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Being an American has nothing to do with genetics. It is cultural. One acquires a national identity as an “American” either in childhood or later as an adult through voluntary assimilation. Up until the late 1700s, the nature of American culture was yet to be defined. What was clear, however, was that they people living in the thirteen colonies on the East Coast of America were very diverse in cultural heritage. One social commentator noted that night and day had more in common than the citizens of the thirteen colonies. The founders of our country were determined that a common culture would be developed among these diverse peoples. Their plan for creating an unum (one) from pluribus (many) included two important steps.
First, they defined the American culture as a set of values and beliefs to which citizens would commit themselves. Those values and beliefs were spelled out in such documents as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights of the United States. They are symbolized in the statement that Americans believe that all humans are created equal and have God given inalienable rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are Americans to the extent to which we adopt and internalize a pluralistic set of values concerning democracy, freedom, liberty, equality, justice, the rights of individuals, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Our common commitment to these values unites us as one people, even though we are the descendants of many cultures, races, religions, and ethnic groups, and come from every part of the world.
Second, our identity as Americas consists of three parts. First, each of us should have an appreciation for our own historic, cultural, ethnic, and religious background as well as our other important personal characteristics. We should value and recognize the culture, history, and homeland of our ancestors as part of our personal identity.
The second part is an appreciation and respect for the historic, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and other important personal characteristics of other citizens. There should be a curiosity and an inquiry orientation about the background and heritage of our fellow citizens, recognizing that our differences make us stronger as a nation.
The third part is developing a strong superordinate identity of being an American. Thus, all citizens may in fact be hyphenated Americans, such as Norwegian-American, German-American, Vietnamese-American, Mexican-American, and so forth. Our common identity as “American” transcends the differences among us.
Our common commitment to the same pluralistic values and beliefs and the resulting common identity as an “American” allows us to get to know one another, appreciate and value the vitality of diversity, and learn how to use our diversity for creative problem solving and enhanced productivity.
Johnson, D. W. (2015). Constructive controversy: Theory, research, practice. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. Joining together: Group theory and group skills. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
