What Does it Mean to be American? What is "The American Life?"

In my opinion to be American is just to be free and have the ability to make choices you want as long as they do not break laws. American means to be strong, proud, and willing to die defending the country. To me, being an American means that you are a powerful individual that can accomplish and change anything in the world with hard work. When I imagine the "American life" I think of someone who is rich, happy, and well known. It makes me think of someone who worked hard and can now afford anything they want without having to worry about financial struggles.