Tonisha Spratte Blog #4 What makes me an American?

What makes me an American?

What makes me an American?  I don’t know, the fact that I was born here is the best reason I can think of, there are many examples throughout chapter 4, where Anderson mentions how different people determine who is a native or citizen of an area and it is dependent on where they were born (the definition he uses of a Creole).  This, in my opinion, is the foundation of all the other reasons one may feel that they are an American.  Additionally, another criteria Anderson speaks of throughout the chapter is Language.  On page 56 he says “But in experiencing them as travelling-companions, a consciousness of connectedness (‘Why are we… here… together?’) emerges, above all when all share a single language-of-state.” This makes me think of the question asked last week.  “Do you speak English?”  Is this the link that makes one feel just that much more Americanized?  Are birth place and language the two heaviest criteria to be weighed when thinking about what makes one an American?

I immediately think of the very first movie we watched.  Nathan, although seemingly confused, ultimately had a sense of belonging to the family he grew up with in America.  Nathan was bilingual but was more fluent in English and felt the connections with his adopted family because that was the language he grew up speaking and that was the family he was raised with.  In addition to this movie when thinking about nationality and its foundations in language and place, I think about La Noire de… (Black Girl).  There was one point in the movie where someone, I believe it was the mistress, was calling her an animal and saying that she doesn’t know how to speak French.  This seemed to be a tactic in order to make her feel like she was less than les patrons, the so-called French people she was working for.  When the mistress made this claim it was in order to mock her, to put her down.  Of course the mistress knew she spoke French, otherwise how else could they understand each other?  It just seemed like she needed to make herself feel better and the best way she could do that was by asserting her superiority over the little black girl and putting Diouana down.  This is why I believe it is another great example of how language can make people feel connected and by saying that she doesn't speak French the mistress is trying to put more space between herself and Diouana.

Being born in America, I am used to the ways, the language, the habits, and mannerism of Americans.  I feel that there are many differences that people claim even though they are all Americans.  Although we may not have all been born here, language is the one thing that we all share.  There may be someone out there thinking, ‘but there are people who live in the United States and do not speak English.’  Well, let’s be honest, do they think of themselves as Americans?  If one speaks no English at all, was he or she actually born here and consider him or herself an American?  On the whole, the answers to those questions are no.  And sure there are different dialects and slang, but the ability to communicate is essential in forming bonds with other people.  Which is why I could argue that Diouana’s refusal to speak to the mistress was Diouana’s way of protesting her working and staying there.  By not speaking with this woman, she gives the mistress no opportunity to learn about her through conversation.  There are some who say language is the only thing separating us from the animals (although, ironically, there are some animals who can talk).  Even with language and birthplace being two of the most pervasive characteristics of an American, one’s “Americaness” is not based on some concrete characteristics that someone else thinks an American should have but it’s one’s own feelings of connectivity and relation to this nation.  Language happens to play a key role in the way we communicate in order to build relationships, form bonds, and create memories which make us call any one place ‘home’.  Also, the simple fact of being born in a place will leave most people with a feeling of connectedness to said place. 

In all, I think to be American is a feeling.  This feeling is created by many different things but the main two foundational characteristics are birthplace and a shared language, which Anderson seems to think is fundamental in forming a community.  In fact, it is such a strong foundation that some people, who do not want to be associated with others, may try to sever their ties on this very basis.

Side note:  This topic brings up a more specific topic, one relevant to me:  What makes someone an African American?  What does it mean to be black?  Is it the language, Ebonics?  Is it the color of one’s skin?  Is it one’s mindset?  Is it the clothes one wears, the food one eats, or the music one listens to?  What about where the person is from, or better yet, the amount of money flowing into the household?  I will not answer these questions here but merely pose them to everyone else, maybe just as a something to think about when eating some cereal or working out at the gym.