Topic > American Identity and the Role of the Stranger in the American Nation and Other Nations

The topic of discussion for this section of the lesson was primarily American Identity and the Role of the Stranger in our Nation and other nations. It's an interesting discussion topic to think about what makes someone an American, regardless of whether they are a citizen or not. There are several traits that make “an American” according to the authors and thinkers reflected on in class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAn American public school is an easily identifiable sight. There is an American flag in every room and the Pledge of Allegiance is said at the beginning of each school day. From an early age, our children are taught to revere the flag and be patriotic towards their country. This is used as a form of assimilation for the youth of America. Unfortunately, the story we are forced to believe as children is a bit distorted. Underestimate the difficult moments in our history and overestimate the good. For example, I remember learning about the first Thanksgiving when I was very young. When we imagine this, we imagine the Pilgrims and Native Americans sitting around a big happy table eating turkey and being friendly with each other. Those of us who actually know the events surrounding the first Thanksgiving know that this "happy supper" would have included Native Americans being infected with smallpox and the Pilgrims stealing their land (that's right, no turkey). Another topic of discussion is how foreigners are treated in our nation and other nations. Immigrants are sometimes considered a problem to be addressed, when there are many significant members of American society who were immigrants. An example is Eddie Van Halen. Edward moved from the Netherlands with his family during his childhood and brought our nation extraordinary music and many wonderful concerts full of joyful rock and roll. This is a pretty silly example, but the idea is that immigrants have a lot to add to our society, and our culture is the way it is because of our immigrants. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay We should all remember that unless we are specifically descended from Native Americans, we are all immigrants. The American identity is that of a melting pot of other cultures and nationalities. Immigrants are part of the American identity and natural born citizens.