The People of the USA



We aren't quite this friendly~



Who are these people, these Americans?  People here are like people everywhere – they are mostly good but there are always a few who are filled with hate instead of love.  Most are kind, generous and curious.  Don’t be surprised if they ask you lots of questions.  You may find some who are rude – but most Americans are friendly and will be happy to help you if you are lost.  Some are always in a rush and others seem to have all the time in the world.

Vintage postcard of Native Americans
in traditional ceremonial costumes



It's a Small World After All!
Vintage Disney postcard



We come from all over the world and there is no one type of person who is an American.  There are Native Americans who were here long before the United States began.  There are descendants from most of the European countries who helped build the original colonies that became the United States.  At different times, Spain, France, Mexico and Russia all laid claim to parts of our country and many of their descendants remain. Chinese Americans helped to build much of our Railroad system and settle the West Coast during the Gold Rush. 

Memorial Statue of Pioneers



Immigrants have come here for many decades to find a different life than the one they left behind.  Slaves were brought here from Africa and were finally freed after the Civil War.  Mexican Americans have come to work our farms for generations.  Students have come from all over the world.  Refugees have become Americans.  We have become a mixture of people more than anywhere else.     

They are rich people, poor people and many who are neither rich nor poor. They are Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Mormon, Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and those who believe in no God at all.  They are educated, illiterate, and somewhere in between.  There are geniuses and those who will never be able to learn. 

There are city people and country people and those who live in small towns.  There are people who travel all the time and some people who have never left their hometown. 

We are a people who are still learning to be tolerant of others so that each of us can fulfill our dreams.  We are not perfect, we still struggle with recognizing that all people are created equal, but we are trying.  We don’t always agree with each other but we will fight and die to defend our right to disagree.