Am I a typical American?

“Are you a typical representative of America?” Essay for Russian Civilization Class

I am not sure I can answer whether I am a typical representative of America or not, because I am not sure how to define a “typical” American. That is one of the things I love about America; its incredible diversity of people, places, and experiences. The size of our country, its large population, and the peculiar circumstances of its relatively recent creation make it a place unique in all the world. People of seemingly innumerable ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural heritages can also identify themselves as American.

In this way I suppose I am a typical American. I am from a mixed ethnic heritage but I can trace my ancestors back to the Mayflower. I am largely the result of the freedoms and constraints that exist in the country where I grew up. By some statistics, however, I may not be considered a typical American. I have studied more languages and spent more time outside the country than the “typical” American, which I like to think has expanded my perspective. I may not always agree with the “official” or “typical” stance of my country, but I am still an American.

I do not claim to know where the boundary between “typical” Americans and “atypical” representatives of America lies. I am, however, the sum of the opportunities America has given me, and the result of what I have been able to make of them. In this respect, I think I have quite a bit in common with many of my fellow Americans.