I was honored to be invited by the US embassy in Santiago to say a few words on why I am proud to be an American. Here they are. 

Peter Murphy Lewis

July 4, 2009 

Good morning.  I am convinced that being concise is one of the greatest American cultural virtues. While I have lost my American punctuality, now speak poorer English than I do Spanish after many years in Chile, I try my best to remain a concise American. My Chilean girlfriend told me to avoid jokes because I am not funny, so do forgive me if my sarcasm comes across as a bit lame. My brief words on what makes me proud to be an American are anecdotal. Even though I consider myself a scholar, defining what it means to be an American is beyond me, so I will stick to a few stories that remind me of why it is great to be an American. 

My first memory of being an American was in boarding high school in rural Concordia, Missouri. While the student body was no more than 160 boys and girls, 40% of the total student population was international. My best friends were from Spain, Mexico, Egypt, Norway, Japan, Thailand and China. Almost forgot, even Lithuanian and Albanian students attended my school. 

It was those 4 years of high school where I realized that being American was something different and even special. The fact that all of my close international friends from high school still live in the US is a sign that our great nation has something going for it. The fact that I am the only one from my class of 43 who has lived outside the US for the last 6 years should not be interpreted as UN-American, although my conservative grandfather sees it that way, rather I just love being an American with permanent residency in Chile. 

In all seriousness, my sense of Americanness was and still is molded by my sense of how non-Americans view us, you or me.  Overwhelmingly, this perception tends to be quite positive. Allow me to summarize. I often hear Americans described as self-critical but also arrogant, ingenious but also stubborn, down to earth but excessively independent. Many times true. 

I have heard Chileans describe Americans as loud, smiley, astute and disciplined. Many times true, but I would add that while we might be rambunctious and 10 minutes early to everything, we also stand out for wearing white tennis shoes and white socks. Now, that is American, not to forget how much we hate taxes, distrust government and believe the right to bear arms is our natural right.  

While these are quite evident truths of most Americans, we are less known for some of our very important inventions, all of which make me proud to be an American, inventions like the can opener, miniature golf, frisbee, blue jeans, post it notes, roller coaster, feather duster, bar code, barbed wire, and brassiere. Where would we be without the feather duster patented in 1876 or Mary Phelps Jacob’s 1914 bra, or putt-putt golf? We Americans have made important life-changing contributions to human evolution. 

On a serious note, the government agency called US Citizenship and Immigration Services gives out awards every year called the "Outstanding American by Choice" award. It is given to foreigners who become naturalized US citizens who have made important contributions in one way or another to the US.

Professor of Political Science Peter W. Schramm was a 2007 recipient of this award and at the time recalled his fleeing of Hungary with his family after the country’s failed revolution against the Soviets, at the age of 9 he asked his father about their future destination, questioning "Why America?" --his father replied…."Because, son. We were born Americans, but in the wrong place." Obviously, the Schramm family viewed Americanness as something learned, not so much a birthright. 

Professor Schramm went on to say the following upon receiving his award. Remember he is an American by choice, not by birth.

“We cannot forget who we are. We are Americans. This is a great nation. We Americans insist on holding to the connection between freedom and justice, courage and moderation. We think that equality and liberty have ethical and political implications, and, as we have shown time-and-again throughout our history, we are willing to fight and to die to make men free. We need to impart these principles to succeeding generations…. If government "of the people, by the people and for the people" is to endure, its endurance can only come from the devotion of Americans--born here and away--who have been so made.”

This Americanness in a sense is much more a privilege than it is a birthright. Sometimes it is friends in boarding school or Outstanding Americans by Choice who give us a better perspective on why it is great to be American. All the history that comes with this term, those individuals who made and make the word something grand, all the intangibles that come with this American concept is what makes it so difficult to define. 

I am not saying Americans are the only ones with this undefinable magic-like aura of great history, rather what I am attempting to say is that while I cannot precisely define what it is that makes me American, whatever it is, I am definitely proud of it.  Happy birthday American.