--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our citizens must act as Americans; not…" description: "\"“Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with a prefix and qualifications; not as Irish-Americans, German-Americans, native Americans—but ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/mary-beth-smith-57565_farewell-address_our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-a_2195100.jpg" --- # Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with… ![“Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with a prefix and qualifications; not as Irish-Americans, German-Americans, native Americans—but as Americans pure and simple.28 We must have only one language here, he said, “the language of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution…” quote by Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/mary-beth-smith-57565_farewell-address_our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-a_2195100.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/mary-beth-smith-57565_farewell-address_our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-a_2195100.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/mary-beth-smith-57565_farewell-address_our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-a_2195100.jpg) > ““Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with a prefix and qualifications; not as Irish-Americans, German-Americans, native Americans—but as Americans pure and simple.28 We must have only one language here, he said, “the language of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, of Lincoln’s Gettysburg speech and Second Inaugural, and of Washington’s farewell address.”” [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for a unified national identity, urging citizens to prioritize shared values over ethnic or cultural distinctions. **In simple terms:** Promote a single American identity over sub‑identities. Key Takeaway Embrace common civic values. Themes nationalism unity identity citizenship Mood reflective serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - public policy - education - media commentary Key Concepts civic integration cultural assimilation Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance unity with cultural pluralism? - What are the risks of enforcing a single language? A Different Perspective May suppress cultural diversity and alienate minority groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-german-3327965/) [Farewell address](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farewell-address/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Gettysburg Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gettysburg-speech-3484518/) [Language Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-declaration-3979585/) [Language Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-said-350283/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [“Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with a prefix and qualifications; not as Irish-Americans, German-Americans, native Americans—but as Americans pure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-as-americans-with-a-prefix-and/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) > [I'm still uncertain about the language declaration syntax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-ritchie/i-m-still-uncertain-about-the-language-declaration-syntax/) [Dennis Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-ritchie/) > [The Gettysburg speech is at once the shortest and the most famous oration in American history. 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For the essence of an age, we look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brodie/what-is-important-what-lasts-in-another-language-is-not-what-is-said/) [Peter Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brodie/) > [“So there are no dirges in Terrasen that are sung in a different language?” “No,” he said, drawing out the word as he pondered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/so-there-are-no-dirges-in-terrasen-that-are-sung-in-a-different/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) ## More by Mary Beth Smith > [“As yet no nation can hold its place in the world, or can do any work really worth doing, unless it stands ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/as-yet-no-nation-can-hold-its-place-in-the-world-or-can-do-any-work/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) > [“You were an American now and don’t let him hear you call yourself an Irish-American or a German-American.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/you-were-an-american-now-and-don-t-let-him-hear-you-call-yourself-an/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) > [“He was the one who gave Maxwell House Coffee their slogan: “Good to the last drop!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/he-was-the-one-who-gave-maxwell-house-coffee-their-slogan-good-to-the/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) > [“Our citizens must act as Americans; not as Americans with a prefix and qualifications; not as Irish-Americans, German-Americans, native Americans—but as Americans pure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/our-citizens-must-act-as-americans-not-as-americans-with-a-prefix-and/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) > [“But justice and generosity in a nation, as in an individual, count most when shown not by the weak but by the strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-smith/but-justice-and-generosity-in-a-nation-as-in-an-individual-count-most/) [Mary Beth Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) [Explore all 6 Mary Beth Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-smith/) ## More Farewell address quotes > [In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/in-vain-would-that-man-claim-the-tribute-of-patriotism-who-should/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Honesty is always the best policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/honesty-is-always-the-best-policy/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The Founders didn't mention political parties when they wrote the Constitution, and George Washington in essence warned us against them in his Farewell Address.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-founders-didn-t-mention-political-parties-when-they-wrote-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-spirit-of-encroachment-tends-to-consolidate-the-powers-of-all-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/one-of-the-expedients-of-party-to-acquire-influence-within-particular/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/nothing-is-more-essential-than-that-permanent-inveterate-antipathies/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. 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