America: the country that is the land of the free, and home of the brave. Very few people have the honor of saying that they are American. Roughly five percent of the world population have the privilege to say they are American. Due to recent news, the phrase "I am an American" has made me think. What exactly makes us American?

By definition, an American is "a citizen of the United States." In actuality, though, I have my own opinion of what being an American is. Being an American is more complicated than it actually sounds like. If you ask, "What does it mean to be American?" or, "What makes you American?" to as many people as you know, I can guarantee that you will get a wide variety of answers. America was founded on the principle that we all have our God-given rights. No one can take them away from us, whether is it the freedom of speech or the right to vote, no matter our race, religion, or gender.

Because of these God-given rights that America protects, many immigrants have decided to come and "become" American. Not only is America open toward immigrants, America was founded by immigrants. So whether your family has been here for eight generations, or just one, somewhere along the line, a relative was an immigrant. Due to recent news, states have become stricter with their immigration policies, specifically towards Mexico and Syria. Donald Trump is so intently set on keeping Mexico out that he wants to build a wall, which I am neither for nor against. Not only that, but because of the terrible travesty that occurred in France, many people in this country are beginning to question if we should let Syrian refugees in. Personally, I will not get involved with this argument due to lack of knowledge, but the recent things people have been posting on social media have made me want to speak out.

I do not mind that people have opinions on whether we should let in or not, but I do mind the racist things people have been saying. I noticed that people have been saying that Islam is a violent religion, or that Islam promotes violence. To start off, the Qur’an 6:151 says, “and do not kill a soul that God has made sacrosanct, save lawfully." In summation, that mean murder is not permitted unless it is the death penalty imposed by the state. In addition, the Qur'an specifically says to not impose the religion on others.

The Qur'an 8:61 says, “But if the enemies incline towards peace, do you also incline towards peace. And trust in God! For He is the one who hears and knows all things.” There are many examples where the law of Islam does not promote violence unless necessary. I personally believe that the minority who are extremist should not represent the whole faith. Being an American means having an open mind. America is where people believe that everyone is equal, and deserve their rights. The racial things said about people from the Middle East are not things that we as Americans should not be saying.

To be an American, I believe you need to have an open mind, a love for your country, and respect. Respecting people’s religion, race, gender, and or anything else is something America both has but also needs to work on. The diversity that we have, not just based on race, but on culture, is astounding. The difference between the East and West coast, North and South, and culture all around makes us who we are. From cowboys to city folks, we have it all, and because of that, that makes us who we are. Foreigners know there is a difference between the South and the Midwest, and we should pride ourselves that we embrace the differences we have.

So why not celebrate the many culture, races, religion, and genders that we have instead of making media-influenced assumptions? As Americans, we should have an open mind, and realize that we have every aspect of the world in our little four percent. Know that we openly accept gay marriage, and that it's okay to be different. Just ask yourself, what does being an American mean to you?