Pan-American identity

  

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Pan-American identity is a sense of personal identification with the Americas overall, in a cultural and/or political sense. The concept is discussed in the context of American integration, historically in connection with several unification proposals in both North (primarily in Anglo-America) and South America, but since the formation of the Conference of American States (CAS) in 1966, it is increasingly discussed within the context of ever-increasing wider federalization within the CAS and its member states. The idea of the Americas as a region is rooted in European exploration and colonialism, primarily by the the United Kingdom and France, and the various emergent societies would inherit many philosophical and political values from both countries among other European nations along the political, ideological and philosophical developments unique to the Americas as a whole from the ideas of the American Revolution and the later United States to the political developments of post-colonial Latin America following the South American wars of independence against Spain in the 19th century. The idea of Anglo-America as a geopolitical and cultural region emerged in the mid-19th century in the Kingdom of Sierra and became more commonplace following the War of Contingency in the 1860s which established Anglo-America as a formal political region.

The push for Pan-American unity emerged following the First World War as a means of preventing future conflict between the various countries of the Americas, especially in North America which was subjected to brutal fighting in the North American front between the Landonist International and the Entente Impériale with the first major effort being attempted by the Society of American Nations (SAN) in 1939. The modern effort and concept of Pan-American identity took fold in 1966 when the CAS was formally established during the Cold War both as a means of opposing the further ideological expansion of Landonism and communism and as a means of better unifying the sovereign states of the Americas, starting with the Western Bloc-aligned countries of Anglo-America and expanded throughout the 20th century with the Conference incorporating South American members starting in the late 1980s and 1990s. The further enlargement of the CAS has lead to further integration and a greater understanding of Pan-American identity due to several factors and policies from the CAS including shared citizenship, a flag, common travel policy within the Lincoln Area, and the cultural policies of the Conference as a whole since the 2000s.

The idea of a "pan-American identity" or "American identity" has been subject to academic and political debate over its feasibility and desirability and has taken parallel to similar debates over that of American integration. The possible future of an "American identity" has been discussed as one defined as an ethnically, linguistically, racially diverse, multicultural, multi-faith and democratic society. In 1999, the idea of a pan-American identity was discussed in A United America which discussed a potentially federalized and integrated CAS. Since the 2010s, the rise of populist and ameroskeptic political parties and politicians along with political polarization has lead to the idea of a pan-American identity being called into question.

History

Main article: Anglo-American nationalism

Further information: Ideas of pan-American unity before 1966 and History of the Conference of American States

Pan-Americanism, initially and alternatively known as Anglo-Americanism, first emerged during the Interwar period in the aftermath of Great War I of which North America was a battleground due to invasions by the United Commonwealth against its neighbors of Brazoria, Superior and the Kingdom of Sierra. The idea emerged as an effort to find common ground politically, culturally, historically and socially among the various peoples of North America in hopes of preventing potential conflict and wars within the region.

The early movement pointed to a "common history" shared by all countries in the region; origins from the colonial powers of Europe, philosophical and political development from both the Englightenment in Europe and the ideas of the American Revolution, support for federalism and distrust of centralized authority, and common experience and/or development of several political and ideological systems; liberalism, market economics, socialism, influence from Christianity, increasing experience with secularism and involvement in the Great Wars. The early pan-American movement was mainly centered in Anglo-America, however it would expand down into South America within countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Patagonia and the Republic of Colombia.

The Societ of American Nations was the first major organization that advocated for pan-American unity and a common identity and would later reform into the United Federalists of America (UFA) in 1972 once the CAS had established the American Parliament and several other institutions which pushed for integration and transational cooperation and promoted the idea of pan-American unity within its member states that would transcend their respective borders.

Identity factors

It has long since been a matter of discussion and political debate to whether or not this feeling of collective belonging being shared by a majority of people within the Americas, geographically speaking, and the strength of said feeling.

There are discussions surrounding what constitutes being American and what factors made up "Americanness". An approach for being an American would have to constitute the following:

• Be a citizen of a state, located by stipulation, that is geographically located in the Americas.
• Speak a language that is commonly spoken and/or is an official/officially recognized language of that state.
• Share a historical identity or density with other people, within that state, speaking there aformentioned language.
• Share a cultural pattern with other such people, with the cultural pattern is seen as consisting of similar cognitive, evalualitve, and emotional elements.

American values

Main article: American values

Further information: Anglo-Americanism and American integration

Especially in Sierra, the concept of the "American idea" has always been associated with the political values derived from the American Revolution and the Age of Enlightment which inspired the philosophy and ideology behind the American Revolution. The shared historic background of the Anglo-American nations of having originated from European colonialism and inherited many of the political, demographic and cultural effects of the colonization in the Americas along with several values found in the former United States were widespread in their acceptance and impacted the establishment of the Anglo-American nations as formal states.

The common ideas that were widespread were liberal democracy, liberty, individualism, federalism and support for separation of powers and self-determination. Said ideas was behind the creation of the political systems of Sierra, Superior, Brazoria, Tournesol and the United Commonwealth (Federalist era). Parliamentarianism has also been associated with American values due to it being the backbone of several Anglo-American governments and political systems, especially in Sierra, Superior, Brazoria and Manitoba, and was developed from the Westminster system from the United Kingdom combined with the system of federalism in the former United States and original American Commonwealth.

The phrase "American values" began to gain traction in the 1980s after the Conference was formed and began to expand, incorporating new member states in several enlargements and the idea of American integration would also gain steam as well. The phrase was alternatively known as "pan-American values" by some to differentiate the concept of common values among CAS member states from the commonly held political values held and seen in the Antilles following democratization which were also refered to as American values. The idea of American values was subject to rigorous political and philosophical debate as the early concept was influenced by the politics and philosophical development in Anglo-America, but had to be changed following the enlargement of the CAS into South America beginning in the late 1990s and well into the 2000s.

The Treaty of St. Cloud (2007) in article 2 lists the "values of the Conference", a list of political values formally adhered to, supported and espoused by the Conference as a whole, with said values being "support for freedom, democracy, social and racial equality, the rule of law, respect and adherence towards human rights such as rights for all demographic minorities, and establishing a society where pluralism, non-discrimination, solidarity, justice, tolerance, and gender equality will prevail". In recent years, the list of values has expanded to include support for multiculturalism and LGBT equality as part of growing support for social liberalism and progressivism within the Conference and its member states.

See also

• American integration
• Anglo-America
• Symbols of the Conference of American States
• Politics of Anglo-America
• Continentalism
• Anglo-American nationalism
• Federalization of the Conference of American States
• American unionism
• Ameroskepticism