What Does it Mean to be "American"?

My international friends call me "The American". It conjures the thought of national birth and cultural identity. Foreigners have a slightly different version of what it means to be American. We often think in terms of race and religion while others minimize those differences but raise up personality and cultural attributes within their definitions. Paying attention to their underlining definitions can sometimes lead us to insight. 

A few reflections from others....

First, American is more of a thought than an actual identity. Its the way in which we are trained to question the world around us and to respect individual liberties. We speak up about what we believe and how things should be. In other words, we are known to let our opinions be known. 

Secondly, religion and race are minimized in their definition of an American. My Muslim name doesn't seem to bother my international friends and my children's mixed race never seemed to be any real consideration. Yet in some places in the U.S. it has been an issue for some people as they struggle with understanding their own identity. 

Third, An American is someone who continues to push forward even during the most difficult times. Americans rely more on a moral sense of purpose than many other countries that have long histories that create context of thought.  

Its interesting because to foreigners I seem very American but to Americans I seem very foreign. I guess that puts me in the free thinker zone because I see the subjectivity of the way in which people construct their beliefs from their past and how their cultural identities influence their thoughts. We have not yet found those essential principles that define all Americans and are part of our national identity. Moving to the center of a global supply chain also means we need a more universal and inclusive definition of what it means to be American.