Defining what being “American” means has been a question that many Americans must think about. Being American is shaped around ideas that once drove the establishment of the U.S. Ideas many people believed in when they first wanted to create this country. Of the many ideas the U.S. was built around, two of the primary ones are about choice and freedom.

These ideas have been morphed, tested, and denied to many people over the course of this country, but nonetheless it is still what runs the question of what it means to be an American.

Ironically for me, finding my definition of being American came from living overseas. When I had finally reached the milestone of starting middle school, my family received orders from the military to move to Germany. It didn’t take long for me to feel lost in my new school’s hallways and in my identity.

Growing up, my view of identity was skewed to just a few places. The places I had experienced within the States were all I ever knew. Whether it was the hot humid summers in the South, the crisp fall foliage of the Northeast, or the torrential downpours of the Pacific Northwest– that was my identity. My identity simply covered being from a few states within the U.S.

That being said, I felt lost being in a foreign country and at first there were little things that were different. For example, not having a Starbucks at every street corner or seeing F-150s line the highways was a big culture shock. Despite these little, possibly insignificant changes, eventually I noticed how hard it was socially to adapt in Germany. Feeling uneasy from changing schools, I wasn’t sure who I was anymore. I had German citizenship from one of my parents, but juggling my classes in a foreign language and trying to immerse myself in German culture all made me more confused with what I could call home.

I unexpectedly transferred to a base school a few months later though, and I was back with American students. The idea of integrating with American classmates seemed simple, yet I realized there were many students with unique backgrounds at this school. I was one of hundreds of military brats now, yet we were all so different. Students had backgrounds from countries all over the world like Japan, England, Korea, Italy, just to name a few. Despite changing to an “American” school in Germany, I realized that my classmates had citizenships, cultures, and ideas that were incredibly unique to themselves.

Moving schools internationally was initially the greatest challenge for me socially, but overcoming this adversity ultimately helped strengthen my understanding of who I am as an American and even as a German. I was able to meet people with unique backgrounds and build close relationships with my classmates. Moving across the world has enabled me to truly understand that being American means something different to each individual.

Essentially, the places you’ve grown up in and the cultures you’ve been exposed to, are what develop your vision when you think of America. I believe it’s important to embrace the uniqueness of your background and experiences. Every place within or outside of the U.S. gives someone their own perspectives, and ultimately shapes the U.S. to be the unique country it is today. I am proud to be American, and I appreciate the diversity every other American contributes to the U.S.

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