What defines a real American?

There is no single official definition of a real American that everyone agrees on, because the term can be legal, cultural, and personal at the same time, and different people emphasize different aspects. Legally, a real American is any person who is a citizen of the United States, whether by birth in the US, birth abroad to US citizen parents, or through naturalization after immigration. That is the definition used by the government, courts, and passports. Culturally, many people define a real American by shared values such as belief in freedom, democracy, equality under the law, hard work, and the idea that anyone can succeed through effort, often called the American Dream. Some people emphasize participation, such as paying taxes, voting, serving in the community or military, speaking English, and following US laws. Others argue that being a real American is about embracing diversity, since the US has always been a nation of immigrants from many backgrounds. There is no ethnic, racial, or religious requirement to be American, and the US has no official ethnic definition. In practice, most people consider anyone who lives in the US, contributes to society, and identifies as American to be a real American.