What is American?

America is a consciousness rather than a culture, a way of life more than a precise political identity. Through the decades of immigration and settlement, with its unique characteristics of absorption and adjustment, assimilation and integration, America has become more than just a word for a geographical entity – it is a melting pot of diverse streams of humanity with their individual traits morphed into a fused sense of the American way of life. Fugazi’s lyrics define this perception of the ‘American’ identity which has magnified into multi-cultural multi-ethnic dimensions beyond the limited parameters of the name:

America is just a word but I use it. Language keeps me locked and repeating. (“Stacks”) What is so unique about the different races and cultures , transforming themselves and causing a metamorphism in the constitution of the country, like subtle ripples on still waters? In this global world, there are umpteen numbers of displacements and re-settlements in every nation. Why is it that the American identity is changed because of the influx of people, customs and ideas? It is exemplified in Chesterton’s words:

In a word, what is unique is not America but what is called Americanization… [The British] are not trying to Anglicize thousands of French cooks or Italian organ grinders. France is not trying to Gallicize thousands of English trippers or German prisoners of war. America is the one place in the world where this process, healthy or unhealthy, possible or impossible, is going on. And the process…is not internationalization. It would be truer to say it is the nationalization of the internationalized.

It is making a home out of vagabonds and a nation out of exiles. (“What is America? ”) The American identity is an evolution, originating from the solid foundation of the Bill of Rights to a deep sense of patriotism and openness to change, a fighting spirit coupled with a friendly welcome to different nationalities. From the stars and stripes flag fluttering on American rooftops on Fourth of July to the barbeque on Labor Day, the solemn remembrance of Veterans’ Day and the Thanksgiving turkey, there is a sense of pride and belonging in the name ‘American’.

This nation’s uniqueness rests on the principle of free will and choice. It is a democracy not closeted in theoretical ideology, but actively visible in the food, clothes, languages, religious beliefs and practices and lifestyles of the multi-faceted citizens of America. The American identity is an antithetical blend of internationalism in a nutshell of a nation. It is evidenced in the Italian pasta fragrant with the Indian cumin and the Caribbean peppers; it is seen in the combination platter of Japanese sushi with Chinese noodles and Spanish paella.

Even the American dinner of pizza is transformed into a multi-cultural multi-cuisine entity with the customization of ingredients and flavors from all parts of the world. The free market economy of this nation is a distinctive quality of the American way of life. America is a land of opportunity where merit and talent are endorsed, hard work is remunerated, and the sky is the limit for individuals with aspiration and ingenuity. From the Silicon Valley I. T. avenues to the Mid-Western blue-collar industry and the East Coast corporate giants, labor is respected, regardless of the station and type of work.

The bus driver is greeted with the same friendly welcome as the white-collar executive. Unlike the European, especially the English Work culture, there is no pedigree demanding privilege in the American democracy. For every citizen by birth or choice, ‘America’ symbolizes a hope for a better future, a dream crystallized to reality by sheer hard work and creative vision. There is no specific definition of the American culture, yet when thousands of cheering fans root for the inimitable Yankees or the Dallas Cowboys, one experiences the unmistakable sense of being ‘American’.

Sometimes, it is just enough to feel the macrocosm of the word than attempt to characterize its identity in the microcosm of a description. And this is invariably true of the American identity in the cosmos of its culture. Works Cited Chesterton, G. K. “What is America? ” What I saw in America. 14 November 2008. < http://www. libertynet. org/edcivic/chestame. html> Fugazi. “Stacks lyrics”. 14 November 2008. < http://www. mp3lyrics. org/f/fugazi/stacks/>