This paper presents the text of the WSCA 2005 Presidential Address given by Myron W. Lustig of San Diego State University's School of Communications. The topic of this speech is what the current generation of students can do to build a well-functioning intercultural nation. A well-functioning intercultural nation must be culture-appreciative rather than culture-blind, must recognize what differences matter and when they need to be considered, and must know when differences ought not to make a difference in how one responds both legally and interpersonally. Lustig contends that to accomplish this goal, the current generation of American students must reinterpret what it means to be an American, what it takes to sustain the vibrancy of various U.S. cultures, and what it means to be patriotic.