1 It would be very reasonable to view America simply as a collection of different immigrant groups and ethnic or religious loyalties.
2 Despite the variety of ethnic identities, immigration experiences, and cultural choices that have gone into making Americans is so complex, however, that describing the “average American” is not particularly dif-ficult.
3 English in America is the common language by use, but it is not the national language by law.
4 Of all the different nationalities and ethnic groups which have gone into the making of America, many have quickly assimilated.
5 Significantly, the older categories of nationality brought from the Old World – race, language, religion, and parents’ ancestry have really played and are playing a very important role in America nowadays.
6 The Constitution of the United States specifies that a nationwide cen-sus, a “head count” of all Americans, must be taken every ten years.
7 Similarly, the figures are very important in establishing how much money from federal taxes will be returned to the states, or how much cities will receive in aid from the federal government.
8 All immigrants have contributed to the development of such “typical” American characteristics as willingness to take risks and to strike out for the unknown with independence and optimism, and patriotism for the many who feel that they are Americans by choice.
9 However, neither the North nor the South would escape the grave so-cial, economic, political, and moral problems that are the heritage of slavery.
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