Crevecoeur and Steinbeck on the formation of American identity

American Identity: A Melting Pot of Diverse Cultures

The objective of this study is to examine the work of St. John de Crevecoeur entitled "What Is An American" and John Steinbeck's work entitled "What's Happening to America?

America is a melting pot of diverse cultures formed by individuals who came from countries all around the world. Steinbeck's work entitled "What Happening to America?" speaks of how American was built and the process that resulted in the making of Americans described as "a new breed, rooted I all races, stained and tinted with all colors, a seeming ethnic anarchy." P.1) Jean de Crevecoeur in his work entitled "What Is An American" describes American to those in Europe who have not heard about the new land and relates that it is a place that is more livable than Europe and goes on to relate the formation of the new society in America. In today's issues in the United States one of the most hotly debated is the issue of immigration. Immigration has become an issue because of the failure of the administration in Washington to require that immigrants pay their dues before receiving priviliges associated with being an American. Individuals immigrate to the United States and receive social benefits without understanding what being an American really means.

I. Americans

In John Steinbeck's and Jean de Crevecoeur's works in writing the issue of the 'new' race of Americans is addressed. Jean de Crevecoeur relates that the new man in the country of America is not simply a race but is a man who revels in the richness existing in the different races. The American is the individual who is German, French, Irish and other races, all in one and all working side by side to build the new country. Steinbeck writes in his work that as time went on during the building of America that the differences became less notable and that people in the new land became more akin than different. Steinbeck states that something "was loose in this land, and the new generations wanted to be Americans more than they wanted to be Hungarians or Italians or British." (p.1) Steinbeck writes that Americans are considered to be "reckless, a dissatisfied, a searching people." (p.1)

III. Today's Immigrants

Immigrants in the past were required to assimilate into the American society and to 'become' American however, in today's world those entering the United States often cling to their old nationality and instead of becoming an American live in communities that still adhere to the old country customs, language and mores. In the past becoming an American was the highest desire of immigrants and those individuals did all they could to melt into the American society desiring to leave behind their customs and language. In fact, this leaving behind was what characterized those who came to this country to be Americans.

Summary and Conclusion

America is a melting pot of many diverse individuals that have left their country of origin to live in the United States and become American. Immigration has become a hotly debated issue and exacerbating this problem is the issue of illegal immigration where people come into the country without legal rights or authority to live and work in the United States. More than 200 years after America became a nation, people from all across the globe still desire to leave their home country and relocate to the United States and become an American. America symbolizes a new land of opportunities and a place where one can leave the old behind and start anew and forgetting their origins become an American. It is yet to be seen how the issue of immigration will be resolved as the debate continues. However, that which is certain is the fact that more than two centuries after America was founded that there is still a desire by many to become American.