Sarah Smith Blog 4: Inside, Not Out

What struck me most in Anderson's "Creole Pioneers" was the shift in status of America, at which time it became better to be born in America that outside of it. When America was being colonized, the natives were viewed as inferior. External birth denoted greater social status. With the advent of the United States as its own nation, being American became a valuable characteristic: being born in the US was good, and being foreign-born denoted inferiority. This is when immigration surged in the country, and in a country born of immigrants, immigrants were no longer valued. American-ness meant being born here.

That hasn't really changed. If anything, I would venture to say this sentiment is deep-seated in most Americans. As the most powerful country in the world, most of us feel it is good to be from here. Foreigners, and especially those who cannot speak English (or even Spanish) are immediately at a disadvantage at no fault of their own. American-ness is about being from here and partaking in American culture, politics, and identity. Being American means identifying with those who govern, understanding their background and perhaps sharing in it. I think that there is a difference between being an American and feeling like an American. I may not share every characteristic with President Obama, but like him I have experienced many privileges and am well-educated. I feel like an American because I identify with the lifestyle of the figureheads of our country: I can understand the jobs they do and can participate in the process.

In class we discussed Spivak's description as a "third world woman in a position of privilege." Her position of privilege, particularly her education, allowed her to have a voice. She may have represented those without privilege, but her privilege allowed her the ability to participate in a world which might otherwise have shut her out. I think that so much of American identity lies in privilege, in knowing that we live in a place where, though every opportunity may not be open to us, many are. We can rise from the bottom, we can get an education, and we can participate in the greater community without living in fear of corrupt government. Being born in America generally means being born into privilege. These privileges may not mean wealth--many Americans live in poverty--but there is the possibility of rising here. It is crucial to American identity that we use that "position of privilege" for good.