What does it mean to be American? How the national identity is changing.

Our shared understanding of American identity has faced increasing tension in recent years, as groups on the left reinvigorate calls for a more inclusive society, while forces on the right advance a Western-centric notion of Americanness, with a strong emphasis on perceived individual rights.

The mythos of America is that being American wasn’t defined by race, sexuality, religion or class — it was defined by beliefs and liberalism, said Eric McDaniel, associate professor of government and co-director of the Politics of Race and Ethnicity Lab at the University of Texas.

“America sees itself as the first new nation, which says you can be from anywhere, but as long as you hold onto these ideals, you’re really American,” he said. “While that is good in theory, it’s not necessarily carried out in practice.”

On this Fourth of July, how do we Americans view our national identity?

According to the Public Religion Research Institute’s 2021 American Values Survey, about 95 percent of U.S. adults, up from 91 percent in 2018, said that believing in individual freedoms is very or somewhat important to being “truly American.”

More than 9 in 10 Americans also agree that being an American means respecting national institutions and laws, accepting people of diverse backgrounds and believing every citizen should be able to vote.

Since 2016, public opinion on which traits are critical to “being American” has shifted significantly, data from Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Survey shows. In 2020, a lower percentage of U.S. adults agreed that select traits, like speaking English or being Christian, are very or somewhat important to being “truly American.”

These shifts in our common understanding of American identity appear to happen in spurts — and we’re in one now, McDaniel said.

Many agree that Barack Obama’s presidency catalyzed the most recent shift, said McDaniel, citing arguments from Christopher S. Parker and Matt A. Barreto’s 2013 book, “Change They Can’t Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America.” In some ways, he said, Obama’s presidency also predicated the rise of Donald Trump.

The changing demographic makeup of the United States is another factor in shifting public opinion. While roughly a quarter of Americans said the white population decreasing for the first time in U.S. history is mostly positive, another 1 in 5 said it’s mostly negative. About 60 percent said it didn’t make a difference.

However, Americans are less likely to say they feel alienated by cultural changes. In 2018, nearly half of Americans — 47 percent — agreed with the statement “things have changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own country.” In 2020, only 41 percent of Americans agreed.

Age is another factor in shifting public opinion. The youngest generations of Americans, Gen Zers and Millennials, are both more diverse and college-educated than previous generations, and have less entrenched ideas around what makes someone “American.”

Younger age groups trend toward an openness to social issues, such as racial equality and LGBTQ rights, according to Pew Research Center data. “That is where you’re probably going to see some movement,” said McDaniel.

Despite differences of opinion, Americans largely agree on celebrating the Fourth of July. Most of the population, 84 percent, said they plan on celebrating the Fourth of July this year, likely with a barbecue or fireworks.

Thanks to Lillian Barkley for copy editing this article.