Joshua Pangilinan

Period 6
Individuality and Nationality
In life there are many adjectives that can describe one another. There is height, weight,
color, appearance, and even personality. But there is one adjective that sticks with people since
the day their ancestors lived, nationality. Nationality is where someone comes from, ethnic origin
or background. Nationality can be used to describe ones ethnic background. For example, there
are Asians, African Americans, Americans, Australians, or Europeans. These are mainly what is
used to describe ones cultural background. Some people say that nationality is less important
than individuality. Individuality is what someone describes themselves as. Some say that being
ones true self carries more weight than being a part of culture. Both nationality and individuality
are both debatable on which is more important. But individuality is the more essential rather than
nationality.
Individuality gives the people their own choice of being. With nationality people are born
to be what their parents were, but with individuality gives the people a choice of being a part of
culture. For example, Melba from the Little Rock Nine just wanted to be herself and be able to
do what she wanted to do and that was to go to Central High. But because of her nationality,
Melba was treated terribly and was segregated away from the white people. Of course, Melba did
eventually go to Central High, but she was treated harshly and ended up going to the school for
only a year. This shows that because of Melbas nationality she was treated unfairly and she did
not get what she deserved. But with individuality Melba set aside the nationality she was and
made a decision to go to the all white school hoping shed be treated as she was one of them.
This means that with individuality one can set aside what nationality they are and believe in what
they want to be, to be able to seek themselves first rather than culture. Sure with nationality it
gives people to believe in something or to be proud in what they are, but with individuality one
can set him or herself to be who that he or she truly wants to be. Individuality gives the people a
choice because people can set aside what culture they are apart of and be what they want to be.
With individuality people can all be connected with each other. Nationality is what
separates people from other people. One culture can see another culture differently and either
respect it or not. For example, after America has gained their independence from Britain one
issue still occurred, which led to the American civil war, slavery. Slavery happened because one
culture thought it was superior than the other. To be more specific, White people thought they
were better than the African Americans and the other colored people. With that in mind most
white people in the South used African Americans as slaves. Even in the North some people did
not respect the colored people. Sure, that most slavery was mostly inspired to do work and
pick cotton to make Cotton King during the Antebellum Era, but never was there heard to be a
white slave or a non colored slave. This example shows that with nationality being a descriptive
part of someone, people grouped each other and segregated the groups. With individuality people
wouldnt have looked at other people like the people is the past did, but rather as an individual

person trying to be themselves. Individuality connects people together because individuality cans
be used to distract ones nationality.
In conclusion, individuality is more important than nationality. Individuality can help set
aside ones true ethnicity, and with individuality people can just be themselves without worrying
about nationality. Although one can not fully set aside their nationality, people can use
individuality to censor out their nationality. Also individuality gives people their own choice on
who that person wants to be. I Individuality can help people accelerate in life and even make
change just like what Melba did. Although currently people can not resists nationality, people are
slowly accepting more and more of each ethnic background compared to early history.