Whether you are “with her” or are excited to “make America great again,” this historic election is a big day for America. Our next president will finally be decided. And while the prospect of making history and forging a new America is exciting, I can’t help but feel like as a country, we’re a little broken. Instead of charging through the race tape, we’re elbowing each other as we hobble over the finish line bruised and tired.
This election season has fragmented us; by political party, gender, race, ethnicity, religion. Somewhere between the insults and controversies, we forgot the true importance of this election. While, yes, it’s about the future, it’s also about history. In deciding who we wanted to be as a country, we lost sight of who we are at our core. Our forefathers founded this country on individuality, unity and equality. We live in a time and place where opportunities are yours to seize and dreams are not wishful thinking. The fact that your voice matters and is celebrated is pretty incredible.
Regardless of who gives the victory speech, we must all use this as an opportunity to celebrate that we are American and move forward united in a shared pride, honor and respect to be called such.
In honor of this historic election and as a reminder of its importance, check out what being “American” means to some of these real life college students from across the country.
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“Being an American gives you the privilege to speak up for yourself. In this election season, Americans (and especially young adults) have an opportunity to make their voices count. This undeniable pressure on our generation and the overall stigma on millennials can be turned and used for the better if we take advantage of our right to vote.”—Rachel Park, University of California, San Diego
“To me, being an American means embracing diversity in all its respects while maintaining the cultural heritage of one’s background. I’ve been lucky to know so much about and be connected to my Italian ancestry, but all the fun is in sharing that culture with friends of mine and learning from theirs as well. The ‘melting pot’ idea is a cliché one, but I think that it lends our society to a more open and fluid way of thinking, which is more forward-looking in the end.”—Anna LaPlaca, UCLA
“To me, being an American means being grateful for all of the opportunities we have here, as well as appreciating the sacrifices that our forefathers (or, in my case, my mom and dad) made for us to get here in the first place. Living in the U.S. as a citizen is an absolute privilege—one which we all need to exercise by voting in the presidential election this year!”—Anna Burbano, University of Florida
“I think that being an American means being open minded and inclusive! We’ve come so far in fighting for equality and I think that this election is pivotal in continuing that fight!”—Taylor Knox, University of Minnesota
“To me, being an American means breaking through the tough times. It means facing our demons head-on. It’s being proud of who and what we are, but knowing that we still have a long road ahead of us. Being American means embracing the future and all of its changes, and opening are hearts and minds to new ideas.”—Casey Nelley, University of Kentucky
“To be an American means to be welcoming and accepting of all kinds of people, regardless of their race, sexuality, or gender identity. It means striving for equality and challenging those who do not allow the growth of opportunity for others. We are the land of the free, and we need to live up to the promise of the ‘American Dream’.”—Kelsey Baska, University of Kansas
“To me, being an American means having the freedom to learn, experience and live out my passions. I consider myself to be so lucky to live in a country where individuality is celebrated and following your dreams is encouraged.”—Valerie Cammack, Kent State University
“Being an American, to me, means not living in fear and no matter the color of your skin, gender or sexual orientation, having the opportunity to succeed if you work hard and hold yourself accountable. Right now, it is difficult to believe in this America, but I trust that when it comes down to it, Americans will not allow these properties to be taken away.”—Eliza Huber, University of Iowa
