With diversity, there has often been a temptation define what an American looks or acts or thinks like. We see this with attitudes toward emancipated slaves during the Jim Crow era, with immigrants during the Gilded Age, with Germans during WWI and the Japanese during WWII, and throughout the 20th c. there were those with ideological points of view that made them stand out as different, and therefore un-American. Keep those in mind as you shape your paper.
The following quote is from a speech made in 1941 by Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior for during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration:
“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the coincidence of his citizenship. Not his social status nor his bank account. Not his trade nor his profession. An American is one who loves justice and believes in the dignity of man. An American is one who will fight for his freedom and that of his neighbor. An American is one who will sacrifice property, ease and security in order that he and his children may retain the rights of free men. An American is one in whose heart is engraved the immortal second sentence of the Declaration of Independence.
Americans have always known how to fight for their rights and their way of life. Americans are not afraid to fight. They fight joyously in a just cause.
Summary: This definition of what it means to be an American is idealistic. It’s essentially saying that anyone can be an American, if they share the ideals laid out in the quote. In fact, American history is filled with examples of how this definition did not apply to certain segments of American society, at least from the point of view of the dominant society. With this in mind and using the assigned materials, draft an essay addressing the following questions:
How does the definition of “being an American” work in the United States, given its treatment of ethnic minorities throughout its history?
Why do some Americans claim people with different ideas are un-American?
Very Important notices:
Sources To Use: This assignment is for an essay paper based upon the following information and documents:
1- The material provided for the Chapter 23 lesson; that I uploaded to you in a separate file.
2- Primary sources from this book “Voices of Freedom”: A Documentary History, Vol. 2, 5th Edition. (, using at least 5 sources from 3 different chapters)
3- Use other research materials, you are free to do so. You must provide both: a discussion of the question with your analysis AND specific examples from the book. My grade will be based upon the level of your analysis, the use of specific facts and examples, and the writing quality. The professor is using TurnItIn to check for plagiarism, so be very careful to cite all quotes and to submit original work.
Feel free to allow yourself to really explore the topic on the paths you find the most interesting. There isn’t necessarily a “right answer” that I am looking for, but rather that you have an understanding of the real challenge in protecting the civil liberties of all in a democratic society. Use the resources listed above, citing specific examples to support your point of view.
