People take huge risks to become Americans. To one person, the definition of being American may be different from the other. Being an American is not always where we’re born or the documents you have, but your way of life and how you contribute to this country. When someone becomes a citizen of the United States, the individual is viewed as a member of society; someone who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection. People may become a citizen at birth or after birth depending on whether they meet certain requirements. These certain requirements put people through struggle and heartache, however, becoming a citizen and being American brings joy and triumph as well. Even though the conception of who is an American deserving of the full rights of citizenship has changed over time, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the energy to fight for America and to fight to be American. Whether we talk about what it means to be American in history or present day, it will always be about how people have hope, maintain their privileges, and to seek a better life.
Reconstruction period (1865-1877), is where African American’s redefined their place in American society. There were significant challenges faced, but President Abraham Lincoln issued proclamation allowing southerners to take an oath of allegiance. After taking oath, unionists could establish governments and obtained union support from other states. The union support were exempted from the liberating effects of the Emancipation Proclamation which resulted into a commitment to the united states to abolish slavery. Congress passed the thirteenth amendment on January 31, 1865 for the abolition of slavery. Unfortunately, slavery is still taking place today, where individuals can be owned or sold as a form of property. African Americans were targeted, and people then and now do not believe they deserve equal rights. However, the fourteenth amendment was developed on June 13, 1866 and with the Civil Rights Act it ensured constitutionality [8]. African Americans remained second-class citizens and the women struggled for public participation.
With economic and social changes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it increased urbanization, immigration, advancement in technology, but it also raised awareness of economic, racial, and gender inequalities. Women carried a campaign for a while competing for their equal rights. Women became activists and targeted municipal reforms, launched labor rights campaigns, and supported the suffrage movement. In American culture it is clear that women enjoy their independence. People who come from different cultures may have a different perspective on women, however, even through history women want to take charge and operate on their own. Women emerged and embraces new social possibilities.
Without money, people can’t do much. People now-a-days look for jobs that not only get paid well to be able to provide for our family and sustain our lifestyles, but one that will also enjoy. Back then, people wouldn’t really look for a job they enjoyed because there weren’t a lot of options, as long they had some sort of an income to provide for their family and lifestyle. Over twenty-five million immigrants arrived in the United States during 1870-1920. These immigrants were a continuation of a process before the Civil War, and groups such as Italians, Poles, and Eastern European Jews made up a larger percentage of the arrivals. During this time period, the federal government passed a series of laws that limited immigration of particular groups joining American Society.
There was racial hostility toward Chinese immigrants since the mid-nineteenth century. The first move for federal immigration control came from California when there were accusations of Chinese immigrants of racial inferiority and unfitness for American citizenship. California moved congress to pass the Page Act in 1875, which banned the entry of convicted criminals, Asian laborers brought involuntary, and women imported for prostitution (automatically excluding Chinese women). Chinese became the first illegal immigrants after May 1822 when the congress suspended the immigration of their laborers with the Chinese act, making them the first immigrant group subject to admission restriction base of race [30]. Asian Americans are a diverse community that is constantly growing through out the years. There are Asian refugees that were forced to leave their homes, and there are Asian immigrants who moved away from their homelands to seek a better life.
Our way of life as Americans has definitely changed through out the years. In the past, people were not given as much independence we have today. Even though people still abide by laws, our behavior and perspective on life is different. Many who succeeded in history and contributed to our positive changes today give people now who come from the same background to have hope and achieve opportunities for their future. People still go through pain and then joy on their journey to be a citizen of the United States. However, it should never matter if you were an immigrant who became a citizen or if you are someone who was born a citizen. As an American, we have our duties with our citizenship and we will continue to fight for our nation to ensure our privileges no matter where we came from or what our documents say,