What makes the United States special to you?

The answer to this question is surely something of a personal one.  Not everyone will find the United States special for the same reason.  My own view, for example, is probably influenced by the fact that I am a person of mixed race.  You should think about what it is about America that is special for you, personally.

For me, what is special about America is that it is the only democracy in the world whose society is fairly cohesive and unified even though is not held together by a common ethnic heritage.  In other democracies, people feel a connection to one another because they all share the same heritage.  Almost everyone in Japan, for example, is ethnically Japanese.  They can all feel bound together by their country’s long history, which their ancestors were all a part of.  In France, most people are ethnically French and share that country’s history.  To the extent that there are racial minorities in France, they are not well integrated into society and France is a weaker society because of that.  The same is true of Germany, where most people share a common language and history and where immigrant groups have a hard time assimilating.

Of course, the United States has racial and ethnic problems.  We are not a perfect country.  However, we do have a fairly cohesive society that does not really set Hispanics, Asians, whites, and African Americans against one another.  We have this even though we do not share a common heritage.  Even the white people in our country came from many different countries of origin.  Somehow, even though our ancestors might have been born on different continents, or might been from countries that hated one another, we are all Americans.  Our country has the ability to make everyone feel that they can be a part of our society, regardless of their background.

Because of my racial background, I could live in Japan for years and no one would ever think I was Japanese.  The same would be true if I lived in Germany or France.  Here in the US, however, essentially no one questions the idea that I can be just as much of an American as someone whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower.  This is, to me, why the United States is special.