Michael Walzer poses the complicated question: what does it mean to be an American? For some, the answer may be as simple as subjection to the American sense of patriotism—that is, an uncompromising reverence for the red, white, and blue; a passion for the world of contradictory politics and inconsistent foreign affairs. For others, the answer is more thought out. Many believe that to be an American is to accept, perhaps even admire, the high level of ethnic and cultural diversity found throughout the nation. And then there are other people, myself included, that realize that America is an immense landmass lying in the Western Hemisphere consisting of many different nations and peoples. Anyone inhabiting one of these nations, ranging from Canada to the peak of Chile, is, therefore, an American. Walzer seems to be in agreement, stating, “we have appropriated the title ‘American’ even though we can claim no exclusive title to it.” So, for lack of an accurate word in the language of English, I have to introduce the Latin American way of clearing up this issue: Estadounidense. This word may be most accurately translated as United States Citizen. Moving on.

Walzer begins an early discussion of Americans’ lack of communal identity—at least in the sense of having a “homeland.” I believe this to be true. Americans are highly individualistic and when they hear the word “home” they think of their private quarters, not the broader picture of a national community. Further on, Walzer brings up an interesting argument. He says that the realm of American politics is anonymous, meaning that it is blind and unbiased to any one culture or ethnicity. I do not believe this to be true, but that is another topic of discussion. I do realize, however, that it is common for individuals of every race and culture to be enthusiastic about American politics.

In Stephen Steinberg’s essay, the process of American assimilation is discussed. I found this piece to be very interesting. One early sentence stuck out to me, as I immediately related it to an essay by James Baldwin that I read last semester. Steinberg writes, “First-generation immigrants, who are most authentically steeped in ethnic culture, tend to throw it away, often with both hands, as they pursue the opportunities that led them to come to America in the first place.” Baldwin wrote about the “price of the ticket” that white Europeans paid in order to assimilate in the U.S., and this is what he was referring to. Steinberg makes an invaluable argument when he refers to the condition of African-Americans. The fact is obvious: they have been here longer than any early immigrant group yet have assimilated the least. It is most certainly a thing of color. It is a thing that racism and the mass media have played crucial roles in maintaining, and continue to do so today. African-Americans will never fully assimilate “until the structures of American apartheid are thoroughly dismantled and the persistent inequalities are resolved.”