Actually BE Proud

     Our heritage makes us who we are without even realizing it. Many people, including myself, have no clue about the true history of their ancestors, or where exactly they originate from. We are told we are one quarter this, and two thirds that, but have never really, truly practiced the beliefs, traditions, and customs of our elders.

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     Sure I’m Italian so I eat spaghetti and baked ziti every Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthday celebration, Easter, or basically any time my family congregates, but this does not mean I know what it is really like to be Italian. And of course I drink like a pirate because I’m Irish, but I have never been to Ireland or even met anyone who has an Irish accent. Many of us pretend to be certain people because we are told to embrace cultures that we do not necessarily understand. Can you imagine how livid the Italian community is at Jersey Shore for portraying Italians as drunken fools?

     But to say you are American does not give person diversity unless that person also says I am Asian, black, and Native American. We all try to be different because in today’s society, individuality is valued. However, we are not necessarily being true to ourselves if we are constantly mimicking other cultures in which we have no right to do so.

     The United States is the greatest country and continues to be so. Why don’t we all simply say we are American, instead of three other ethnicities that we think make us look cooler. Let’s face it; we are all probably 50 different cultures due to how much interracial marriage occurs. I know we are all patriotic and proud to be from America, but we turn right back around and make sure we clarify what individual background we are made of without remembering that none of us have earned that right to say we are anything but American.