Connections between Lewis Lapham's essay, "Who and What is America?" and Christopher Edley, Jr.'s essay "The New American Dilemma: Racial Profiling Post-9/11"

Unified America <Tab/>Lewis Lapham's essay, "Who and What is America?" raises the subject that all Americans share a "unified field of emotion" and how we disguise "the noun" American. This unified field of emotion is what connects all of the citizens' communities together, making the nation a stronger place. According to Lapham, the unified field of emotion helps Americans form communities and agree on similar ideas, such as religious, cultural …

…single themselves out by identifying themselves as something other than "the noun" American. Instead of calling oneself a rich American or a poor American, one should identify himself and others as "the noun" American. When Americans do identify themselves as something other, they are not speaking with their courage and strength. When one considers himself as the plain American, not only is he a part of the community, but also a part of the nation.