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What does being an American mean to you?

An American flag at Portland Head Light catches the light at sunrise, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (Robert F. BukatyAP)
Robert F. BukatyAP
An American flag at Portland Head Light catches the light at sunrise, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (Robert F. BukatyAP)

The Declaration of Independence turns 249 years old on Friday. That document said it is the duty of the United States “to throw off” despotism and tyranny. While it also famously said “that all men are created equal,” it didn’t expressly define who is a citizen. Today, with President Trump declaring an end to automatic citizenship for people born in the United States, we asked, “What does being an American mean to you?”

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong listens to some of your responses.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

Chris Bentley
Before joing Here & Now in 2021, Scott Tong spent 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent. Scott has reported from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Ethiopia, Burma and Japan.