Every country has border and laws. But the ones that endure—the ones that remain strong—have something more. They share a common set of values. They know what they stand for, and they are not afraid to say it.
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, that raises a basic question: What does it mean to be an American?
If we cannot answer that basic question, we have a problem.
Nations rarely collapse in dramatic fashion. Decline is usually quieter. More often, countries erode gradually. They weaken over time—not because of foreign invasion, but because they lose the habits, beliefs, and loyalties that once held them together. When a nation can no longer explain what binds its people, it should not be surprised when those bonds begin to fray.
For much of American history, the answer was relatively straightforward. Being American was not about ancestry, appearance, or religion. It meant adherence to a set of principles: the rule of law, individual liberty, personal responsibility, and equality under the Constitution.
Those principles did more than define the country—they built it. They drew people here from around the world. And over time, they turned millions of newcomers into Americans.
That process has a name: assimilation.
Earlier this month, I introduced the ASSIMILATION Act. I have said time and again that everything in this country should be based on merit—our immigration system is not an outlier. This important bill would end chain migration and replace it with a merit-based system that prioritizes immigrants coming to America who intend to contribute to our culture, not destroy it. Being in this country is a privilege, not a right. Our policies should reflect that.
Today, the word is often treated with suspicion, as it is often falsely characterized as “racist.” But assimilation has nothing to do with race. It’s about values.
Assimilation is not about abandoning heritage or faith. It is about embracing a new, shared belief system. It asks newcomers to take on not only America’s freedoms, but also its responsibilities: respect for the law, commitment to constitutional government, and participation in the obligations that sustain a free society.
That is the basic bargain of national belonging. And that bargain matters all the more when a country faces continued immigration pressure.
Immigration can strengthen America—and has many times before. But it does so only under certain conditions: when borders are enforced, when entry is governed by law, and when those who come here to build a life are expected to assimilate to American culture.
Without those conditions, the logic of immigration begins to change.
No nation can remain united if large numbers of people arrive without any expectation of assimilation—without an obligation to the country that receives them or a commitment to participate in its civic life. Under those circumstances, immigration is no longer a net positive for society. Instead, it can begin to chip away at a nation’s identity.
At that point, the United States might as well just be a bank—a place where individuals pursue private gain, draw on public benefits, and make claims on the country without assuming responsibility for its future.
That is how citizenship is hollowed out. That is how solidarity erodes. That is how Americans begin to find their interests treated as secondary in their own country.
At its core, America is a nation built on shared ideas, not shared blood. That is what has always made it exceptional. It welcomes people from every corner of the world, from every race, religion, and background—but in return it asks something of them. It asks them to become part of a common civic culture: to respect the law, uphold constitutional government, embrace self-government, and accept the duties of citizenship along with its blessings. In a country as diverse as ours, that shared civic identity is what makes unity under one flag possible.
The alternative is a country that asks nothing in return. Come here, live here, and that alone is treated as enough. National identity is reduced to geography. Any effort to teach civic responsibility or love of country is dismissed as outdated—or labeled by the media as racist.”
But no nation can hold together on those terms. If nothing meaningful is required to belong, then belonging itself begins to lose its meaning.
The question facing the United States is not whether Americans will continue to differ. They will. The question is whether, despite those differences, they will continue to share a common civic identity—and whether that identity still carries expectations.
This isn’t about excluding. It is about defining our national identity. A nation that cannot define itself cannot sustain itself.
For too long, the national conversation about immigration and citizenship has been framed almost entirely in terms of rights, protections, and benefits, while saying less and less about duty, loyalty, and shared obligation. But a free country cannot survive on entitlements alone.
It requires citizens who understand that American life is not just something to receive. It is something to uphold.
If the United States is to remain what it has long claimed to be—not just a place, but an idea—it must be clear about the answer to a simple question:
What does it mean to be an American?
And we must be willing to insist that the answer still matters. Because when a nation loses the courage to define itself, it invites others to redefine it beyond recognition.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees. He is also a candidate for Governor of Alabama in 2026.
