How Can One Be Accepted as An American?

By Mia Isacson

Illustration by Mia Isacson.

Immigration is a hot topic these days, dominating both the news and the presidential election. A survey conducted by Gallup News in February 2024 asked Americans, “What is the most important problem facing this country today?” and they found that the number one answer was immigration. It’s almost impossible to watch the news or open a newspaper without seeing a mention about immigration. While not everyone concerned about immigration in the U.S. is an isolationist or fearful of immigrants, there is a rising sentiment against immigrants and an alarming surge in fear-mongering and “dog whistles.” This was seen during the 2024 Presidential debate when Trump referenced immigrants from Haiti “abducting and eating the pets” of residents in Springfield, Ohio. Anti-immigration is also connected to American exceptionalism, the belief that Americans are distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations. As I watched the debate, I wondered about the American Identity. I asked how a recent immigrant can be accepted as an American, considering that America is built off the foundation of immigration.

The first time the United States put a cap on immigration was during the Emergency Quota Act signed by President Warren G. Harding in 1921. The Emergency Quota Act restricted the number of immigrants admitted from any country annually to 3% of the number of residents from that country living in the United States. This made it so that northern and western European people had a higher quota and were more likely to be admitted than those from eastern or southern Europe or non-European countries. This law effectively defined the type of new American that America wanted to bring in. It started becoming less of “Give me your tired, give me your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” and more of “give me your white northern and western Europeans.”

America has always had a long history of integrating immigrants; just look at the St. Patrick’s Day or the Puerto Rican Day parades. But, there is still a need to assimilate into American culture to be accepted as an American and no longer be considered a foreigner. Since America has always been very diverse, racially, religiously, and ethnically, assimilation isn’t always what crosses the mind when talking about the United States. But, Donald Trump made it clear that it is necessary to assimilate in order to be considered an American during his 2016 campaign when he said, “Not everyone who seeks to join our country will be able to assimilate successfully.” A study in the 1920 census found that immigrant children with names that sounded more American completed more years of schooling, earned more, and were more likely to be employed. Nowadays, there’s a specific image of an American that immigrants have to be able to fit into. In doing so, one loses significant parts of their culture to assimilate. To be an American, one can’t just melt in the pot with the others; one has to assimilate into this American culture.

So, how do you assimilate in order to be accepted as an American? Peter Salins, a professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Hunter College, says that immigrants would be welcome as full members of the American family if they agreed to abide by three simple rules. First, foreigners would have to accept English as their national language. Secondly, they would be expected to live by what is typically referred to as the Protestant work ethic, which is to be self-reliant, hardworking, and morally upright. Finally, some think, mainly the far right, that to be accepted as an American, one has to change their identity. Milo Yiannopoulas, a far-right commentator and an immigrant himself, said in January 2017, “The hijab is not something that should ever be seen on American women.” This shows that one has to lose aspects of their culture and tradition to be viewed and accepted as an American. As Americans, we should prioritize developing a new idea about what it means to become American, and one that isn’t racist nor is connected to American exceptionalism.

One way we can work on creating a better idea of what it means to be an American and create unity with natives and immigrants alike can be by developing year-long service stints in the United States. Through this, people could get paid, show loyalty, learn the language, build a network, and help the greater good. These stints could be community service based, helping poorer areas in the United States or people in need like the elderly. This idea would also keep far-right politicians from creating stricter immigration policies because immigrants would be playing a part in helping our country.

The United States has been built on the fundamentals of immigration, yet it takes so much for a foreigner to be accepted as an American. To be accepted as an American is no longer just to live in the United States but rather to assimilate into an idea of what an American is. As the far-right deepens the separation between immigrant and born American, the United States has to prioritize creating better unity and redefine what it means to be an American.

Mia Isacson is a sophomore at Philips Academy Andover studying to work in Political Science. She grew up in the West Village and claims New York City is the best place on the planet Earth.