Essay Sample about American Identity

Upon first introduction, does one’s perception of race, religion, native-born country, and social class outweigh the significance of human connection? Much of U.S. public discourse indicates that American identity should revolve around a set of principles and ideologies. However, it is clear in practice, a large majority of U.S. citizens continue to believe American identity has its roots in ascriptive characteristics. Sonia Nazario displays Latin American immigrants' complicated journey to the United States in her book, Enrique’s Journey.  Immigrants' ability or inability to integrate into American society is attributed to their awareness of their identity and how it fits into American politics and communities as well as American-born citizens' perception of immigrants’ race, religion, and native-born country.

Americans expect immigrants to shed their ethnic identities and accept the new American nationalism identity once they have immigrated to the United States. If it is assumed that identities have to compete with each other for a spot in one’s expression, Americans’ have cause for concern. However, second-generation immigrants tend to develop multiple identities, which contribute to the growing amount of disapproval from American society. Edwina Barvosa, an associate professor of social and political theory, explores American immigrants’ roles in American conflict. In The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, she writes, “Immigrants who retained ethnic identities were seen as insufficiently American”. Connections often stem from relatability. Whether someone has the same skin color as you, or you both enjoy the same hobbies, nothing can hold back genuine human connection other than one’s biases. Race is considered by many to be inherited biologically, having no significance in one’s personality, whereas ethnicity is perceived to be acquired based on factors such as how and where you grew up. Native-born Americans struggle to isolate the two terms, often referring to them interchangeably. If you are black, you are considered a criminal in the eyes of Americans, if you are Latino, you are viewed as an “alien” by Americans. These harmful stereotypes, converge race with personality and ethnicity. Devos, Thierry, and Mahzarin R. Banaji’s book American = White? explores a number of studies that demonstrate “Americanness” is attributed more to European immigrants than to African Americans, Asian Americans, or Latinos, regardless of which definition of American identity respondents used. The struggle to distinguish between race and ethnicity is often met by rejection of ethnic cultures and identities, forcing the identity of American nationalism onto immigrants.

Religion plays a significant role in immigrants' identity and ability to integrate into American culture. Latin American immigrants often use religion to guide them through the tough journey through Latin America and into the United States. David L. Leal, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, Jerod Patterson, and Joe R Tafoya, both doctoral candidates in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin write in their study of Religion and the Political Engagement of Latino Immigrants, “Religion is a powerful and multifunctional force. In broad terms, it can reinforce ethnic identities and provide a space within which ethnic differences may be expressed, while also promoting participation in, or assimilation into, a new host country.” Religion can either make an immigrant feel more embraced into a country’s society, or it can do the exact opposite. Sonia Nazario writes about the effects of religion on Latin American immigrants in her book Enrique’s Journey. She explores Enrique’s journey to America, where he and his fellow migrants attribute their successful journey to God. They pray for guidance and protection and carry Bibles covered in plastic as a source of validation. This practice demonstrates the importance of religion to Latin American immigrants and their desire for relatability to each other and native Americans during their journey to the United States. Peggy Levitt identifies in her book Two Nations Under God? Latino Religious Life in the United States that Latino immigrants who are either Catholic or Christian, find it easier to connect with American born citizens through church, rather than those who identify with a different religion. American society excludes those with different religions because of the threatening nature of immigrants to Americans' sense of identity.

An ongoing question between scholars is whether American identity is constituted by a set of principles and ideologies such as individualism, freedom, equality, and rule of law, or ethnonationalism traits such as language, skin color, native birth, and religion. The unclear definition of “Americanness” among United States-born citizens has profound implications for domestic minority groups and immigrants. Some Americans view their nationalistic identity as simple as residing in the United States, whereas others identify with a more intense definition. This causes difficulty within immigrant communities to assimilate into American culture, due to the case-by-case interpretation. Differing amounts of American pride within political parties contribute to the inclusion and exclusion of immigrants from American politics. In Colorado in 2014, there were debates within the Jefferson County board of education over the censorship of ethnic content in the AP U.S. history curriculum. Pam Mazanec, a representative on the state board of education, argued, “...I note our slavery history. Yes, we practiced slavery. But we also ended it voluntarily, at great sacrifice, while the practice continues in many countries still today. Shouldn’t our students be provided that viewpoint? This is part of the argument that America is exceptional.” Extreme American nationalist identities, like Mazanec, are harmful to immigrant and minority communities’ ability to integrate into American society. Not only do Americans make harmful assumptions about immigrants, but immigrants create unattainable expectations for their new life in America. In the novel Enrique’s Journey, he is finally reunited with his mother after she left him as a child and he argues, “People come here to prosper. You have nothing here. What have you accomplished?” Both Enrique’s and Lourdes’ expectations for American life are not met, causing anger and discourse in their family. Americans’ stereotypes for immigrants and immigrants’ unrealistic expectations for American life have negative impacts on their ability to integrate into American society. Differing perspectives of nativist ideologies contribute to the stigmatization of Latin American immigrants and their difficulty integrating into American culture.

Perception is the fundamental principle of acceptance of immigrants within America. A threatened sense of identity on native-born Americans’ part contributes to the exclusion and isolation of Latino immigrants.  Immigrants' ability or inability to integrate into American society is attributed to their awareness of their identity and how it fits into American politics and communities as well as American-born citizens' perception of immigrants’ race, religion, and native-born country.