America was built on the word respect. Respect for others, respect for yourself, respect for new things and new people. However, this does not mean to simply show consideration for someone else’s differences, but to value and honor them.

Living in America, I have learned that even if you aren’t courageous or perseverant, if you are respectful, then you have true character, and that is a genuine quality numerously found throughout American history.

Ever since I was a little girl, my family and I have been talking about me attending Harvard Medical School, and then becoming a doctor. I excelled through grade school and middle school, and I felt that I could do anything that I wanted to do, and that too of the very best of my ability. Although, I’ve worked hard to stand where I do today, I will never forget a piece of guidance one of my teachers said to me: You can have everything in this world today: money, knowledge, power, but not respect. The fact of the matter is that you’d really have nothing. I mused about what she meant when she said that. I guess she meant that if you don’t have respect for anyone else, then you yourself cannot have any respect. In turn, if you do not have respect for yourself…what do you really have?
As a civic duty, we have learned to respect other people and other things, and therefore we have come so far. From the very beginning, our nation used this value as a basis for our country. Our founding fathers created the Constitution, stating that, “All people are created equal. We're endowed with inalienable rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Our government was created to "establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." Each American is to respect their neighbors and their rights, and in turn their rights will be valued and protected.
In 2009, Barack Obama was elected 44th President of the United States. Just 50 years ago, discrimination was forced and now we have an African American president. We, as Americans, have realized and appreciated the indifferences of people with other heritages. We have learned respect as it should be learned; by appreciating diversity among ourselves and the people around us.

I, as an American, have come this far and learned so much, all because I’ve learned and cherished the value of respect.