Essay On Being An American

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“Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the only way I know I am an American. America is the only idealistic nation in the world”. That was said by Woodrow Wilson. He couldn’t have said it better. Being an American means equal opportunities. One has the freedom to practice any religion, get any job they want, live anywhere they want, all regardless of skin color or beliefs. Being American, means being free. One of the main things that is American is the right to vote. In a lot of countries, the leaders are all selected by one particular group, or council, or are given that position because they are the next heir in a long line of family members. Being able to choose the officials that govern us is a really big deal. Unfortunately, being American also means that you have the right to vote, or not to vote. More and more, less and less people are voting, especially those of a younger age. Regardless of individual decisions, everyone has…show more content…
This is displayed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and many, many more historical documents. In order to be American and have access to all of these rights, one must be an American citizen. This can be done in three main ways: Citizenship by birth, acquired citizenship, or naturalization. Nowadays, naturalization is the most common way to become a citizen. This requires the person to be at least 18 years old, possessive of a green card for at least five years, as well as remaining in the country for a certain amount of time at once, and receive a certain score on an exam or interview. Being a citizen also means that an oath of allegiance is sworn between person and country. It’s written on paper to seem as though it’s a simple checklist, that can be completed very easily. But when it comes to applying for citizenship, often, it is a much longer and complicated

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