To Be American

College Writing 1
01/28/2014

To Be American

The authors point of view concerning being an American can be translated by foreign Immigrants and those who work hard, Contribute to the American society (play an active roll), and those who embrace the American culture. Step Into the shoes of an immigrant and ask this one question, what does it take to truly become an American Citizen? For those who came to the United States for a better life, they had to under go many obstacles and turmoil as a foreigner for the sake of achieving the “American Dream” known for the land of opportunity. In this short story to “Be American” by Carlos Bulosan, it depicts the hardship and life of the narrator’s cousin Consorcio an Immigrant from the Philippines in the early 20th century. In this short story the narrator expresses not only the ordeals of his cousin but also the life of an immigrant wanderer. The author believes that those who work hard to earn a living in America should be given the title of an American Citizen. In this short story I learned what Mr. Bulosan was trying to convey about his cousin Consorcio, was the ambition and how hard he and many others had to persevere to literally try in obtaining an American citizenship. He expresses how badly he wanted to become a citizen within the first year but through trial and error he soon found out how hard it was and to never realized at his time to be an American citizen as an immigrant from the Philippines, was deemed illegal and “impractical” in the states. In the America, the ideology or belief system is to give back or contribute to society it in any way shape or form . The narrator pretty much states this and sums up the fact that what helped build and mold America to what it is to this day was the skilled/ hard labor by many immigrants. He basically says that America was found by immigrants and that the treatment they underwent was intolerable and the least that they could have offered was to give them was the natural right to become a citizen. The narrator states that his cousin went to school and had picked up on American writing and literature and eventually understood politics, laws, and the treatment of his kind and voiced himself and took a stand for it. He contributed back to society by voicing himself in his paper editorials, which discussed about freedom and peace that represented him and his fellow people behind him. He ended his Newspaper company to enlist and serve his time in the military giving back to the country and contributing everything that he could. That is one factor that Mr. Bulosan believes adds to what being an American really represents.
What truly makes others considered being American is, accepting embracing, and understanding the American culture. Mr. Bulsoan tries not to give you the answer to why he believes most immigrants where already Americans. He points out that those who embrace the culture of the American people who want to be American are already citizens, not physically but mentally. Consorcio coming from a third world country, Mr. Bulosan explains how he had to embrace the American culture by adapting to the certain changes. For example when Consorcio first moved to America he had never slept on a mattress nor properly used it for the first couple weeks. But he adapted, just like how he never wore shoes before and had blisters by the harsh way he walked but soon realized that walking gracefully was by means of doing it. Consorcio underwent many trials and errors but accepted the American way of life with open arms. He was more than willing to understand not only the culture but the language itself , by being involved in everyday society.
Through all the perils Consorcio had been through, the narrator explains how the hardships of not only his cousin but many individuals who will follow in his footsteps and that expresses how his cousin still lives on through those whome where like him. Mr. Bulosan says that these types of hard working immigrants, soon molded into being an American through many years without even knowing that they are at heart. The authors point of view concerning being an American isn’t about having a physical proof but for those foreign immigrants who came to this country who work hard, contribute to the American society, and those who embrace the American culture.