{"id":386021,"date":"2026-07-04T12:44:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T12:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/386021\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T12:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T12:44:20","slug":"what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-american-we-asked-26-san-diegans-to-reflect-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/386021\/","title":{"rendered":"What does it mean to be an American? We asked 26 San Diegans to reflect. \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

The United States of America was founded on the ideals of liberty, justice, opportunity and equality. As we celebrate that great experiment of democracy 250 years later, the American identity remains rooted in the pursuit of those ideals.<\/p>\n

The Union-Tribune asked 26 San Diegans to reflect on a central question: What does being an American mean to them? Their backgrounds and life experiences may be varied, but their responses paint a portrait of collective American values \u2014 honor, sacrifice, service, self-determination, freedom, diversity and optimism.<\/p>\n

Daniel Rios, Sycuan Indian Reservation
\n\"AtDaniel Rios, a tribal member of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, works as a historical researcher for the tribe. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Haawka and hello. This is how Daniel Rios greets the elders of his tribe. The first, a Kumeyaay expression, carries a wish: May the fire in your soul burn bright.<\/p>\n

These greetings represent the two halves of Rios: Sycuan Band tribal member and San Diegan. All of him is American.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Native person, we live in two different places,\u201d he said at the Sycuan Cultural Center, where he volunteers as a researcher. \u201cOn one side, you have to be prideful to be an American, and on the other side, you have to be prideful to be a Native person. They try to be separate, sometimes. But what I\u2019ve learned is that it\u2019s OK to be both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rios, 28, is working on preserving his Kumeyaay culture and language, and studying the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to learn more of those struggles that we went through, in order to appreciate those people that came before us. I\u2019m honoring the past,\u201d he said. That is his responsibility to himself, and to America as a Native American. \u201cI mean, just to make sure that people know we\u2019re still here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-determination, honor, pride and strength are his top values as an American.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy to live in these two worlds,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to be an American. I\u2019d rather see the Stars and Stripes than something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Robert Falken, Lake San Marcos
\n\"AtAt his home office in San Marcos, Robert Falken, a professional inventor, holds several dozen U.S. patents. At the age of 18, he created and manufactured his first product, Magma Surf Wax. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Robert Falken was 18 when he started manufacturing and selling surfboard wax in his garage. Since then, he has filed more than 200 patents, including for an eyebrow hair removal tool and a new type of wetsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think invention, for me, runs in my blood,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just guessing. I can\u2019t turn it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Invention and being American are closely tied for Falken, 46, a fourth-generation San Diegan and a descendant of Alfred Robinson, another inventor, who conceptualized the Balboa Park Botanical Building.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be American, to me, is (having) the freedom to create, the freedom to contribute to the community and to have that resonate across borders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Being American and inventiveness overlap in many ways, he added. They\u2019re both fueled by grit, tenacity, the willingness to try and fail, and the willingness to accept others\u2019 \u201ccrazy\u201d ideas and run with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shared belief, as I look at it, universally in America, that I can reach out to other like-minded people who will be receptive to my needs or desires, and they\u2019ll pick up the baton with me, and everybody\u2019s together in that acceptance,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very accepting culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Yvette Porter Moore, Emerald Hills
\n\"YvetteYvette Porter Moore is employed at San Diego High School, where she graduated as part of the Class of 1986. She serves as the school\u2019s historian. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Genealogist Yvette Porter Moore first became aware of her American identity when she was 18 years old and registering to vote.<\/p>\n

It was the capstone on a civically-minded upbringing in San Diego. Her parents, both educators, hosted campaign parties for candidates in their home, and her father was president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.<\/p>\n

With community leaders and advocates coming and going from the house, Moore grew up with a sense that the ideals of the American dream must be pushed for, continuously so. That\u2019s why voting \u2014 a right that hasn\u2019t always been afforded to Black Americans \u2014 is so important to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, being an American is having opportunities to have a better life, even if we have to struggle, even though there may be things that are against us,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n

Through her work, Moore, 58, has been able to trace back her family\u2019s history in North America to the 1500s, including to ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n

This family history of civic engagement, she says, leaves her feeling \u201ca responsibility that we must pursue, and be a participant of, what we think is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Joshua Kai Tran, Mira Mesa
\n\"AtJoshua Tran sits in his backyard clubhouse. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cValor, purity and justice are only some words that describe the three colors of the American flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

With these words, Joshua Kai Tran, 12, opened his award-winning essay about the U.S. flag, which was recognized this spring by the National Flag Day Foundation.<\/p>\n

In 221 words, Kai, who goes by his middle name, connected the colors to his parents\u2019 perilous boat trip to the United States from Vietnam.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed symbolizes the blood sacrifices and lost lives that were made in the journey,\u201d Kai wrote. \u201cWhite symbolizes the new start for my family to write their own future after they made it into America.\u201d Blue \u201csymbolizes the vast ocean which my parents spent weeks on in a small boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Kai, being an American means opportunity: freedom, prosperity, safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to follow your passions and your dreams, and you get to have a family. You get to be safe, and \u2014 my brother has a face painting business, and he\u2019s 17. So you can do stuff like that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When he thinks of the United States of America, he focuses on that first word: united.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite everyone having different cultures and being from different places, like, everyone is still one family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Connie Rascon Gunther, Escondido
\n\"AtConnie Rascon Gunther, a retired project manager for aerospace and currently working as a local business owner, is photographed in her Escondido home. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Connie Rascon Gunther\u2019s family has lived in the San Diego area since before America was America.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least 10 generations, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mother\u2019s family sailed in from Spain. \u201cProbably prior to 1769, with Father Serra,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Rascon Gunther, 67, a small-business owner who leads a group of descendants of early San Diegans, is driven by a desire to help people know their roots after she learned about her own.<\/p>\n

The impulse to help others mirrors her view of what it means to be an American.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, to be an American is to be able to open the door for others, take your traits and your skills and not only focus internally on yourself, but then use that to be a voice for your community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her life has unfolded on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, and her aerospace career has taken her on trips to countries with different political systems: communism, socialism.<\/p>\n

Coming home each time, she was struck by the same feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt so relieved that I live in America, because you see (other countries) and if you\u2019re not born into the right family or into the right structure, you\u2019re not given the same privilege. Here, you can go from rags to riches. That American dream really is true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Joe Corona, Chula Vista
\n\"ChulaJoe Corona, now retired from professional soccer, takes a break from working with teenage soccer players at the Lauderbach Synthetic Turf Field. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

From his seat at LA\u2019s SoFi Stadium, Joe Corona cheered on the U.S. men\u2019s national soccer team as it made its World Cup 2026 debut last month. The electric atmosphere and the chills that came from a packed stadium singing the national anthem together brought back many memories.<\/p>\n

Corona, 35, who played professionally for 16 years on both sides of the border, knows firsthand what it means to rep the stars and stripes on an international stage. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor and a privilege,\u201d said the retired soccer star. \u201cFor me, it always was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sweetwater High School alum, who is of Mexican and Salvadoran heritage, was playing for the Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles of the Liga MX\u00a0when the opportunity arose to play for a national team. In 2012, he chose the U.S., his native country.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an American means representing such a diverse country \u2014 one that gives you the opportunity to fulfill your dreams,\u201d he said. \u201cIt means wearing these colors with pride and representing them in the best way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The midfielder played in three Gold Cup tournaments with the U.S. men\u2019s national team, winning two of them, and also competed in World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Johnny Bear Contreras, San Pasqual
\n\"AtAt his art studio in San Pasqual, Johnny Bear Contreras has several art projects in the works. Many of his artworks are installed as public art throughout the U.S.\u00a0(Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

As a sculpture artist whose work largely revolves around preserving the Kumeyaay Nation\u2019s culture for future generations, Johnny Bear Contreras, 63, says freedom is rooted in his craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to being an artist, I can move to different genres and places, and the things I\u2019m working on, without worrying about persecution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That freedom stems from Contreras\u2019 American identity, he says, something he started to uncover growing up in Escondido in the 1970s.<\/p>\n

He was immersed in the Kumeyaay culture and traditions and tribal meetings, all while the movement for Indigenous rights gained momentum across the country.<\/p>\n

But he also recalls the end of the Vietnam War, when community members came home after serving. This experience \u2014 especially after seeing how his uncles were impacted after serving in World War II \u2014 made Contreras acutely aware of his rights and who fought for them.<\/p>\n

Even when he faced discrimination for the color of his skin, he thought of the \u201corganic documents\u201d \u2014 the Constitution and Bill of Rights \u2014 and the freedoms they afforded him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean to be American? It means you have a choice. Individuals are sacrificing every day\u2026 so that we have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Faye Jonason, Fallbrook
\n\"FayeFaye Jonason served for 30 years as director of the museum program at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Decades of Faye Jonason\u2019s life have been dedicated to asking questions.<\/p>\n

Jonason, 78, recently retired after 30 years as the historian at Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base established in 1942. With history dating back thousands of years before that \u2014 from the Luise\u00f1o people to the Spanish missionaries and cattle ranchers \u2014 she says \u201cthere\u2019s enough story in that land to last you a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her work, she\u2019s found that the best way to learn that story is by asking questions \u2014 ones that have connected her to the experiences of service members, their families and San Diego and American history.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things that you did not know, and there are things that you learn, and they make a fuller understanding and a fuller feeling of what it means to be part of the United States,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Having had the chance to learn about and from those who fought for the U.S. and lived on the land of Camp Pendleton, being an American \u201cmeans I have gratitude for all the freedoms that we\u2019ve been gifted,\u201d Jonason adds.<\/p>\n

As she sees it, new knowledge allows for the constant evolution and growth of the American identity. \u201cWe should be adding all the time to our American experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Christian Hwong, City Heights
\n\"ChristianChristian Hwong, an incoming senior at Hoover High School, plans to spend this summer visiting colleges across California to help him decide which four-year university to attend. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Christian Hwong feels he has two personalities. The Hoover High senior, 17, is one person around his family of Chinese and Laotian immigrants; he\u2019s entirely different around friends. That second personality feels more real to Hwong \u2014 and entirely American.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I move out, my family identity will just disappear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Part of wanting to shed his parents\u2019 culture is natural for a teenager; but also, the San Diego-born Hwong just likes U.S. culture more.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecently I\u2019ve been told I\u2019m kind of a whitewashed Asian-American, and I definitely see that,\u201d he said. While he doesn\u2019t \u201cindulge too much into my own background as a Laotian-Chinese-American,\u201d he enjoys the United States\u2019 melting-pot culture. He felt that keenly on a recent trip to Los Angeles\u2019 Koreatown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made me feel the most alive, feeling like the Constitution really meant something to me, was when I got to see the various different communities come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Hwong, who has visited Laos multiple times, being an American means freedom and safety. \u201cLife in America has made me feel incredibly safe, and honestly, I wouldn\u2019t like (living) anywhere else,\u201d he said. \u201cI probably wouldn\u2019t have this sense of security anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n

Allison Garner, Tierrasanta
\n\"AllisonAllison Garner is married to a U.S. sailor who is currently on his third deployment in eight years. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

The Fourth of July was always Allison Garner\u2019s favorite holiday, so much so that her husband, Travis, chose that day to propose in 2013. Independence Day took on even more significance a few years later when Travis joined the Navy at the advanced age of 30.<\/p>\n

Aside from grandfathers and uncles who served decades ago, the couple had no close military ties. But nine years on, the Navy is the dominant force in the family\u2019s life. For Garner, whose husband is deployed and who works at the Armed Services YMCA, it\u2019s impossible to separate what it means to be American from the sacrifices of military families.<\/p>\n

For example, in the nine years Travis has been in the Navy, the couple has spent their favorite holiday together just once.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat it means to me to be American is understanding what the military does for us,\u201d Garner, 38, said. She acknowledges there are detractors of America\u2019s wars, but she values the freedom of speech that allows for such criticism.<\/p>\n

And as long as the rank and file are being sent to fight, she\u2019ll support their loved ones at home. \u201cWe live in a free country, and we can have all these amazing things around us because of the military,\u201d she said. \u201cThey keep us safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n

Brijette Pe\u00f1a, Mt. Hope
\n\"AtBrijette Pe\u00f1a, owner and founder of San Diego Seed Company, at her warehouse in Mt. Hope. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

If you walk into Brijette Pe\u00f1a\u2019s\u00a0southeastern San Diego warehouse, chances are you\u2019ll leave with seeds or stickers. Seed packets make excellent business cards, Pe\u00f1a said. Stickers are fun.<\/p>\n

Cultivating seeds for herbs, flowers and other plants isn\u2019t just a career. She uses seeds to shape the world. Her company donated seeds to victims of last year\u2019s Palisades fire, as well as to San Diego schools.<\/p>\n

For Pe\u00f1a, 37, seed farming is deeply rooted in being American. There\u2019s the commercial piece: selling. And the nature piece: taking something from the earth and developing it. And the environmental piece: Gardeners are \u201cconnected with the earth, and they care more about the environment and the soil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being an American means having complexity. You can be more than one thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an American is being a chameleon, changing, shifting,\u201d she said. The way she changed when she moved from Kansas to San Diego and married a Mexican American man.<\/p>\n

It also means having contradictions, contrasts. \u201cIt is not this or that. It is both,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can be both part of what we are in the past, but also something very different in the future,\u201d she added. Not unlike a seed.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Sye Savoie, Oceanside
\n\"Capt.Capt. Sye Savoie serves in the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot who flies UH Huey helicopters.\u00a0They have been placed on administrative leave and are in the process of being involuntarily separated from their military service. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Over the last eight years, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sye Savoie has risen through the ranks of the demanding military branch, serving with, as they put it, \u201cthe toughest fighting force that our nation has.\u201d<\/p>\n

But as a transgender Marine, Savoie is being separated from the military under a Trump administration executive order. After years of service to the United States and finding a \u201cpurpose\u201d in the Marine Corps, their identity as an American now feels more complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, being an American means chasing dreams \u2014 while still staying grounded in reality,\u201d Savoie, 29, said.<\/p>\n

The nation itself was built on a dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Savoie adds. It\u2019s still a dream worth having and working toward, even if \u201csome of us haven\u2019t been able to reach\u201d it yet.<\/p>\n

Part of that optimism may be rooted in the Marine experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI represent so much when I put the uniform on; you\u2019re not just you anymore,\u201d Savoie said. The job requires them to \u201cfind the best in America, because that\u2019s what I have to represent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Cecelia Fowler-Ramsey, Mountain View
\n\"AtAt her home, where she has lived for the past 30 years, Cecelia Fowler-Ramsey, a retired social worker, now works part-time as a real estate agent. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

When thinking about her American identity, Cecelia Fowler-Ramsey\u2019s mind goes to a day in 2008.<\/p>\n

She was working for Father Joe\u2019s Villages\u2019 transitional family housing when a group of young Black children ran up to her \u2014 \u201clike a herd of elephants\u201d \u2014 to tell her that Barack Obama had been elected as the nation\u2019s first Black president.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brought back hope again,\u201d Fowler-Ramsey, 76, said, also pointing to how it changed the kids. \u201cThey all felt that they could do whatever they wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t felt hope so strongly since she first heard James Brown\u2019s \u201cSay It Loud \u2013 I\u2019m Black and I\u2019m Proud,\u201d a funk song that became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, released months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Detroit and facing cruel jokes about the darker color of her skin, the song helped Fowler-Ramsey gain confidence and a connection to her American and Black identity.<\/p>\n

To her, being an American is rooted in self-determination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know my people will never give up,\u201d said Fowler-Ramsey, who works now as a real estate agent. \u201cTo me, living in America is freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Jim Putman, El Cajon
\n\"JimJim Putman retired after 10 years of service in the U.S. Navy, followed by another nine years in the U.S. Army as an infantryman. He served in combat during deployments to Iraq and on two separate occasions in Afghanistan. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Jim Putman, 55, grew up a Navy brat, so it was no surprise when he joined out of high school. \u201cIt was kind of in my DNA,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A more unexpected decision came roughly 15 years later, when he\u2019d been out of the Navy about three years and enlisted in the Army at 34.<\/p>\n

\u201cService to country, service to my fellow countrymen and women \u2026 it\u2019s that simple,\u201d he said, though he joked there were probably some other, more practical reasons he had for rejoining.<\/p>\n

Putman had left the Navy months before the Sept. 11 attack. With the Army, he was deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. After, he went back to college. He now works for the San Diego Military Advisory Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an American is about choice,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t think of another country on this planet where an individual can remake themselves several times over the span of a life \u2026 The essence of being an American is \u2026 the ability to be who we want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also about serving others, he said, pointing as an example to the charity Feeding San Diego, whose CEO is a fellow veteran.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t get any more American than that, if you\u2019re dedicating your life to making other people\u2019s lives better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n

David Amaya, Golden Hill
\n\"OnDavid Amaya, who spent 25 years in five different California state prisons, incarcerated from 1990 to 2015, now finds himself returning to prison as a free man to help others transform their lives and prepare for reintegration into society. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Like many Americans, David Amaya watched his TV in horror on Sept. 11, 2001, as the World Trade Center was attacked. Unlike most, Amaya watched from Pelican Bay State Prison.<\/p>\n

He had just turned 33,\u00a0and \u201cup until that point, I was a rebel,\u201d Amaya said. But as he watched first responders and everyday citizens rush to help, he felt an unfamiliar pride swelling inside. \u201cThat\u2019s the first day that I believed and felt I\u2019m American,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It took a few more years, but Amaya, 57, began rehabilitating himself. He was paroled in 2015 with a deep, personal understanding of freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amaya now works for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition helping other formerly incarcerated people. Overall, he believes the American justice system is fair.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt allowed me to have time to reflect, to grow, to mature and become a responsible citizen that contributes to my community,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think that is possible in any other country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being an American to Amaya is about the ability to vote, a right he cherishes. It\u2019s about abiding by laws, contributing positively to society and being fair, equal and just, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s how I live my life now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n

Donna Yee, Chula Vista
\n\"..7Donna Yee, photographed at Rohr Park in Bonita, has for years volunteered as a poll worker. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Someone once told Donna Yee that she wasn\u2019t \u201cpatriotic enough\u201d to celebrate the Fourth of July because she had never served in the military. But she disagrees.<\/p>\n

To her, being American means using your gifts to help others in many different ways, within your means.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what it means to be American, because you\u2019re accepting of everyone and you want everyone to do better,\u201d Yee, 42, said.<\/p>\n

She also emphasizes the importance of learning about the contributions of veterans, immigrants and those who came before us.<\/p>\n

Yee, a substitute teacher and the daughter of Chinese immigrants, started volunteering as a poll worker in 2008 because she wanted to learn more about the voting process. Most recently, she was the site manager at Montgomery High School\u2019s polling place for the California primaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur voices matter,\u201d she said, explaining her motivation. The experience has also allowed her to get to know her community better.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most interesting stories are when the couples come in, and they\u2019re voting together, but one\u2019s Republican and one\u2019s Democrat,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh yeah, we get along,\u2019 and it\u2019s like, yeah, why can\u2019t the world be like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Ryan Andrews, Vista
\n\"SittingSitting in the Prohibition’s Liquor Bar in the Gaslamp Quarter, Ryan Andrews works as the beverage director for GBOD Hospitality Group. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Bartender and distiller Ryan Andrews grew up in Oakland\u2019s punk rock scene. It was a community that valued a DIY mentality and going against the grain \u2014 and the belief that protest is patriotism.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re attributes that Andrews, 44, still values today \u2014 and ones that could be seen as distinctly American, though Andrews doesn\u2019t feel all that connected to his American identity. He disagrees deeply with many of the country\u2019s foreign and domestic policies and actions, past and present.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like being American in the 21st century, you need to be aware and responsible for the actions of what the country has done globally,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Having tough conversations is part of that. \u201cThe second we stop talking about things that we do not agree with\u2026 I think that\u2019s when we start to lose a big part of what being free in America is really about,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Andrews acknowledges that the defiant spirit of America \u2014 and its founding revolution \u2014 is similar to that of the punk rock scene. \u201cThat idea of a rebellious teenager is, I would say, pretty much at the core of Americanism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Nicole Danos, Bay Park
\n\"AtProfessor Nicole Danos has been a faculty member at University of San Diego since 2016. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

University of San Diego biologist Nicole Danos came from Cyprus to the U.S. in 1998 believing it \u201csupported independent thinkers and free spirits.\u201d Nearly three decades later, with a bachelor\u2019s from UC Berkeley and a doctorate from Harvard, she still feels the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I\u2019ve enjoyed most as a scientist is being in an environment where people come together from all over the world \u2026 to push the boundaries of what they\u2019re doing,\u201d she said. \u201cThat spirit of the best from all over the world wanting to be in the U.S. \u2014 as a scientist, as an intellectual \u2014 that\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danos, 49, previously had a visa but finally achieved U.S. citizenship last year. Her U.S.-born daughters couldn\u2019t understand why she cried through the ceremony. She registered to vote on the spot.<\/p>\n

Being an American to Danos means being \u201ca member of a really diverse and yet cohesive country that has a lot of potential.\u201d She\u2019s sad about the state of politics, but hasn\u2019t lost hope. \u201cThe American people can still keep this country being really \u2026 the best country in the world in terms of protecting its people, working toward the global good and advancing science and technology. I\u2019m pretty proud to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n

Robert Turley, Fallbrook
\n\"AtRetired Marine Lt. Col. Robert Turley is seated inside his fully restored military jeep, an M152A2 MUTT (Military Utility Tactical Truck) at his Fallbrook home. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

In college, Robert Turley got a football injury that could have let him forgo military service. Instead of making excuses Turley, now 86, made history.<\/p>\n

He is one of the American Marines who rescued civilians from Saigon in the spring of 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. He also served in Dong Ha and said he was exposed to Agent Orange, which he realized after studying a map of where that toxin was used. He retired as a lieutenant colonel and continued serving others \u2014 as a systems engineer, community college instructor, coach, husband and father of five.<\/p>\n

Turley enlisted because he felt a responsibility to do so. \u201cWhen the stuff is hitting the fan, if you can\u2019t come to the flag, to stand there to protect it, you don\u2019t deserve to have a flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, being an American is being invested in your country beyond taxes, such as serving your country \u2014 either in the military with the draft, or Kennedy\u2019s Peace Corps. Giving a commitment and then honoring it.\u201d A draft, he added, would strengthen and \u201ctemper\u201d today\u2019s youth, who have gone \u201cweak-kneed.\u201d<\/p>\n

One must have values you\u2019re \u201cwilling to bleed over,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to give of yourself. Physically, mentally, psychologically commit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Emma S\u00e1nchez, Vista<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Vista,Emma Sanchez, photographed at her Vista home, married a U.S. citizen who served in the U.S. Marines. The couple has three sons, two of whom served in the Marines.\u00a0(Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Emma S\u00e1nchez, wife and mother to U.S. Marine veterans and an active-duty service member, recalled the day she took the oath of U.S. citizenship. Despite her basic English, she sang the national anthem as best she could. In that moment, she reflected on her journey.<\/p>\n

Two decades ago, after having lived undocumented in the U.S. for six years, she tried\u00a0to legalize her immigration status at the U.S. Embassy in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez. Instead, she was banned from the U.S. for 10 years despite being the wife of a military veteran and mother of three U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n

For 12 years, her family was split between San Diego and Tijuana until she was allowed to return to the United States in 2018. \u201cIt has been a long, thorny, painful journey,\u201d S\u00e1nchez, 50, said.<\/p>\n

She became a U.S. citizen in 2024.\u00a0Looking back, she believes the wait was worth it. To her, being American means having peace of mind knowing she won\u2019t be separated across borders from her family. She also embraces her newfound responsibilities \u2014 particularly the right to vote.<\/p>\n

She said that because politics has touched her life, she feels motivated to have a voice now. \u201cI\u2019ve voted two times already. I feel like I\u2019ve got a say in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Josh Higgins, La Jolla
\n\"SanJosh Higgins, a nurse at UC San Diego, advocates for rock climbers in his spare time. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not working as an oncology nurse at UC San Diego, Josh Higgins, 47, can often be found scaling a rock wall.<\/p>\n

Rock climbing is a key part of his life \u2014 he\u2019s been teaching a course at the Mesa Rim Climbing Center for at least 15 years and is the president of the Allied Climbers of San Diego, an advocacy group that helps promote and maintain climbing areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll hike any distance as long as there\u2019s rock at the end of it,\u201d he says with a laugh. He\u2019s spent hundreds of days rock climbing in the U.S. national parks and says public lands are a \u201cdefining feature of America.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not doing that, he\u2019s advocating for his fellow nurses as a union representative, fighting for improved working conditions and better patient outcomes.<\/p>\n

Being engaged in his communities is part of how Higgins exercises his Americanness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I associate with being an American personally \u2014 we\u2019re all in this together, and we need to try to make the world a better place,\u201d Higgins says. \u201cI would like America to be better for my child than it was for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Maura Fox<\/p>\n

Ilias Benbatoul, Torrey Pines
\n\"AtAt the campus of San Diego State University, Ilias Benbatoul, 24, who recently graduated with a degree in political science, is currently preparing for the LSAT. He plans to attend law school in 2027. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

It was during a lecture that Ilias Benbatoul first heard the metaphor of America as a melting pot. It stuck with him. For the San Diego State University graduate, being American means being part of that pot.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe United States is a group of so many different diverse races, religions, backgrounds,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s one thing that\u2019s super unique about this country, and it\u2019s something we all must embrace.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a calling, he said, that is informed by his Muslim faith. \u201cWe believe that God created us in different groups of people, and it\u2019s obviously all equal, and it\u2019s our job to connect with one another and learn the beauty of diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The son of Moroccan immigrants, Benbatoul, 24, is a community canvasser for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which allows him to get out in the community and advocate for its needs. He attends the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three people were killed in a hate crime\u00a0in May.<\/p>\n

Benbatoul, who is preparing to enter law school, said he wishes for a nation engaged in uniting. \u201cWe are at a crossroads.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite our country\u2019s difficult history, there\u2019s always a potential to be great and set an example for the rest of the world. That\u2019s what we\u2019re hoping for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Cherie Woods, Allied Gardens
\n\"CherieCherie Woods and her dog Bear are photographed at a local park. Woods transitioned from a career as a sports TV producer to her current role as a special education teacher at Patrick Henry High School.\u00a0(Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

As a teacher, Cherie Woods has guided many students in writing essays about the American dream. Pursue whatever yours may be, she tells them, as long as it doesn\u2019t hurt someone else\u2019s. But, she adds, it\u2019s also about ensuring that every American feels accepted and has the opportunity to pursue their own.<\/p>\n

Woods, 46, a former television producer, is a special education teacher at Patrick Henry High School and helps coach the school\u2019s girls flag football team.<\/p>\n

For Woods, who has Native American, European and African American heritage, including ancestors who were enslaved, being an American is \u201cknowing that diversity matters.\u201d She emphasizes the importance of being connected to the country and wanting to be part of \u201csomething bigger\u201d and its ideals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve made extraordinary progress. And yes, we\u2019ve had painful setbacks and parts of our origins that are not good. But I believe that all of that has shaped who we are and where we need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woods says she is hopeful about the future. \u201cI see that in my students, I see that in my own children,\u201d said the mother of three. \u201cFighting for the good, fighting for life, liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, all the dreams that that American dream stands for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Andrew Minjares, Chula Vista
\n\"AndrewAndrew Minjares poses with his 1973 Ford Mustang Grande, which he has owned since he was a 17-year-old high school student in Colorado. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Maybe the most American thing about Andrew Minjares is his red 1973 Ford Mustang Grande. Steel and chrome, not plastic. It rumbles. It\u2019s sleek. It turns heads.<\/p>\n

Or is it his job? He\u2019s worked for almost 30 years as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, currently in Encanto. He loves getting to know the people and dogs on his routes. He loves seeing people\u2019s faces brighten when he delivers letters.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially Christmas letters,\u201d the 59-year-old said. Digital cards? \u201cIt\u2019s not the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

It could be his time in the Navy. Or maybe his side gig doing another iconic American job. He is a radio DJ with Magic 92.5. (You might know him as Hurricane Andrew.)<\/p>\n

But if you ask Minjares, being American comes down to three ideas: connecting, helping others and being happy.<\/p>\n

As for the pursuit of happiness: \u201cTo be an American is to enjoy life and do what you want to do and be free about it. No questions asked. Unless, you know \u2014 make sure it\u2019s legal!\u201d he said and chuckled. \u201cI\u2019m a happy-go-lucky guy. I don\u2019t like being a Debbie Downer or crazy person.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a pause, he added this pro tip: \u201cStay away from those people!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Roxana Popescu<\/p>\n

Linda McLemore, Chula Vista
\n\"LindaLinda McLemore’s passion for volunteering in the community is equal to her dedication to tending to her home garden in Chula Vista. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Despite being born in an incarceration camp in Arizona where people of Japanese descent were sent during World War II, Linda McLemore\u2019s mother wished for her family to embrace American culture. Five of her uncles served in combat as U.S. Marines or in the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wear red, white and blue all the time,\u201d McLemore, 81,\u00a0said. \u201cI have flags everywhere. Being American is important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet, even that outward expression of Americanness hasn\u2019t stopped McLemore from experiencing discrimination. \u201cIf I don\u2019t look in the mirror, I feel totally like a U.S. American citizen, but some people don\u2019t consider it. I wish that there was some way for discrimination to go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

McLemore has devoted her time to helping others, so much so that she considers herself a \u201cprofessional volunteer.\u201d She started volunteering at hospitals as a candy striper in high school. A loyal San Diego Padres fan, she volunteers for the San Diego Padres Foundation, as well as the San Diego Blood Bank, Meals on Wheels and the Chula Vista Veterans Home.<\/p>\n

She considers honoring veterans to be one of her biggest responsibilities as an American. \u201cThey protect our country. I have so much respect for the military.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandra Mendoza<\/p>\n

Clark Clipson, Mission Hills
\n\"ClarkClark Clipson is a retired forensic psychologist and currently works as a songwriter, working from his music studio in his home with musicians from all over the world.\u00a0 (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

As a boy in 1950\u2019s Atlanta, Clark Clipson idolized the \u201cheroic\u201d Confederacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would reenact battles with pine cones,\u201d Clipson, 72, said. \u201cI didn\u2019t understand back then what the Confederacy really stood for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music helped change that.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up playing in bands \u2026 the South was just beginning to be more desegregated, but in music that had already happened,\u201d he said. Mingling with Black musicians, \u201cI realized they had a really different perspective of what it was like to live here \u2026 (and) that not everybody experiences America the same way I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clipson came to San Diego for grad school in 1976 and never left. His career as a forensic psychologist, analyzing the minds of criminal defendants, also gave him a unique view of America. \u201cMost of the time, our justice system works well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now retired and still making music, he\u2019s long removed from that Southern childhood. But that upbringing helped deepen his appreciation of American values, even during difficult political moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideals of freedom, opportunity and equality are still kicking,\u201d he said. \u201cThis experiment in democracy \u2026 is well worth fighting for, but it\u2019s really fragile and it doesn\u2019t take much to lose it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Riggins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The United States of America was founded on the ideals of liberty, justice, opportunity and equality. As we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386022,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,23,100,74,84,76,75,1696],"class_list":["post-386021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-california","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-county","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-top-stories-sdut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}