--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could be anything I wanted because I…" description: "\"I could be anything I wanted because I was an American. And I hope that that's really what's propelled me into public service.\" — Marco Rubio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/marco-rubio-355_american_i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-because-i-w_139600.png" --- # I could be anything I wanted because I was an American… ![“I could be anything I wanted because I was an American. And I hope that that's really what's propelled me into public service.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/marco-rubio-355_american_i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-because-i-w_139600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/marco-rubio-355_american_i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-because-i-w_139600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/marco-rubio-355_american_i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-because-i-w_139600.png) > “I could be anything I wanted because I was an American. And I hope that that's really what's propelled me into public service.” [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American identity is linked to limitless possibilities and a drive toward public service. **In simple terms:** Being American feels like endless opportunity. Key Takeaway Leverage freedom to serve others. Themes politics identity service Mood inspirational patriotic Type political motivational When to use this quote - career choices - civic engagement - immigration debate Key Concepts American Dream public service motivation Questions to Reflect On - What does “American” mean to you? - How does national identity influence civic duty? A Different Perspective Idealizes America without acknowledging systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Public service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-service/) ## Related quotes > [My parents taught me by example what it means to be American: to hope and to dream, and to work hard for those hopes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/my-parents-taught-me-by-example-what-it-means-to-be-american-to-hope/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [Meaningful work, not welfare, is every American's hope, and we have a continuing responsibility to make those hopes a lasting reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/meaningful-work-not-welfare-is-every-american-s-hope-and-we-have-a/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > ['Hope and change' has become a cliche in our nation, and it is daunting to think that any American could hope for change from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/hope-and-change-has-become-a-cliche-in-our-nation-and-it-is-daunting/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I just wanted it to be American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harmony-korine/i-just-wanted-it-to-be-american/) [Harmony Korine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harmony-korine/) > [I moved to Holland because I wanted to see American art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dumas/i-moved-to-holland-because-i-wanted-to-see-american-art/) [Marlene Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dumas/) > [I got out of school in 2000, and I always wanted to be on 'This American Life,' since I first started telling stories. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/i-got-out-of-school-in-2000-and-i-always-wanted-to-be-on-this/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [When you see the documentary, you'll see that there were parallels. Michael and I both wanted Daniel Craig, and it was the same as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-broccoli/when-you-see-the-documentary-you-ll-see-that-there-were-parallels/) [Barbara Broccoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-broccoli/) > [I wanted the American public to know that not everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan were targets that needed to be neutralized, but rather people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-wanted-the-american-public-to-know-that-not-everyone-in-iraq-and/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [“Hope is really just desire disguised, just desperation, aching, dressed up like a prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-is-really-just-desire-disguised-just-desperation-aching-dressed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hope is something really tough and tenacious you have to give up. It’s an addiction to break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/hope-is-something-really-tough-and-tenacious-you-have-to-give-up-it-s/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-i-wonder-if-anyone-is-really-happy-i-hope-they-are-i-really-hope/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“5 years, 260 weeks, 1,825 days, 2.3 million minutes. That was how long ago I met you.If I did it all again. Would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-karr/5-years-260-weeks-1-825-days-2-3-million-minutes-that-was-how-long/) [Kim Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-karr/) > [Never lose hope in something you really want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-lose-hope-in-something-you-really-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hope I find a really gorgeous woman, that I fall completely and madly in love with. I hope I find a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-ferrick/i-hope-i-find-a-really-gorgeous-woman-that-i-fall-completely-and/) [Melissa Ferrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-ferrick/) > [You know what sucks in life is when you get this hope that something really special is going to happen and then someone comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/you-know-what-sucks-in-life-is-when-you-get-this-hope-that-something/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) ## More by Marco Rubio > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/now-look-it-s-true-americans-do-want-leaders-that-will-come-to/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I have been an underdog my whole life, both in life and in politics. We're going to do well. We're going to pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-have-been-an-underdog-my-whole-life-both-in-life-and-in-politics-we/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Certainly being governor is an important job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/certainly-being-governor-is-an-important-job/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The conservative movement is about government playing its important yet limited role, and about not falling into the trap of believing that every problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-conservative-movement-is-about-government-playing-its-important/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The greatest thing that we can do for the world is be America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-greatest-thing-that-we-can-do-for-the-world-is-be-america/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our people want jobs. They don't want a safety net as a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-people-want-jobs-they-don-t-want-a-safety-net-as-a-way-of-life/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Any time you can degrade or take away the top leadership of an organization, it's a positive step forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/any-time-you-can-degrade-or-take-away-the-top-leadership-of-an/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) [Explore all 649 Marco Rubio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I could be anything I wanted because I was an American. 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