The legacy and story of what it means to be an American is something that will generally be positive. Depending on who one asks, the answers to be found will usually be at least somewhat positive. However, there are some reasons why the answer may not be entirely positive. Indeed, there is a reason that Colin Kaepernick started kneeling before his football games and there are people that do not have entirely good things to say about whether being an American is a good thing, at least in whole. While stories about the American dream and other such things will generally center on a positive message or pattern, there are some caveats and exceptions to that rule. Analysis

What the United States has been able to accomplish in under two and a half centuries is nothing short of amazing. There are other countries and empires that have done fairly well over the years. However, what the United States is done is generally unmatched in many ways. However, there are some parts of United States history that are a little negative. These negative parts and facets can lead some people to have less than rosy ideas about what it means to be an American. The author of this response is African-American. For the author and many others that share the author’s background, it can be fairly easy to see why any recitation about being an American may not be entirely positive. African-Americans in the United States were treated as slaves before the forming of the union in the late 1700’s. When the United States...

This generally remained unchanged until the Civil War flared up in the 1860’s. Even after that and the eventual victory of the Union. African-Americans did not have a terribly positive time in the United States. After all, there are still many people that are aware of what has come to be known as the Jim Crow era. Further, there are people alive today that saw the very end of that time period in American history. The civil rights era that came to a boil in the 1960’s proved to be another sea change for African-Americans. However, there is still progress that is sought and craved by some African-Americans. Even if things are continuing to improve and evolve for African-Americans, the events of places and people like Ferguson, Kaepernick and others tend to point to the idea that African-Americans have worries and concerns that are unique to them, at least in part (Reid).
To be fair, African-Americans do not have a monopoly on being oppressed and mistreated over the course of American history. The taking of land and killing of men and women is something that the Indians can point to, for example. The internment and racism that the Japanese endured during World War II is another thing that easily comes to mind. The very mixed debate that exists when it comes to Hispanics and the current immigration debate is yet another. Sure enough, there are valid concerns about gangs and criminal immigrants. However, there are many other people involved that seek…