Being American is about being 'US'

Say someone walks up to you, and asks you where you’re from and you say, “America, the United States.” How would you answer them if they then asked, “Describe being an American. What does that mean?”

How would you answer?

We hear a lot about “American values,” the “American way,” and other attributes. In times of national stress, these are often invoked as a rallying point.

But what are they? After all, we are a nation unlike any other in history. We are a mixture, a blend, a “melting pot” of different cultures and ethnicities. We are not homogenous, despite what some might prefer and hope to...