13/04/2012 Akbar Ahmed: What is an American?

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April 12, 2012

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Akbar Ahmed

Chair of Islamic Studies at American University and former Pakistani Ambassador to the UK

Posted: July 20, 2009 08:08 AMBIO Become a FanGet Email Alerts Bloggers' Index

What is an American?

Read More: 40th Anniversary Moon Landing, Barack Obama, Culture, Politics, Television, United States, StyleNews

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While grappling with ideas for a book on American identity (Journey into America, Brookings Press,forthcoming) I've been trying to figure out what actually defines an American and would be grateful for anyassistance by readers of this column.

The primary definition involves the legal citizenship of the United States. This ensures the protection guaranteedby the Constitution and, in turn, obliges the citizen to accept the philosophy underlying the Constitution. Theconcept and practice of checks and balances is fundamental to the Constitution. The citizen can also assume theprotection of the military and the other security agencies from different kinds of threats.

Being a legal citizen is more than the acquisition of a passport, it is also the recognition of the ideas that wereforged by the Founding Fathers of the United States. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison,and Benjamin Franklin were extraordinary statesmen by any standards and had a collective vision of a newsociety in a new world. Jefferson's eloquence and imagination are clearly reflected in the stirring words of theDeclaration of Independence. It is that Declaration that Americans celebrate on the Fourth of July with fireworks.

A more visible and therefore more obvious definition of Americanness comes from a sense of belonging toAmerican culture. Movies, television shows, and sports create heroes, a language, and references for Americans.Expressions are picked up from television shows and become part of mainstream language. Bart Simpson'sexpression "eat my shorts" from the 1990s, for example, is now a recognized part of the American lexicon.

American culture was more unified in a general sense a generation ago when television was still a relatively newphenomenon. The glow of the Second World War and its victory still suffused the nation. Americans had foughta just war and triumphed over some of the most evil men in history. Americans saw themselves, and were largelyseen by the world, as the good guys.

Today, American culture appears much more fragmented. There is a bewildering range of shows, music,religious and political discussions available to the viewer. There are equally bewildering role models. Theexcesses of the consumerist culture are embodied in figures like Paris Hilton, who is a caricature of herself. Manypeople are seduced by the idea of consumption for the sake of consumption, excess for the sake of excess. Thiszeitgeist also feeds into the idea of being American, the notion that every American has the absolute right to dowhat they will of their lives.

America's fragmented culture also means that superstar politicians like Barack Obama are seen so differently byso many Americans. To some, he is almost Christ-like in his virtues and promise. To others, he is the Antichristand is set to destroy America itself. The extremity of these opinions reflects the fragmented nature of Americatoday. Different opinions in the arena of politics is the very essence of democracy and the debates betweenJefferson and John Adams were as acrimonious as they are between Democrats and Republicans today. Thedifference is that after the bitter political exchanges, Jefferson and Adams could spend years as kindred souls,exchanging letters and ideas about a variety of subjects. The atmosphere around Obama today is becomingdangerously brittle and I suspect will become even more tense in the coming months as the economy andinternational affairs challenge him further. The debate around Obama then will expand beyond politics to therealm of the irrational and the subconscious which will include race and religion.

Great moments of achievement and catastrophe also bring Americans together. These special moments in anation's life capture the imagination and focus on that special meaning of being American. These are themoments that Americans will remember and put away in their minds in the category of "where were youwhen...?" The moon landing forty years ago is one of those great achievements which only Americans werecapable of pulling off and therefore it was a uniquely American achievement. Similarly the assassination of JFKin 1963, the American diplomats taken hostage in 1979, and the attacks of 9/11 brought the nation together ingrief and shock.

There is a fourth definition which comes from non-Americans. Because America is a superpower -- currently thesuperpower -- it attracts both admiration and envy. Most foreigners, when asked to spot Americans in Paris,Cairo, or Delhi would say they are taller, fatter, and louder than anyone else. Even America's neighbors see it asbullying and arrogant. Ask Mexicans or Canadians what they think of America.

The question of defining a large country, indeed a continent, is a challenge. I have been traveling the length andbreadth of the country with a team of young American researchers to discover the answer. What we found was asense of vitality, openness to discuss issues, and belief in the vision of America inspired by the Founding

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Fathers. We also found uncertainty and anger.

I would very much like to read your ideas on what being an American means.

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