Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Scam Advisory: We’ve been notified of individuals posing as The Source producers and requesting payment for booking. TPR never charges for interviews or appearances. Booking requests can be verified at thesource@tpr.org. Report incidents to reportfraud.ftc.gov.

What does being an American mean to you?

WBUR | By Chris Bentley,

Scott Tong

Published July 4, 2025 at 10:26 AM CDT

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.