United by our Differences

I interviewed people in my community and asked them what the American Dream means to them. I got a wide variety of answers that mentioned the economic opportunities, freedom and rights, and even that the American Dream is a way of life.

By Maddie Harrod from Avondale High School in Michigan

American Creed is different for everyone.  America is full of people who look differently, live differently, are from all over the world, worship differently, speak different languages, and more.  But at the end of the day, we are all the same.  We are all American.  We are all human.  We're just trying our best to find happiness and purpose.  America offers so many opportunities to achieve whatever your American Dream is and you can be whoever you want to be as long as you work hard.  This country has it's flaws, but it is a beacon of hope to people around the world for democracy, freedom, and dreams come true. 

Avondale High School

Avondale High School

Avondale High School is in Oakland County, in Southeast Michigan.

Now That I'm Older

A reflection on how my American creed has developed over the last few years.

Actions Speak Louder Then

This is a poem about the actions I can take to express my American Creed

American Dream

The American Creed is something that people all over the country hold near and dear to their heart, and like the American Dream, each person has a wildly different definition of it. This paper analyzes the connection between the American Creed and the American Dream.

What Is Your American Creed?

I discuss my personal American Creed and how the position I have been born into has affected that outlook

The Creed with Many Scars

The American Creed has many wounds and scars left on it from the years it has existed, yet we still agitate these scars for our own selfish desires.

Canadian/American Dream

An interview with my Grandfather who grew up in Italy during World War II, and moved to Canada when he was 18 to live the "American Dream", but in Canada, and his views on how the Ideals and Creeds of western nations have changed since he came over.

Expressing your American Creed

This piece is about how you can express your American Creed. It shows the many aspects to American creed, such as why people chase their American, the fact that everyone chases one, and the three major aspects to American Creed.

A Divided America

America is divided but an American Creed is something to help unify us.

Who I Really Am

A poem about my American Creed, told in the stories of my grandparents.

American Creed

My video talks about (and visually demonstrates) the false notations and divisions emulated in America specifically through American Creed.

American Dream within the American Creed

The American Dream, is implemented by the American Creed, what it means to be American.

What is My Identity and What are My Concerns?

How I address what my identity is and what my concerns are, as well as how they are connected to my American Creed.

One Step Closer

As a second generation Indian immigrant in America, the push and pull of cultures has both defined and created conflict in my identity. My American Creed is about accepting all parts of myself and expanding that idea of celebrating diversity to the larger society.

Almost Losing My Best Friend

I found out my beloved Grandmother had cancer. It destroyed me, but a new person grew, one who's more loving and conscious of every moment.

First Generation

How does your family & community history connect to your American creed?

My American Creed: Living with the Discussion of a "Dream," but Never Seeing it Realized

The repercussions of a teen who realizes everything she was told about America is far from the truth. Its sounds slightly dramatic, sure, but becoming more aware of the social constructs in this country continues to surprise me.

How Does Your Family and Community History Connect to Your American Creed?

This is how my family and community history connect to my American Creed:

American Creed Through Action

What my American Creed is, and how I live my life based on my that creed of never forgetting my true culture and loving with a heart bigger than my own.

How the American Creed has Affected my Family.

My grandparents came from Russia in search of a better life for their family. They came to America to achieve freedom and follow the American Dream. Throughout their experience they have developed their own American Creed and now I have started to develop one as well.

America Is

America is many things. Some of which are good, and some are not. This piece elaborates on a few of the words that represent America from all perspectives.

Who am I ?

My piece is about how where my parents came from, and the difference in culture has impacted my view of the American creed

"Land of Opportunity," They Say...

A poem describing my own American creed as a first generation American.

When I Think of Home

The American Creed is not always as equally attainable as it may seem.

Entre Dos Mundos

A recount of my own family history, alternating between English and Spanish representing what it's like to be Between Two Worlds.

The Word Racism

Defining the word racism, and its impact on how people view the American Creed.

A Not So American, American Creed

Through my parents' naturalization ceremony to become U.S. citizens, I was able to learn a lot about what it means to be an American citizen and what must be done to protect and uphold such a right.

What is the American Creed?

Everyone's idea of the American Creed is different. This piece discusses my personal opinions on what I believe America stands for and how we can set aside our differences and truly symbolize the ideologies that many believe America stands for.

My Family of Immigrants

Look into my Family History. See my American Creed.

My American Creed

This is about what I personally believe my American Creed is made up of, and why it makes me who I am.

Whose America? Who's America?

My poem is about my understanding and, my experience in America vs. how a minority might experience it.

More responses from Michigan

Surprise Me

Achieving Kindness

My essay is about how I believe in everyone being kind to one another. I share my thoughts & stories and facts I've learned, and research I've conducted.

Growing Up in America With Immigrant Parents

I wrote about how my parents taught me to love who I am by being true to myself.

I Believe

This is about why it's always best to stay kind.

Inspiring Talents

I believe that we inspire each other.

My American Creed & How I Understand the American Creed

This is my story.

Differences

America is built on immigration, and these people that move here all have their own stories, that's what America is all about.

Illegal Immigration and the American Creed

Do illegal immigrants deserve to fulfill their American Creed?

Supporting America

A major part of being American is that you don't have to support America. In fact, this helps the country grow and change.

The Failure of Our Affirmative Action System

In the United States, affirmative action is used to promote diversity in universities. Universities take race into consideration during their admissions process. But how exactly did we get here? What have people done about this? And should we even keep our current system?

Never Alone

In this piece, Viktoria Lamley speaks about the importance of companionship to your everyday happiness. What she learned after an important experience with her pup, and how it sparked her to take a deeper look into things.

American Creed-Problem in America

This is about the American dream, and what a major problem in America is.

Dear Grandpa

Years after my grandfather passed away I have written a letter to him explaining how his stories have changed my life.

More responses about "creed", "diversity", "dream", and "freedom"

Surprise Me

Family History

To make this paper and further my understanding, I decided to interview my Grandpa to complete this task.

What Connection?

The first computer was released in 1981. My mother was born in 1964. 17 years. For 17 years, my parents generation lived day to day life without wifi, but some would argue they had a much better connection

What is it like to be an American?

In America we have the freedom to say what we want and the freedom to worship any religion we want.

What the American Creed Means to Me

My piece is about what my idea of the American Creed means to me.

As a Whole

As a very small community, in the deep south, where we drink sweet tea sitting on the porch and say “y’all” in every sentence, we stick together as a whole through everything.

American Creed

What it means to be an American.

My American Creed

This slide show presents my idea of an American Creed. It shows how my family has moved and my pappaw was in the war.

America the Beautiful

“America the Beautiful”...this song is one of if not the most patriotic songs held by this great nation, but what is it that makes this nation so great?

American Creed Video

I and Jake C asked a lot of people what they did to be American.

Connected American Creed across the country

From the original colonists who created the foundation of American Creed, it spread throughout the country, the ideals passed down through their descendants, and shared with new Immigrants as time passes.

It Doesn't Matter Where You Came From

I chose this project because I wanted to further my understanding of all perspectives of what people expect from U.S and how diversity impacts the way people see U.S.I was able to relate the interviews back to myself and my own community by thinking about my own American Creed.

The American Creed

A poem about the American Creed

What Is My American Creed?

Hi this is my presentation on my American Creed in this presentation I go over what my American Creed is.

Who I Really Am

A poem about my American Creed, told in the stories of my grandparents.

Dreams in America

Callie C., Trinity A. and M. Rodriquez wondered what future generations appreciate about America and what their dreams are for their future. Interviews of students in the kindergarten class at Evergreen Elementary School yielded some interesting answers about America.

American Creed

The picture I drew illustrates what an American may look like and where they are from or where they are heading. It also illustrates opportunities and the chance to be whatever you want to be and to go wherever you want to go.

American Creed

My video talks about (and visually demonstrates) the false notations and divisions emulated in America specifically through American Creed.

What Is Your American Creed?

I discuss my personal American Creed and how the position I have been born into has affected that outlook

What does it mean to be an American?

This speech that I have created is about how I depict myself as an American and how there is so many aspects of American life. I also describe how important these really are and how some people don’t recognize the importance.

My American Creed

What I think it means to be an American is that no one can tell you what to do with your life. You get to choose what you you want to do or be in life. So, what do you think it means to be an American?

The American Dream

I wrote this op-ed about my ideas on the American Dream based on the information from the documentary.

Your Experience is Everything

Using audio of interviews to discuss how diverse Americans adapt and view the reason they believe means to be American.

My family Immigration American Creed

My paper is about my family history and how they immigrated to America in order to get hands on experience with new opportunity. I talk about their definition of American Creed and how they feel about it.

My American Creed

My American creed is doing whatever you want no matter what language you speak, what race you are, or even what country you came from. I also think that my American creed is freedom for everyone.

Writing Our Future: American Creed is part of the National Writing Project’s family of youth publishing projects, all gathered under the Writing Our Future initiative.

Writing Our Future projects are designed by educators for educators and the young people they work with. Intended for use in schools, libraries, and other educational settings. All projects are COPPA compliant and educator-managed. NWP is committed to supporting young people’s writing and civic participation by providing a safe and supportive environment for youth writing, media creation, sharing, and publishing.