"Don't you ever wonder, maybe if things had been slightly different, you could be somebody else?" Have you ever thought about who you are? For example, I am an American. I have always been and will always be an American. If I was not born in America, though, who would I be? It is hard for me to grasp any other concept of life. I would, however, most likely be "slightly different." The mere fact that I was born in America is not all that makes me an American, however. As a result of my upbringing and life in this country, I have American traits woven into my personality. These ideas are embedded into my character. The concept of what an American is, is very difficult for me to grasp. I sometimes feel stereotyped by outside opinions of what Americans are about. I still wonder what being an American means to me. What is it that makes me different from a person of another nationality?
             Many ideals that I have always taken for granted are instilled in me only because I am American. I feel, though, that I am very lucky to be able to live my life in America. I have never witnessed other nationalities first-hand, but I know that many times the lives that they must lead are not as fortunate as the lives of most Americans. I cannot relate to these issues, because I have lived my entire life in a free country. There is no possible way for me to comprehend any other way of living.
             America is a part of what I am, however, it is difficult to say exactly what that is. Every person must relate to his or her nationality in some way. It is, in a way, a label. A person's nationality tells so much about them. Occasionally, certain nationalities tend to be stereotyped. As an American, I feel that we may sometimes be stereotyped. Whether the stereotypes are right or wrong, they belong to all Americans. These generalizations are commonly thrown at Americans while we still ponder--exactly what is an
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