Preview

Essay on American Ideals

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
525 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay on American Ideals
For every American, there is an endless array of different factors, often spanning over decades and centuries, which have each uniquely contributed to how he or she has ended up living in America. The stories that account for how each American has ended up in America are filled with a vast diversity of different events and people, but nearly all of these stories involve the common aspect- the opportunity to start a new life in America.
Most people’s journeys to America begin long before they are born, originating in the lives of their predecessors, who voyaged across the sea to America, the country of new beginnings. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, multitudes of foreigners in seek of escaping the troubles of their current lives decided to sail to America for a fresh start. The influx of overseas immigrants from various European countries turned the population into a medley of nationally diverse peoples that over time gently simmered into the cliché ‘melting pot’. The final result is the tremendously diverse American populace present today, in which many people have extensively broad and complex family trees, with ancestors of many different nationalities.
My journey to America began with my Italian ancestors from Naples, Italy on my Mother’s side, and my mostly Irish relatives from my Dad’s side. Both sides of the family came to America at around the advent of the twentieth century, a time in which both Italy and Ireland were going through their own political and social strife. Italy during that time was in the wake of having different factions within the country against each other and the resulting Italian Unification. Tension was mounting, and in a number of years, Italy was to be ruled by the Fascist tyrant, Benito Mussolini. My great grandmother and grandfather living in Italy at the time, both humble shoemakers, were not economically well off and most likely were fraught with the tensions of their daily lives. They may have had scarce food,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    There were many factors that lead to the emigration of Italians to America in the 1800’s and 1900’s. The Italians in Southern Italy were the ones who suffered the most. Southern Italy was under the control of Spanish Monarchy, and kings left them living in poverty. In fact, 85% of Italian immigrants came from South of Naples down to Sicily. Garibaldi’s victory unfortunately did not produce the outcome Southern Italians were looking for. They were soon invaded by Northern Italy, and by that time, most southern peasants could not provide for their families. Most of their meager wages went to pay for the high taxes enforced by the North. By this time, Southern Italian’s had turned away from outsiders, and invested everything they had in family.…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    prosperous from its diversity, epitomizes the "American Melting Pot". It is complicated to relate such different backgrounds, but with an overview of history, culture, religion, and integration on a small scale, a reader is capable of applying the values to the American culture as a whole.…

    • 2976 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many different groups from Europe immigrated to America in the ambition of acquiring a better life for themselves. Among these Europeans were the Southern Italians, who sought pocket money to provide for their poor families in rural Italy. Even though the Italians suffered from grueling conditions and arduous labor, their strenuous work was well rewarded with money to supply for their families in Italy or to produce better lives for themselves in America.…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As a little girl, I remember my father, whose primarily Northern European and minorly Cherokee heritage marked him as other, telling me that the old Swiss men, the cultural norm of the small California town where he was raised, would not even nod to him until after he had returned from active military duty overseas. That cultural pattern saw its origin in the late 19th century where “ethnic identities proved to be a part of ... (white European foreign immigrants) self-identity and affected the way that they related to others.” The data presented in the reading reflects a rise in the white population and a corresponding drop in all non-white groups over the time period from 1860-1900. American Indians, for example, dropped from nearly 5% of…

    • 271 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Genetic Ancestry of African Americans, Latinos, and European Americans across the United States” is an article developed by the company 23andMe. The authors of this article are Katarzyna Bryc, Eric Durand, Michael Macpherson, David Reich and Joanna Mountain. 23andMe studied the genetic ancestry of 5,269 self-described African Americans, 8,663 Latinos, and 148,789 European Americans who are 23andMe customers and show that the legacy of these historical interactions is visible in the genetic ancestry of present day Americans. Although the US government has census surveys that establish fine scale self-described ethnicity at the state and county level, 23andMe look at the relationship between genetic ancestry and self-reported ancestry for each region. These studies can inform medical studies and personalized medical treatment.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Italians, particularly from the southern region of Italy, started immigrating to New York, in large amounts, in the late 1800s to early 1900s mostly because of the poor economic state Southern Italy was in because the Italian government didn’t cater to the needs of the working poor. “The economic crisis in the South [of Italy] was perceptibly the consequence of national policies hostile to the interests of the people from the [Southern Italy]” (Richards 98). The majority of the Italian immigrants were usually single unmarried males, of working age, were working or were actively seeking employment and were generally spoke no England and were illiterate. The Italian immigrants that were married with children generally didn’t bring their family…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In early America, the age of immigrants, the foundation of our identity was being created. Some did not take kindly to this new diversity. Nativist organizations sprung up in opposition to the incoming waves of immigrants. This was partially due to concerns over economic issues and jobs, but it also heavily concerned the unity and identity of America. The Nativists, those who were among the original “Americans,” were weary of the impact of these…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    America's founding ideals aren't set in stone. In both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, it is never explicitly stated what ideals are most important and what are least important. However, it is clear that the founders of the nation wanted to promote the five qualities listed above. Early colonial laws, the Articles of Confederation and the founding documents of the United States all strongly urge the government to ensure liberty, equality, rights, opportunity and democracy. America was founded on principles of liberty, individuality and freedom.…

    • 184 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    America, have you ever just stopped, and wonder what are the basic fundamentals that make you proud to be an American? In other words, what makes you proud of your country? Many people just believe America it just another insignificant and common north American country conforming the earth’s geography. Well based on your personal experience with America, which opinion do you think America is more likely to match with? In this essay I am going to be expressing my personal opinion of this country, making you change your view and opinion about it. More specifically, I am going to be talking about equality, freedom and democracy. Just a little taste of how fortunate we are as to be living here in this extraordinary place.…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Do you know what it means to be an American? There is several ways to show what it is to be an American. For example, the police protect our streets everyday. Also the people that have careers that makes our country a better place. An American is showing patriotism, having freedom, and showing love and devotion for your country.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of United States, expressed his thoughts on Americanism through an article titled “American Ideals”. According to Roosevelt, Americanism means to adopt an American way of life being carefree of our religion or tradition in the past. Every true citizen who thinks himself as an American should be aware of the American Ideals and should be able to follow them from the bottom of their heart. America has always been a land of immigrants with cultural and political diversity from the very beginning and also a dream country to most of the people all around the world. Roosevelt believed that anyone from any part of the world has right to migrate and settle in the United States if they are willing to do so. He had a definite set of American Ideals and also assured that anyone who is able to follow those ideals will be called as a true American.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    American Vision and Values

    • 2650 Words
    • 11 Pages

    I was worried when I started this course and found out that we were to conduct a volunteer project. My worry was not due to lack of desire to be involved, but rather I knew that I would be deploying while taking this course. How would I be able to volunteer in my community when I would be thousands of miles away? Then a very interesting point was brought to my attention; my Air Force career itself is a foundation of community involvement, even if it takes me to a community that is not American.…

    • 2650 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Between the years of 1880 and 1920, more than 4 million Italians immigrated to America (Hall 1987: 54). Italy was compromised of many races of different origins, and there was a broad distinction between the northern and southern Italians. Southern Italians were poor, unskilled workers who worked in agriculture. The northern Italians were generally wealthier, more enterprising, and more intelligent than their fellow southern countrymen. The group of northern Italians were peaceable and industrious, and improved the trades in which they engaged. Although these two groups were quite different, they both chose to relocate to America (Hall 1987:55).…

    • 1865 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the time of WWII and the great depression, President Roosevelt was in charge. Usually the results from war are devastation, depression, deprivation, and death. Along with these, war is extremely costly, like WWII costing more than $350 billion dollars. And the numbers of deaths is unreal with more than 292,000 American men killed. WWII had many affects on Americans in the country forcing people to make many sacrifices.…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Part two: Describes the mixture of people who have settled in America. As immigrants from England, Scotland, France, Holland, Germany and Sweden pour into America, the country has become a melting pot of many different cultures. Struggling to make ends meet, people have come to America from their respective countries in Europe in search of a better opportunity and a new life where they might be able to be treated fairly and regarded as citizens under the law (unlike in their old countries). Since many of these immigrants left their countries due to poverty or persecution, they have no attachment to their previous homes and consider themselves to be truly American.…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays