What it means to be an American is different for each person and is fundamentally affected by that person's own experiences, which are in turn fundamentally affected by generation and race and gender. But there are touchstones to the American experience that link us together, although rarely in simple ways.
For example, I was once talking with an exchange student from the Netherlands who was staying with friends of my family and we were discussing differences between Dutch and American culture. One thing that he mentioned was that Dutch trials are presided over by a judge rather than a jury. "The reason for this," he said, although I am paraphrasing him, "is that judges are experts in the law, they are educated and fair, and it is important to have a professional to determine something as important as an individual's fate." I have to admit that I was horrified at the idea that a single individual would have such power. I had never really thought about the importance of the jury system, but when faced with the thought of putting my fate (if I should ever happen to go to trial) in the hands of a single judge rather than a jury I felt an overwhelming sense that the American system was a better one. Of course, if I were a black man facing an all-white jury in Alabama in the 1920s, I might well not feel so sanguine about the jury system. But for me, living in the relatively enlightened environment of the 21st century, I realized for the first time that I truly valued the idea of a jury system. It was the first time that I ever really felt a profound connection to the abstract rules that make up our nation.
Since then I have thought about what I myself value about being an American. I have wondered if I were to have to flee this country for some reason what I would take with me to my new life. I think that the answer to that question says a lot about what a person thinks being an American is. If you suddenly became a refugee and could ...