American Dream

It's about growing up as a Native American in a predominately Caucasian community and being told I don't belong in the country I was born in for such petty things like my skin tone. I grew up around all white people and developed their culture while having none of my own.

By Culture from Burke High School in Nebraska

I’m trying my best to be something I wasn’t born to be

I’ll fall asleep and try to believe

Go ahead and keep your American Dream

You can take what you want from me

Get me to fake an identity

Go ahead and keep your American Dream

I can’t speak, I can’t think

About anything other than the words you taught me

I’m a machine

A manufactured beast

With no self-sufficiency

Feathers in my hair blow away as quick as everything I could be

Slowly mold me into an American Dream

I can’t breathe

I’m down on my knees

While you walk all over my ancestry

I’ve been writing American Dreams

And sending them off to sea

So the next generation can possibly learn from me

This is not what we were meant to be

While everything burns away with bright orange gleams

Hopefully we can restart everything

Be the new American Dream

Burke High School

Poetry Study

Poetry Study is an elective class in which students read and write poetry.

More responses about "culture", "perspective", "racial justice", "representation ", and "values"

Surprise Me

Interview with exchange students

I’m an exchange student from Germany and I’m really happy to be here in U.S., but I was wondering was other exchange students think about the U.S. and what they experience are compared to their different background and their different countries.

Is the American Creed the Villian against Race?

Your race may affect whether you receive the American Creed.

The Country that isn't free...

My Essay shows the facts about our country and how African Americans are treated. My essay shows stats and gives an insight to our community and the challenges we face as a culture.

Differences

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

Our Family's American Creed

There are many ways I connect to the American creed. I connect by my Native Americans heritage, my grandparents who served, and also our grandparents who made many contributes to Kentucky.

Let Dreamers Dream

This is a poem I wrote about the values that America cherishes and exemplifies the rights that everyone possesses. No matter how different you may look or the way you act, everyone is given the right to be treated the same and this is why we should truly value the American Creed.

American Actions

This is my American Creed.

American Creed: Where do we go from here?

America has some great qualities, but that does not mean we should not continue to work on our weaker qualities. We should always aim to be better.

American Values

This is a piece by a high school student on the core American Values and what his views are on the subject. And it shows how the values affect people, and what experiences have led to the values.

Now That I'm Older

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

Saying the ‘I Believe’: Religion and Our Creeds

For this project, I interviewed the rector at my Episcopalian church. My goal with this project was to explore my own creed through my religion, and hopefully prompt others to do the same.

What rights should people living in the US have?

I believe that people in America should have the rights of freedom, freedom of Speech and, to be protected by all the laws granted by the government period. Also to be treated equally no matter the race or sexuality and for everyone to granted justice.

Language please!

My writing is about the importance of language within america and how it affects families and people.

How can your actions show the american creed

This speech can help you understand how you can show american creed through actions. Like your ever day life the american creed.

What is my American Creed

My poster explains my American Creed because it shows four words and the meaning to my American Creed. It shows what the words mean to my American Creed.

The Vitality of American Entertainment and Sports

Exploring how entertainment is a vital part of the United States of America and her culture.

A land of change

This is a poem about change and why it is such a vital aspect of American culture and how it is a part of us.

My American Creed

This poster represents my American creed through emotions and feelings.

American Creed

The United States is made up of so many different cultures, religions, races and that’s what makes this country beautiful.

This Is America: The Divided States

My essay evaluates the biggest division in America black vs white. The dispute has been going on for the longest and even though slavery has been "abolished" and all men and women are "equal", somehow we still find ourselves fighting for freedom and justice. We've yet to prevail.

Preserving Family Culture

Preserving family culture is essential to my American Creed. Remembering and acknowledged our family's history helps increase the diversity in America, which is beautiful and unique.

This Is America

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. But is it truly?

What Makes the American People

My focus will be on how cultural diversity and how it brings the people together

Have American Values Changed?

Look at the larger picture to acknowledge, through the generations, how customs and values came to be and can be tied back to the idea that America’s composed of individuals, with their own ethnicity, customs, traditions, and opinions; honoring how they have been modified.

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.