granted, to tell people we love them everyday, and to be strong and use each other to get through it.

            The next week of school was a life-changing experience. Speakers came in, posters went up, trees were planted, their lockers decorated, pins and shirts were made and sold for donation money, and sign-ups were held for buses to take us to the funeral as a “field trip.” I never knew that going to the church for two very well-known friends of mine was going to be my last field trip at Pavilion School. I never wanted it to be, either.

            Coming together in times of crisis is exactly what our school did. Kids that never got along were mending relationships. People opened their eyes and started to realize the important things in life. It took two beautiful sisters losing their lives to make others realize that there are more important things in life to be concerned with.

America’s big challenge:

            One could see this as a weak argument of a significant experience with American Identities, but to me it is the perfect example. In America it takes a huge thing to happen for someone else or many other people to have a huge realization. In the time of need Americans can forget about their money, and what is best for them, and most importantly, Americans can come together whether its an economic issue, government issue, or in some cases, a death.

            I feel like America’s huge incident that brought everyone together was definitely September 11th, 2001. That day, even that year, defined Americans as a whole. Strangers were hugging strangers telling each other it would be okay. Police officers and Firefighters were risking their lives to save the lives of thousands of people. Some would fight and say its their job, but technically they don’t have to do the things they did that day for other people and they did not need to put their life in danger and in a chance to get killed, but they did it anyway, and they did it with pride. It's events like this that even though they are so terrible and tragic, they force everyone to look around and remind themselves to be grateful for what you have and to be not only satisfied with it, but happy. A circumstance like this demonstrates to other countries that we can hold ourselves up and rely on each other and other Americans to help us get through the tough times and sets an example to be followed.

Coming together:

            September 11th, 2001, will be a date that allows sends chills down people’s backs. It will send chill not because of all the deaths and injuries the attack caused, but because when America really needs each other and an extra push to hold on, it shows others we can stand together, we can unite, and we do have the will to hold on and go further and do whatever we need to do in order for everything to work out the way it should.

            When our country was under attack we handled the situation probably better than any other country could. We went right at the problem, and regardless of how long it takes, one day it will all be resolved. Even though our country was in shock and terrified of what would come next, we stayed strong and united, and were informed on what to do next and how to go about doing so. No one was left behind or unaccounted for. Our country stayed together and as one.

            Being united even in times of crisis, danger, and war is something that should be admired. Some countries might not have handled the same situation as well, and that might be because we have more experience and are more advanced than they are. Even though some say that we need to go through another Revolution just because other countries are does not mean that America is not going through a Revolution of its own. Technology is a very well known thing that America is known for. Within each year America updates in different categories and different types of technology. We become more advanced with the smallest things and continue to excel, such as computers because each year they are coming out with new programs, software and new brands of computers. Some countries are not even advanced enough to dream of doing things like that. Americans are always willing to put their ideas on the table and fight for their opinions and dreams. Even people from other countries are willing to risk it all just to get a taste of what it is like to be in America and to be a part of something bigger than they ever imagined or dreamed of.

Everyone fights for their rights:

            It isn’t only Americans that stand up and unite and fight for their rights as a human being. People from all over the world use their freedoms to try and accomplish or get ahold of what they want. For example immigrants that we have read about in books have done pretty much everything possible to get to America to persuade their dream to live the “American Dream.” People have had to cross the desert and have died on the journey through it, mainly because of a lack of water. The admiration other countries have of ours is unrealistic. When you really think about it we are the role models that other countries aspire to be like. America certainly has it positive and negatives list, but we have been through a lot and for the most part have handled the situations well and other countries truly admire it.

            There are so many events that make other countries admire or disgust. For example when the Holocaust was underway people did everything they could to risk their lives to try to fight the Germans, try to hide the Jewish people and other countries were sending items in to help as much as they could. The Holocaust is a poor example of American Identity, but yet a good one. We learned from tragic events like that and are aware of all the damage it had forever left an impact on not only the people who were a part of it, but for neighboring countries and even countries across the seas. A moment like that is just something that is never forgotten.

Everyone has their own opinions:

            In different countries everyone has their own way of life and culture. It’s how different groups of people progress and get through life in their own way. Every area has their own beliefs and traditions of how to live life. Whether people view other countries as “wrong” is their own problem. Typically America bases everything they do off of other countries and what they are doing. In my opinion that is uncommon of them to do because America has always been one step ahead of the game.

            Everyone knows America for the Revolution we had a very long time ago, but it seems now a days that no one recognizes us anymore for the huge step we took as a country. The American Revolution took place in 1775 and was a time where people spoke out and demanded what they wanted. Their taxes were extremely too high and no one could manage to pay them all, nor wanted to. Also, all of the citizens were fed up with how they were treated because they had so many rules and regulations. Only one-third of the people were on the king's side; the rest wanted change. Revolting and sticking up for ourselves really set a huge goal to reach for other countries. No one ever knew that using your voice and coming together would create such a change in life itself. When Americans realized we are stronger together as a whole than separately, we won. Change was a generalization of what could happen if you used your voice.

            It sometimes appears that no one ever has anything nice to say about us or about anything that we have ever accomplished or overcome. To Americans, it comes off to us that other people and countries could be jealous of us and of all accomplishments. There are so many events that Americans have been through that prove ourselves not only as good, hard-working people, but as role models and a country to aspire to be like.

Everyone deserves a chance:

            It makes me happy to see so many people wanting a change and knowing that that change is to flee their own country and come into America. Having read so many books about who different people are and how different people’s lives differ from one another really gives you a different perspective and makes you appreciate your life and also want the best for others in different countries. Although America might have a bad reputation for being selfish and stuck up, in my opinion whether it be true or not, we have a right to be. We work hard for everything we have and truly deserve everything we get. No matter what others seem to have to say about us no one understands the amount of effort we all put into our work. The things that we accomplish in life and in our country truly define our country and who we are as citizens of the United States. Everyone has their own opinions and beliefs of our country, but in my opinion it really matters what we think of ourselves, not what others think.

Small-Town Identification

Small-Town Identification

Josh

American Identities was the name of the class that appeared on the top of my freshman class schedule when I began my college experience. The only problem was that I had absolutely no idea what this class was going to be like. The American aspect of the course was easy enough to comprehend, yet I still was unaware of what the meaning of identity was. The rest of my classes, survey of calculus and geology for example, were pretty self-explanatory and I knew exactly what to expect. American Identities, on the other hand, was the only class where I had absolutely no idea what I would learn or what I would get out of this class.

 The first day of class was definitely shocking to say the least. Looking at the number of books that were assigned to this class was intimidating at first, but when everything was explained it seemed like I could take a lot out of this class. I believe that the main objective of this course is for me to really observe (despite how obvious it seems now) my identity as an American, and my self-reflection of how I view myself as an American.

            America is arguably one of the most diverse countries in the world today. Since the founding of the nation, America began, and continued to become more and more of a melting pot. Amongst all of our diversity, I ask myself, what does it mean to be an American? Furthermore, how do we view ourselves as Americans? In answering these questions, I am able to define my American identity.  I feel that the majority of our identity comes from our cultural background and the culture in which we were raised.

            My heritage is rather vague, in the sense that I don’t have the legitimate facts to know where my ancestors came from. From what I have been told, and from slight research on my last name, the name Hodge is of English descent. Also, my father’s mother’s side of the family has the maiden name Ryan, which is said to be Irish. Seeing that as the closest idea of my family heritage, it has not had a large impact on my life. It’s not just the history of my family; my true identity comes from how I was raised in my present family, which is true for the majority of Americans.

            I was born and raised in the middle of nowhere, small-town America. In the town, there are three thousand people, and since we were a college town, the university added another three thousand students, making a grand total of only six thousand. Living in a small town has definitely set me up for a unique lifestyle which helped shaped my identity. There is a wide variety of different settings in which I could have been raised in. There is a large urban setting such as a big city, the medium suburban area, the small rural setting, and everything in between. Living in a small town defiantly has its pros as well as its cons.

The high school that I attended was an experience in itself. The whole building was comprised of pre-K students up to 12^th grade. At the end of my senior year, not only did I know everyone in my graduating class of sixty, but I also knew everyone from 6^th grade to 12^th grade by name, their personality. Most of the high school students in larger city or suburban schools don’t even know everyone in their whole grade, let alone the entire high school and middle school. This was good in the sense that it made my school like a family. I had known and seen these people almost every school day for my whole life and it created these most unique and incredible relationships amongst not only the students, but the faculty and staff, as well. If you wanted to join a sports team, you were on it. If you wanted to be in the school musical, you could do it. The list goes on and on about how you could do whatever you wanted and be whoever you wanted to be and still be accepted by everyone. This school setting really gave me the feeling of a family and it wasn’t until I got to college when I realized how important that was to me.

In high school, like most students, I was heavily involved in a lot of different clubs. One club that I had been in since freshman year was the Spanish club, and as a club, we hadn’t really ever done an event as a club that gave us a real taste of the Spanish culture. So during my sophomore year, we decided to start planning a trip that our school had never really done before. In collaboration with the French club, we decided to plan a trip to Europe. It would be a ten-day trip over spring break that would consist of going to Paris, France, and then to Barcelona, Spain. Given the type of trip this was, we realized that this would cost an extravagant amount of planning and money.

Starting my sophomore year, we began the fundraising, sorting out the details of what we would do. It was fundraiser, after fundraiser, after fundraiser, every single week. We over-ran our small town and school with endless car washes, bake sales, catalog orders, concession stands at every single sporting event, and anything else that we could possibly do to try and help cover the cost of forty French and Spanish students to go over-seas. As the weeks and year passed by, and after all of the fundraising, we had raised approximately twelve thousand dollars that would be distributed over the forty students and which cut down the cost by a great deal. 

            We were within a day or two from our departure date when a crisis had occurred. If you recall watching the news, the Iceland volcano had just erupted and the giant ash cloud was quickly covering the European sky. The news was filled with headlines such as, “The most planes grounded since 9/11!” along with school trips becoming postponed or canceled. The day had come, and our flight was still on. We board the bus to JFK and by the grace of god, make it on the plane, into the sky, and land at our layover in Madrid, Spain. When we arrive, we realize that our connection flight to Paris has been canceled. Not only that, but the French trains have gone on strike, and the line to get on a bus is at least a day’s wait, plus another day on the bus. Commence panic mode. We had to realize the fact that we were stuck in Madrid and make the best out of the situation. Our trip advisor from the tour company that was accompanying us on the trip was able to pull some strings and make accommodations for the night or two until we figured out our next step.

            When we took our first step up into the city after being down in the subway, we were absolutely blown away by everything. Just looking at the buildings, the streets, the cars, and the people, was a shock of how different it was from America. We would see these images in different movies or pictures, but seeing them in real life was amazing in itself. Every day was a different park, sight-seeing, an exotic and exciting restaurant for dinner. After the second day, we had gotten over the fact that Paris was no longer a possibility, but continued out scheduled trip to Carcassonne, France. It was this old, medieval city that we were able to tour around all day and get a taste of some of the French culture.

            Now that we were back on schedule, we took the train to Barcelona, where the trip became even more amazing then any of us could have ever thought. Since we had an actual plan of what to do, we were able to enjoy everything more then we already were. We saw the most famous sights in Barcelona such as the Magic Fountain, the Sagrada Familia, and the Monastery of Montserrat. Also, we took a bike tour around the city, stayed at a hotel in the middle of Las Ramblas, and ate the best food of my life. The list could go and on.

            The trip as a whole, to me, was a huge culture shock. It completely altered my view of Europeans, and the aspects of not only how I view them, but the way in which they view American culture, too. Coming into the trip, there was a swarm of prejudices that I had due to my exposure to the media and common American views of European culture. For example, I had always had the image of most Europeans being rude and having a stuck-up personality. In reality they are quite the opposite, and I came to find out that respect and family tradition is such a huge part of their culture. This trip was able to broaden my thoughts about foreign countries, as well as be more accepting toward their culture. Also, I feel that this trip would have not been possible if it weren’t for how I was brought up, and the school setting that I have lived in for my whole life.

The school setting was reflected into my home life as well. I was brought up in a privileged and loving family in which we had many traditions. We always tried to have family dinners along with a number of different things that made us close and connected. Due to this, I truly value the aspects of family and relationships. The way, and the setting, in which I was brought up in deeply influenced me in the way in which I identify myself.

When I think about my identity as an American, I am always brought back to how I was raised. I believe that the way a person is raised throughout their life is the greatest impact in how they are identified as well as how people identify them in their future. My personal identity is then shown through the closeness of my family, and the relationships that I had growing up. I loved my childhood and I truly believe that it is why my identity is the way it is today.

When I consider my childhood, I am brought back to a younger time that seriously had an impact on my life. It might not be something utterly groundbreaking, that instantly changed my entire view on life, but it was something large enough that was planted in my brain and grew to have a greater importance to me later in time. It happened to me at an age where I was too young to comprehend the magnitude of what had happened, but it became clearer as I became older.

It was the third grade. It is not seen as one of the most important years of schooling that every child goes through, but passing the second grade and moving on to a new chapter in the adventure of elementary school was a big change to me and most likely all of the other children as well. I meet my new teacher who was mildly scary at first with her crazy hair, but I settled in quickly with my friends. The first week passed with ease as we got into the normal routine. Then, the Tuesday of the next week started off different then all of the rest. I began at math time on the carpet in a circle first thing in the morning, answering all of the addition problems on my dry-erase board. The next thing that happened was out of the ordinary, to say the least. My teacher from second grade came into the class, crying, and asked to see our teacher out in the hall way. My heart instantly sank down into my stomach. When she came back into the room, all I can remember is her pale white face. It was as if the life had been drained out of her. Then the commotion started. She tried to explain what had happened but we remained confused as we were told that we were going to be sent home. It felt strange going home. I wanted to be excited to be out of school but I had the feeling that something had gone wrong.

As I arrived home, our family and friends were also at the house with their eyes glued to the television screen. I remember watching the news and seeing pictures that looked very familiar. It was New York City. The place that I had been just two weeks ago when my mom took us on the train. I remember her pointing to the giant skyscrapers, which stood far above all of the other buildings, and said that they were called the twin towers. As I looked at television, I saw the same images crashing down before my eyes. I remember seeing all of the smoke and dust that covered the people running down the street in terror. That is the exact image that comes to my mind when I think of terror attacks.

After seeing the same news story for months, I became more and more aware of what had happened and the seriousness of the attack.  Also, as the years went on, I began to realize why this had happened. The people who did this make it their job to go against the country that has raised me and shaped who I am. As America reacted to what had happened, I was amazed of how strong the country is and the force that we fight back with. It gave me the ability to take pride in my country and to stand behind it through the toughest times.

The following years, the name Osama Bin Laden rang through my mind as the man who hurt the county that I love. I wanted something to get done about this, and for there to be an end to the madness. The war on terror has been an ongoing struggle for the past ten years now, and about four months ago was the first time that America could finally take a sigh of relief. The man that was behind the 9/11 terror attacks was killed by the Navy SEAL elite team 6, one of the most specialized teams in the entire country. That was the day that I had the most pride for America in my lifetime. While I wanted to be joyful for what had happened, I recalled a famous quote by Jessica Dovey, and followed by Martin Luther King Jr., which says, “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” So as I look back at the attack, and everything that unfolded as a result, I have an increase in pride in my country.

When you look at the childhood that current college students have been raised in, it is astounding to see how much has happened, and the large amount of crises that have occurred within the past two decades compared to the last century. The majority of crises have been due to 9/11. The responses that we had during the Bush era such as the Patriot Act, as well as a huge shift of focus to the war on terror, fueling our troops to go into Afghanistan and fight against the Al Qaeda. America has faced another massive crisis, not in terms of war, but yet a crisis that took a huge blow to the economy. It is considered to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It resulted in the bailout of banks by the government, the collapse of large financial institutions, and huge declines in stock markets around the world. The housing market had also suffered, resulting in numerous evictions and foreclosures. It contributed to an increase in unemployment, which lead to declines in consumer wealth and economic activity estimated in the trillions of U.S. dollars. In a nutshell, everything led to a severe global economic recession in 2008 and 2009.

The actions and series of events that have unfolded in the past ten years are ones that brought pain to the country. Yet, when we see past the destruction that has occurred, we can observe how we come out a stronger and more powerful nation. That is what fuels my pride for my country and shapes my identity as a citizen.

            If we ultimately define our identity as Americans, we can begin to observe our beliefs and principals on subjects that pertain to our country today. Americans continue to differ among hundreds of different topics and beliefs that pertain to the political as well as the social world. The identity of each person is a key factor in determining what they believe in.

            After looking at my identity, it wasn’t like a giant gust of wind and a shining light from the sky came down and showed me enlightenment along with the meaning of life. I just looked at what has made me who I am today. I take pride in how I was raised, along with my family values and beliefs. Due to this, I followed in my father’s footsteps, took what he truly believed in, and applied it to my own life. My father is a Republican with strong support behind it. When I was younger, I always was watching the news with my dad. From the local news, to the world nightly news, my dad and I would be watching either ABC or Fox News. I would be constantly asking questions, and he would explain them in the best way possible.

As I continued to grow up, and ask questions about the country and politics, I took what he said to heart and began to truly believe in them as well. As a result, I have conservative views, and I build my idea of how we should define the American identity as such.

            The American identity should not be viewed as a stereotype of what America is like; rather it should exemplify the strong suits. I believe that the stronger aspects that make up the country are those that give us our pride to be Americans. For example, the freedoms that we are given is one of the most valued aspects of American culture. Most people take for granted the amount of freedom that we are given, compared to the majority of other countries in the world. The freedom to believe in whatever religious being that we desire, and the freedoms to say what we want, are two of many freedoms that people from other countries would literally die to have.

Overall as a country, we are given a great deal of luxuries which we do not realize. There also comes a point where we must look at how much we are given, and determine if it actually necessary. When the nation was founded, it was seen to have the idea that Americans must have the desire inside of them to get whatever they want in life. It was part of the American dream that you could be whoever you wanted to be and achieve anything if you set your mind to it. But something happened over time. As Americans, we became lazy and wondered why we weren’t receiving things that we wanted. So instead of becoming motivated, we became dependent on the government to supply us with these things in life. Nowhere in the Constitution does it state that the government is there to provide you with all of these programs and benefits, but we ask for them anyway. This is how the government struggles to pay for these things without having to raise taxes, and we fall into debt. It is the attitude of the American people that eats away at the government and slowly brings it down.

I’m not stating that the government shouldn’t give anything to the people, because there are a number of things that government needs to provide for the United States to maintain stability. But there are things that the government doesn’t need to provide that we can do without. This would lower the taxes for the people, and give them more money to invest into the economy. Granted there are flaws in this way of thinking, but it is possible to take more steps in this direction. If we as Americans can get back to the “can-do” attitude that our founding fathers set in place for us, then we would be able to rise to come back to being the most prosperous nation in the world.

My identity has been shaped not only my family and the way I was raised:  the majority of it was a direct result of the greatness of the nation, and the history that continues to shape not only the future of America, but my overall American identity as well. 

 

On final reflection of the course, it has really given me one of the greatest opportunities that I could have gotten. I was able to look at my beliefs as an American and think about what may or may not have shaped them throughout my life. Through this course, I feel more set in what I believe in with my community, my country, and my personal American identity.