5th grade assignment: What does it mean to be an American?
What it means to be an American
Don’t worry; this isn’t a political post. I don’t take a side in politics, economics, religion, or DEI. Talk to anyone I know, and they will say I don’t know enough about any of the above to participate in a conversation. Fer’ realz. This is my version of a grade school assignment to get me back on track in confusing and whacky times.
What does it mean to this third-generation minority to be an American? I was talking with a couple of folks I admire personally and professionally. The question, “What does it mean to be an American?” came up. When I first heard the question, a few life experiences immediately flashed through my mind. In the moment, the experiences didn’t “resonate” American to me. But here they were. In that instance, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t share them because I thought they would be “wrong” answers. Some will question right and wrong here, I am sure, but I have the pen.
Not an HR Post
This wasn’t intended to be an HR post “per se.” This post isn’t about landing a job, negotiating a job offer, or climbing the career ladder. Don’t worry; it’s not about DEI or ESG.
I have been thinking about a recent conversation I had with a few executives. The conversation wasn’t about the workplace. The more I thought about the conversation, the more I thought it was related to work. I felt compelled to post for myself as much for others.
Below are the first few images that flashed through my mind after the question was proposed. I hadn’t considered any of these instances in years, but they flashed in my mind. At that moment, the examples didn’t make much sense to me. They made so little sense that I wasn’t planning on sharing the examples with the group.
Gradeschool
When I was in the 6th grade, a new student joined our class mid-year. My teacher pulled me aside and asked me to “watch over him.” She didn’t ask me to be his friend or hang out with him. She just asked me to stick close and “watch over him.” The school wanted to ensure that students didn’t tease or pick on him.
It was explained that the new student:
He was of a nationality that wore a turban.
This turban was woven into the hair; if someone tried removing it, it could get ugly.
I was proud to be asked to help out. I never found out if the turban was actually woven into the hair. We were both so quiet we didn’t talk much. Despite this, we became good friends and visited each other’s homes for meals. I never asked about his ethnicity, and he never asked me about my background. We were different from the rest of the class, which was enough for us to bond.
100th/442nd Combat Infantry Unit
My father and aunt (his sister), both born in America, were interned after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I thought about the stories shared about the 100th/ 442nd Infantry Unit and World War II. This was a unit that was made up of an all-volunteer force of second-generation Japanese Americans (born in America) who left their interned families to fight for their country. The 100th was the most highly decorated unit in the history of WWII.
9-11
One of my best friends is an immigrant and an American citizen. The most well-traveled person I know (52 countries) with an MBA and a CPA. He is also the wisest person I know. Of Jordanian descent, he looks “Middle Eastern.”
He shared his story of what it means to be an American. Immediately after 9-11, the CEO of his company approached him. He explained that if an employee gave him grief, that employee would be let go. The CEO then sent an email to the company explaining his personal support of my Jordanian friend.
Remember, prior to 9-11, we hadn’t experienced anything on the scale of 9-11. This CEO had the foresight to see the potential situations my friend might encounter. He didn’t just watch out; he declared a line in the sand. This one still makes me emotional.
Helping neighbors
After 9-11, we saw a number of examples in New York where neighbors were helping first responders. It may have been mowing their lawn, delivering meals, or paying for food at a restaurant. The outpouring of generosity with time, effort, and financial resources was commonplace. In many instances, total strangers came together to help each other in a time of need.
US Marine Band was forced to cancel a concert with students of color in 2025.
The example is what compelled me to write this post. I just saw this 60 Minutes TV short YouTube video. This really resonated “American” to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhwS06U1SnA&list=LL
This is a 13-minute video that is well worth watching. It is a message of strangers supporting strangers, bringing out the best in each other. It’s a feel-good that resonates after minute 10, so give it a chance.
Synopsis: The United States Marine Band realized that most orchestras have very few minorities. The Marine Band took action to influence young minorities early in their music careers. If the student can have a meaningful and positive experience with music, maybe their trajectory toward music can change. The US Marines were reaching out to help change the demographics. A recent DEI ruling forced the US Marine Band to cancel a concert of teens whose trajectory the US Marine Band wanted to change.
My definition of an American
In each of the above examples, people in the United States were reaching out to help each other. Race didn’t matter. Ethnicity wasn’t a factor. People just did (what I consider) to be “what’s right without bias or prejudice.”
For me, this is what it means to be an American. These examples are times when people, regardless of background, came together to help each other. We support each other so everyone has an equal opportunity and receives a fair shake. Right or wrong, I think it is because for me, the country is made up of people who came to America for a fair shake and opportunity.
People who know me have heard me say on more than one occasion: “I work in HR. I don’t believe in humanity.” These examples move me emotionally and prove to me that I still believe in humanity.
Let us know in the comments what being an American means to you.
See you at the after party,
HRNasty
nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with the result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball.”
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