I Too Sing America

Words: 666
Pages: 3

In “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, “Veteran’s Day: Never Forget Their Duty” by John McCain, “The Four Freedoms” by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and “The Bill of Rights: A Transcription.” the things that it takes to be an American are represented. Through each of these, different ways of being or not being an American are revealed. To be an American means to have rights and freedoms and act upon them. Two people will never have the same meaning for what it means to be an American, but these writings give a basic outline for everyone to follow. These works give the people examples to live by and show how being a true American can help in the darkest of times.
In Langston Hughes’ poem, “I, Too, Sing America,” what it feels like to not be an American is explored. In Hughes’ poem he writes, “I am the darker brother./They send me to eat in the kitchen/When company comes” this is to explore what it was like to be a slave of the Americans and not be treated as an equal (Hughes 13). The simplest way to not be an American is to not be accepted by the Americans. The oppression of certain groups in America is lead by outspoken groups that believe that
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As a prisoner of war McCain’s new friend Mike Christian showed how heroic, patriotic acts by sewing the American flag into his uniform. Even with the threat of the Vietnamese, Christian never gave up on his love for his country. McCain writes, “Sitting there, beneath that dim light bulb, with a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian” this shows how important Christian felt saying the Pledge of Allegiance was even after being horribly beaten by the Vietnamese (McCain 7). The devotion Christian shows to the American flag is a clear example of what it means to be an