Kyndal Howie

Major Assignment 1 Rough Draft

January 24, 2017

What does the term American identity really mean? American

identity is not only how Americans see themselves, but also how the

world sees Americans. As the United States grows more and more

every day, the question of what it means to be an American has grown

to become a rather complex answer. Although there are many answers,

I think that diversity is the most prominent. Meaning that, American

identity is the understanding that each individual is unique and has

individual differences. America has always been a nation of

immigrants, often known as the melting pot. It is a society in which

people from different racial, cultural, religious, and ethnic heritages

blend together. In the past, I had a hard time understanding what

made up my personal identity. I have always felt as if I am a typical

American who has grown up in a typical American family. But

however you look at it, my identity affects the way I communicate and

interact with others. Even though countless different people make up

our society, we all come together as a whole. Correspondingly, many

qualities of my American identity such as religious status and location

affect the way I communicate with those around me.

Each individual has his or her own qualities and conditions that

are different from others. One of the greatest differences among

people is along the dimensions of religious beliefs. For me, I have been

raised in a very religious family. I have grown up going to church,

 Kyndal Howie
Major Assignment 1 Rough Draft
January 24, 2017
saying prayers before meals, and reading bible verses at family get-

togethers. Throughout my childhood, this has been a part of my

everyday life and makes up who I am. Nonetheless, there are many

people in my life who cannot relate. For example, my boyfriend is the

opposite. Although, he believes in God just as I do, he was raised

entirely different. He was not grown up in one church, and doesnt

regularly attend. When I first met his family, this was something very

unfamiliar for me. Although my family has taught me to serve God

everyday, I did not look at them like they were exotic or strange

because their identity was different from mine. I didnt discriminate

against them because American identity is built upon diversity.

The definition of diversity is much more than a range of different

things. It is being able to sympathize to those qualities and conditions

that are different from our own, yet make up many others. While there

happens to be many people in the United States who were raised the

same as I was, there are also many people who werent. Being in

America is about understanding one another and being able to

celebrate the freedom of religion. Appropriately, this has affected how I

communicate with others. While I respect others beliefs and lifestyles, I

have been raised to tell others about God. Thus, I have brought my

boyfriend and other friends to church who usually dont tend to do that

on Sundays. This has helped me communicate what greatly makes up

my identity.
 Kyndal Howie
Major Assignment 1 Rough Draft
January 24, 2017
Besides religion, location is another aspect that makes up a big

part of who I am. I was born and raised in Cornelius, North Carolina, a

small town just right outside of Charlotte. I have lived in the same

town; even the same house my entire life. As I mentioned before, I

have had a hard time of finding what makes up my identity. I have

grown up hearing that America is known as a melting pot. Because

there are not many people who have lived in the same state their

whole life, much less the same town, I cant relate to many others.

When you have lived in the same place your entire life, you dont

understand the feeling of being identified in one place, yet having your

roots elsewhere. Seeing that I have lived in the same location my

entire life, I not only identify as an American but as a Cornelius resident

as well.

Living in the same place has affected the way I communicate

with others in many ways. For example, when coming to college this

year I have met many people whom similarly, were born in the United

States, yet talk very differently from me. Because I have been rooted in

the same place my entire life I havent been around many people who

talk differently than I do. For instance, my roommate is from New York.

She has told me I talk very southern which is something I have never

been told before. However, because we come from different locations

we have different dialects. She has commented many times on how I

have a much slower speech in which I draw out vowel sounds. I often
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Major Assignment 1 Rough Draft
January 24, 2017
run together words like gonna (going to) and yall (you all), which are

terms she doesnt use. Similarly, she says many sayings that I have

never even heard of. For instance, she uses the word pop instead of

soda, and the word hero instead of sandwich. In that event, location

has a large impact on the way we communicate. Not only that, but it

makes up an immense part of our identity as well.

Ultimately, American identity is built upon diversity. Diversity

meaning that each American has a unique and individual difference.

Our society is made up of people among different races, ethnicities,

genders, age, and political beliefs.

It is the exploration and celebration of the dimensions of diversity

between each individual. While I have had a hard time finding my

individual difference, I have realized that all of these aspects make up

my identity, and as a result affect the way I communicate with others.

While our society can be broken down into many different religions and
 Kyndal Howie
Major Assignment 1 Rough Draft
January 24, 2017
locations, this is what makes us come together as a whole. These

different identities affect the way we communicate with those around

us, and all of this integrated is what makes up the true American

identity.