American Creed

People from other countries have been coming to America and becoming citizens for many years. These people come to America, take an oath, and make this country their own. They claim America as theirs. In the PBS documentary film American Creed, Eric Liu talks about immigrants coming to America and how they dream of becoming citizens to this country. The film shows us the oath they take to finalize their citizenship. Liu says that America is held together by a creed. The Google definition of creed is “a set of beliefs or aims that guide someone's actions." The citizens of America are held together by what they believe in or what they aim to be. Liu also talks about how his parents were immigrants and managed to come here and live good lives. They raised him here and he called it “the American Dream." The American Dream is said to be when someone starts at the bottom, works really hard, and ends up being successful and, most likely, wealthy.

A problem that arises is some people do not believe in the American Dream. There is also the fact of different people having different views of what the American Dream actually is. There are people who have their own American Dream and that may be different from someone else. Other people may think that there is no such thing and people can’t come from a poor family and end up being rich. I think that when Liu talks about immigration, it is pretty important. I am an immigrant. I feel like many people should have the opportunity and chance to live a better life in a better country than the one they came from. I didn’t come from a bad country, but there are many people who do. There are people out there who live in very dangerous countries that they cannot leave and have to deal with every day.

Liu also says that sometimes Americans can take their country and freedom for granted. Sometimes people can often not think about how much freedom they actually have being here in America. Liu talks about how people from all over the world come here to America and that’s what makes us this country. There is so much diversity and it brings us together. In the American Creed film, a writer named Junot Diaz says that “we can come together in a profound diversity." There is a variety of people in this country and Diaz says that individuality is actually what divides us.

Liu and Diaz share perspectives and values because they share the same views about bringing people together and having people be held together. I think we should pay attention to the perspectives of others because it is important to think about other people and coming together as Americans. This is important so that we can learn multiple viewpoints and expand our knowledge.