Analysis of Joel L. Swerdlow’s 2001 Essay, “Changing America

In Joel L. Swerdlow’s 2001 essay, â€Å"Changing America,† he writes about the current cultural differences among kids in high school. He goes on to talk about how you can gather a large variety of kids, coming from all over the world, yet they still somehow manage to develop the same â€Å"American Teenager† attitude toward life. The essay talks about how people used to view America as a â€Å"melting pot† of nations, and how over time that view is starting to change. America was founded on change. Past revolutions were fought to make new ways in which to live life in this country. Our families all came to America, at one point, to feed into this definition of being an American. The term melting pot in my mind means structure, meaning what we, as†¦show more content†¦There is also the teenagers own personal struggles; friends, grades, money, dating and even college. At this time in their lives these are the big hurdles that need to be jumped. In Swerdlow’s essay he mentions that the non white kids fight to hold on to their own individuality. However, when asked what they do on their own time, they list the same things that the â€Å"white† kids do. This is an example that teenagers are all interested in the same activities, even though there will always be different ways of getting those certain things completed. High school is an important time for developing a sense of who you are as a person. Each kid who starts out high school will usually asks themselves what they are there to accomplish. For the most part, many set personal goals for themselves and strive to achieve above and beyond. However, some are just there for the experience and to see where it takes them. It’s apparent that some kids have an easier time and don’t have to struggle with their high school career. For example, some of the students have followed strong academic paths that have prepared them for this time in their lives, where as others have struggled with educational influences and feel unprepared or lost. Swerdlow mentions that the students, who attend J.E.B. Stuart, are given many chances to improve their educational foundation in order to