I have lived in the United States of America for my entire life, growing up in the Bay Area gives me different views of what it means to be an American to other people. The idea of what it means to be an American can alter wherever you are in the country. To some it means extreme patriotism and to others it just means to be living here. To me America means freedom and the extreme opportunities given. Yet, others have had very different outlooks on what this country is.
The country that I see as a land of freedom and opportunity has been a land of false advertising to others. The idea of our country being a place where everyone is equal is just a lie. In “Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes he talks about how America has never really been America. In our own countries Declaration of Independence it states, “all men are created equal.” This part of the document was written by a slave owner which highlights the ways in which our country is built on unkept promises. Langston Hughes talks about all the ways in which African Americans and many other groups of people who have been oppressed don’t have the same opportunities as white people in America. In a particular part the author says, “ O, let America be America again— The land that never has been yet— And yet must be—the land where every man is free. The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—.” This conveys that America means a country that has only worked well for white men so we need to make it a place that works for everyone, as promised in documents like the Declaration of Independence.
While some see America as a country that has not worked for them, others have been able to live the “American Dream”. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a book, told from narrator Nick Carraway’s point of view, about the lives of his wealthy friends. One of those characters, Jay Gatsby, is a very rich man who came from a poor family. This book shows another side of America which is the people this country did not give false promise. As he comes from a poor family and ends up an extremely wealthy man.
Like Langston Hughes said previously, many Americans have not been given the opportunity and freedom they were promised years ago. This same idea is prevalent in Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”, a poem she performed at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on January 20, 2021. She talks about how we can make America a better place by giving equal treatment to all. The poem states, “Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished. We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president.” The ways in which they do not compare is she seems to talk about how we all need to unify to adopt these standards. This is largely because of how different the country is nowadays versus in the 1930s.
As stated earlier I believe that America is a country that many have found to be great due to the fact of the ways in which it has allowed them to succeed in life. America is a country that many have found to be great, whereas others have found it to be a place not providing equality for them. Growing up as a white, middle class, male I have felt the United States has been a great country that has worked very well for me. Yet, I have grown up in an extremely diverse region which allows me to observe the ways in which it doesn’t work for people of color and other marginalized groups. So, I agree with all of these texts, for some the country is a place where your wildest dreams can come true and for others you are not given the opportunities you were promised.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott), 1896-1940. The Great Gatsby. New York :C. Scribner’s sons, 1925.
Hughes, Langston. “Let America Be America Again.” Poets.org. The Academy of American Poets. 07 May 2013 <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15609>.
Gorman, Amanda. “Amanda Gorman’s Poem Stole the Show at the Inauguration. Read It Again Here.” Town & Country, 17 Feb. 2021, www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a35279603/amanda-gorman-inauguration-poem-the-hill-we-climb-transcript.
Dear Jude,
I am impressed with your post ” America means inequality” because I will like to know about what people think about the United States of America. I like the fact that connected to story to yourself and other people that are going through the same time but you have the courage. To speak about it is like for you to be a American not not fully a American.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “In our own countries Declaration of Independence it states, ‘all men are created equal.’ This part of the document was written by a slave owner which highlights the ways in which our country is built on unkempt promises.” I think that this is important to know because it is nice to know the background of were our frames that the U.S.A. stands for come form. But the fact that they pointed out the U.S.A. is filled will false promises.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because knowing what people think like this gives me a prospective of what other people can feel in the U.S.A. and that do not have the same advantages like we do. But mostly in general I would like to know what is going through those peoples heads.
Sincerely, Dulce
Hey,
I really like how you connected your personal feelings into this essay. Although I strongly disagree with your personal feelings, you did a great job of integrating them, but also pointing out how others have vastly different experiences.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “The country that I see as a land of freedom and opportunity has been a land of false advertising to others.” I think this is important because it sums up your opinion, but also shows an opposing opinion. However, you could make it better by connecting it to people like you saying that the US has given them opportunities is what gives people false hope in the first place. Possibly if people did not speak like this an falsely advertise, others would not be hurt as badly as they are.
Another sentence that I liked was: “Declaration of Independence it states, “all men are created equal.” This part of the document was written by a slave owner which highlights the ways in which our country is built on unkept promises.” I love how you were able to connect to how the US has been unequal since the very beginning, and use historical evidence.
Have you read “Denial is the Heartbeat of America?” I thought you might be interested in this because of it connects to your point about the declaration of independence. Many people refuse to even recognize that the “founding fathers” were racist, immoral people, and are able to idolize them. It connects to the article because it shows an example of people denying the parts of US history that they feel uncomfortable with.
Thank you for writing, I loved how you included many perspectives including your own and were able to get past the denial that is at the heart of this nation in order to recognize its flaws.
Hey,
I find you write really well from different perspectives, but you also write really well tying these new thoughts to older of more current events, such as the wring of the Declaration of Independence, and the storming of the capital in recent years. One thing you said that stands out for me was in response to the “not all men are create equal” quote, you say, “This part of the document was written by a slave owner which highlights the ways in which our country is built on unkempt promises.”, pointing out that the united states was really build on an idea, and has evolved to a more bias interpretation of the the idea of “not all men are create equal”. So, I found this really persuasive as a reader, and agree with this idea of deception of the United States. Really good job!
I really enjoyed reading your post because of how relevant it is and the obvious research you put into it. It is extremely well written. America promises freedom and opportunity. Yet, there is an overflow of inequality going on. People do not have the same opportunities as others when it comes to race, gender, religion, etc. Complete freedom does not exist when people are getting arrested/sometimes killed by police for not being white.
This is a well writen comment. I love all of the examples you used in this post and how they are relevant. The points that you bring up are very true and they are also problems that we shiuld try and solve. The facts that back up your points are very accurate and support them well.
I completely agree. I really like how you said that America is the land of false advertising to some. That is absolutely true. Many come here for the many opportunities that are constantly advertised by the country, but are left disappointed when they find that it is virtually impossible to build the life you want without having an in. Why do you think that is? Do you think that it has always been false advertising or was it once true?
I like how this post was written from the perspective of a person with opportunities. You also considered many factors that contribute to inequality including racism and poverty. Maybe try including some effects of inequality and why it is present in the U.S.