Is America Culture-Less?

[Heather in Neverland]

I am fascinated with other cultures. I have a BA in Hispanic Studies. I love the Latin American culture...the language, the food, the music, the traditions/holidays/festivals, all of it.

 

We also eat a lot of Middle Eastern food and every time we go to the restaurant we love the music, food, langauge, etc. of that culture as well.

 

My ds is adopted from Korea and we have studied about their customs, language, food, traditions, dress, etc.

 

We have friends who are Indian and we love all that their culture has to offer.

 

Now we are moving to Malaysia and we are already excited about the new foods, languages, customs, etc. we will find.

 

But it got me thinking... what characterizes "American culture"? Sure, we speak English but so do a lot of other nations and only a small percent of us speak anything but English whereas in other nations it is common to speak more than one language.

 

But other than that, what is American culture? We are such a giant mixed salad of cultures that I wonder if we have anything that unifies us, ya know? Like last night I was watching a tv show and one of the characters had a British accent and I thought, "I wish I had an accent." I mean other than this boring midwestern one I have.

 

Is America bereft of a "culture"? What identifies us? SUVs? Midriff shirts and sagging pants? McMansions? Hamburgers?

 

Am I making any sense?

[skaterbabs]

I think one of the defining characteristics of America's culture is the fact that because we are geographically so large, we have LOTS of cultures, not one unifying one. Logically this makes sense - after all, we cover as much land mass as several countries in Western Europe, each of which has it's own individual culture.

 

For example, in the Appalachian mountains you have a culture very reminiscent of Elizabethan England because the ancestors of the mountain peoples came from that where/when. Until the advent of regular television you could hear it in their speech. No one would argue that New Orleans does not have a distinct culture of it's own, as does New England.

 

Because we have a country made of up so many varied cultures, our country has those many cultures.

[Anne Rittenhouse]

You do have an accent, an American one. Many folks in Europe, who learn English, want to speak English with an American accent, not a British one.

 

Your American culture is Coca-Cola, MickeyD's, High School Musical and Disney....but it is also midwest church suppers, Cajun music, southern sweet tea and Northwest salmon fishing. American's define ourselves by our assimilation of all of the good and bad of the cultures our immigrants bring to us.

 

We experiment with dress, food and customs from all of our citizens. I have shocked my European friends by knowing about Norwegian national dishes, having made a Japanese Kumono, and knowing yoga and owning a Chinese wok. None of these things belong in my ancestral background and my willingness to ask, taste, learn and understand is one of my greatest strengths.

 

It can be one of yours. Yes, you will encounter people who's only experience of the American culture is through their national media. Sometimes what is shown is shallow, insipid, infuriating and misinformed, laugh it off a bit and say, "Yes, we are some of that, but we are also....(fill in with an appropriate example).

 

Signed Anne Rittenhouse....who's currently missing "Praire Home Companion", Red River breakfast cereal, front porch sittin' on Sunday afternoon, and snappin fresh garden beans to serve with some fresh lake perch for supper. Anyone for a Naniamo bar?

Edited April 4, 2009 by Anne Rittenhouse

[ciyates]

Having lived in Europe for 5 years, Korea 2 and Japan 4, I am always amazed at how many Americans buy into that myth that other countries speak multiple languages. Yes, most (not all) of the schools in Europe teach another language such as Italy teaches Spanish. First they don't use it in everyday situations so the also lose it just like our kids who are taught Spanish or French in public school settings. Also if you speak Italian you can muddle through Spanish without to much difficulty. English by far is the hardest language to speak. Unless I was in a major city or found a highschool student I could not find people that spoke English. I always attempted to learn enough to get by and people were willing to assist many when they saw I was trying.

 

I did enjoy learning all about the culture that I could. I think Americans have more of an attitude than a culture. Keep in mind that we are so young when compared to cultures such as India and China.

[Renee in NC]

Having lived in Europe for 5 years, Korea 2 and Japan 4, I am always amazed at how many Americans buy into that myth that other countries speak multiple languages. Yes, most (not all) of the schools in Europe teach another language such as Italy teaches Spanish. First they don't use it in everyday situations so the also lose it just like our kids who are taught Spanish or French in public school settings. Also if you speak Italian you can muddle through Spanish without to much difficulty. English by far is the hardest language to speak. Unless I was in a major city or found a highschool student I could not find people that spoke English. I always attempted to learn enough to get by and people were willing to assist many when they saw I was trying.

 

I did enjoy learning all about the culture that I could. I think Americans have more of an attitude than a culture. Keep in mind that we are so young when compared to cultures such as India and China.

 

Huh. A family that has been very close to our family for 50+ years is from Germany. They all speak multiple languages - English, German, and French fluently. Some speak others. Is it based on socioeconomic class?

 

In Singapore, all students are taught and tested in two languages - English and their mother tongue. Isn't English the language of official business there?

 

I know that in Central America (and probably other places as well) people speak Spanish as a second language, as there are numerous native languages.

 

Did you live "in the cluture" in those places or on military bases?

[Heather in Neverland]

For example, in the Appalachian mountains you have a culture very reminiscent of Elizabethan England because the ancestors of the mountain peoples came from that where/when. Until the advent of regular television you could hear it in their speech. No one would argue that New Orleans does not have a distinct culture of it's own, as does New England.

 

Because we have a country made of up so many varied cultures, our country has those many cultures.

 

Exactly. We have a country made up of cultures from a bunch of other nations. The Elizabethan England accent in the Appalachian mountains is just that...Elizabethan England. The New Orleans culture has a decidely French/Indian flair.

 

But what is it that is "American"? Or is American culture really just a borrowed culture? Borrowed from all the places that people have come from? Is there anything that is "distinctly" American that is NOT borrowed from another culture?

[Heather in Neverland]

Having lived in Europe for 5 years, Korea 2 and Japan 4, I am always amazed at how many Americans buy into that myth that other countries speak multiple languages. Yes, most (not all) of the schools in Europe teach another language such as Italy teaches Spanish. First they don't use it in everyday situations so the also lose it just like our kids who are taught Spanish or French in public school settings. Also if you speak Italian you can muddle through Spanish without to much difficulty. English by far is the hardest language to speak. Unless I was in a major city or found a highschool student I could not find people that spoke English. I always attempted to learn enough to get by and people were willing to assist many when they saw I was trying.

 

I did enjoy learning all about the culture that I could. I think Americans have more of an attitude than a culture. Keep in mind that we are so young when compared to cultures such as India and China.

 

I do know that in Malaysia most of them speak English quite well along with their native tongue.

[TXMomof4]

Ummm....I'm in Texas - and we have our own culture. Think Texas and you automatically have an idea, even if it isn't true for all of TX. Cowboys, longhorns, oil wells, Texas two-step, barbecue, bluebonnets, cotton, John Deere, Wranglers - that is Texas. It's recognizable all over the world as Texas.

 

I think that America is defined by the smaller pockets of culture. There's no over-riding American culture unless you count the love of freedom and pride in country. Yes, I know there are people who don't fit that, but when I think American I think of just an attitude, not any specific food or tradition.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

You do have an accent, an American one. Many folks in Europe, who learn English, want to speak English with an American accent, not a British one.

 

Your American culture is Coca-Cola, MickeyD's, High School Musical and Disney....but it is also midwest church suppers, Cajun music, southern sweet tea and Northwest salmon fishing. American's define ourselves by our assimilation of all of the good and bad of the cultures our immigrants bring to us.

 

We experiment with dress, food and customs from all of citizens. I have shocked my European friends by knowing about Norwegian national dishes, having made a Japanese Kumono, and knowing yoga. None of these things belong in my ancestral background and my willingness to ask, taste, learn and understand is one of my greatest strengths.

 

It can be one of yours. Yes, you will encounter people who's only experience of the American culture is through their national media. Sometimes what is shown is shallow, insipid, infuriating and misinformed, laugh it off a bit and say, "Yes, we are some of that, but we are also....(fill in with an appropriate example).

 

Signed Anne Rittenhouse....who's currently missing "Praire Home Companion", Red River breakfast cereal, front porch sittin' on Sunday afternoon, and snappin fresh garden beans to serve with some fresh lake perch for supper. Anyone for a Naniamo bar?

 

Lovely post.

 

We definitely have a culture. I've lived overseas and many people from other nations have Americans stereotyped, just as we have done to them. They see our culture through the eyes of Hollywood and the examples of the Americans that they have come in contact with. It's not always good, and can be very funny.

 

My Italian friends tended to see Americans as wealthy because of all their stuff, yet ignorant because they expect everyone to understand them, but make very little to truly understand other cultures. I know this is not all Americans, but these are the ones that get noticed, because they refuse to do as the Romans do, when in Rome.

 

Adopting bits and pieces from other cultures is not the same as trying to understand why way they think the way they do, compared to yourself. There is where the real differences are.

 

Also, I found myself missing things that were distinctly American at times: Supermarkets, an abundance of (different) choices in food and clothing, an abundance of public libraries, the absence of certain unspoken social customs, and a generally more relaxed attitude toward everyday life.

 

P.S. Blue Jeans, corn on the cob, American Football, Baseball, Jazz. These are all distinctly part of American culture that others have adopted.

Edited April 4, 2009 by Virginia Dawn

[Sara R]

Definitely there is an American culture. I just finished reading "The Trapp Family Singers," the story behind the Sound of Music. The Sound of Music story is covered in the first 80 pages or so, but the story goes on to describe their assimilation into America in the 1940s. She describes how she sees American culture compared to her own, and how she eventually grew to appreciate American culture. Some of what she noticed in the 40s is still present; some has changed since then.

 

What she liked:

-America's willingness to judge you based on your work, not on your family background.

-America's embrace of hard work that would have been considered embarrassing where she came from.

-America's friendliness

 

What she didn't like:

-The billboards and the way that farms didn't integrate themselves in with the land. She felt this had to do with the impermanent nature of our relationship with the land. People move so often here compared to Europe, and people don't plan for their land to stay in the family for generations.

[Aubrey]

Just like we can't hear our own accents very well, I think our own culture tends to be invisible. After living in a heavy immigrant population for several years & dealing w/ some of the cultural differences that entails, moving to a place where cultures were more similar was surprising. I hadn't really realized how much of the differences we were experiencing w/ our neighbors was really culture-based, kwim? And I hadn't realized how much easier it is to live among people who have a common frame of reference.

 

I think that's the first time I *saw* a glimpse of my own culture. I'd just taken it for granted before, like an accent. But like the other posters, I do think culture w/in America varies pretty widely. From the NE to the S, going either direction, I've heard there's culture shock. And of course, there *are* immigrant populations & their cultures, which are not the same as the countries they come from.

[mazakaal]

America does have a distinct culture imo. Some of it is not good - consumerism, over-indulgence, etc, but some of it is wonderful. Think Fourth of July celebrations, parades, flag-waving, baseball, football, hot dogs and hamburgers, steak on the grill, ice cream sundaes, diners, Americana, quilts. And, as some have already said, some of the cultural stuff is regional - Texas, the South, New England, etc. Maybe because America embraces so many other cultures, the American culture gets blurred a little to those of you living in it, but when you're out of it for a while, you remember all those things that are distinctly American

[Stacy in NJ]

While we have pockets of cultural distinction like Texas, we also have a unifying belief system that umbrellas our culture. Should all men (and women) be treated equally under the law? Are we all responsible for our own actions? Can we tolerate the differing religous beliefs of others while still worshipping, or not, God in our own church? We can call these Western values, but here, in America, they definately have their very own American flavor. They are apart of our culture.

[MIch elle]

 

Huh. A family that has been very close to our family for 50+ years is from Germany. They all speak multiple languages - English, German, and French fluently. Some speak others. Is it based on socioeconomic class?

 

 

When I've been in Libson (1990), Rome (1996), Madrid (2005), most of the people in the restaurants and on the street did not speak English (and out-lying areas of those cities). They handed us an English menu and we pointed to what we wanted to order. In a Madrid bank, there was one young lady that between our BAD Spanish and her BAD English we learned what we needed to know (work it out with your credit card company when you get back to the States).

 

They spoke English very well in London (2001). LOL!

 

:001_huh:

Edited April 4, 2009 by MIch elle

[Murphy101]

gun carrying hunting and fishing saying "ma'am and sir" hat tipping get me a beer while at the baseball park hop on my harley wild west attitude.:lol:

 

of course my dh is from Texas.;)

 

I think it depends where you are from. Many people are aware that different areas of america seem to have different cultures. For example, if you tell a foreigner you are from NY, they will have a different picture than if you say Texas or Louisiana.

[Christy B]

Interesting question . . . random thoughts . . .

 

1. The "culture" that you see on tour or in an American version of an ethnic restaurant surely can't be counted on as 100% the "real thing", right? By that I mean that my friend from Mexico City rolls her eyes every time she goes to a Mexican restaurant. They're *selling* us a version of Mexican culture. (And I live in an area where about 95% of the owners, staff, and cooks are truly Mexican.)

 

2. American culture? Sure, we have our own culture. It's largely a culture of individualism and non-conformity. It's freedom of religion, speech, and educational choice. As others have pointed out, it's a culture that rewards effort as opposed to bloodlines. It's those pockets of cultures because we have some choice as to what sort of lifestyle we want: gracious Southern living, laid-back Seattle style, wild west Texas style, colorful fast-paced Latin-influence Miami style . . . etc. The fact that we don't have what might appear to be one, over-arching, all-encompasing "culture" is because our culture is one of choice and individuality.

[Heather in Neverland]

American culture? Sure, we have our own culture. It's largely a culture of individualism and non-conformity. ...... The fact that we don't have what might appear to be one, over-arching, all-encompasing "culture" is because our culture is one of choice and individuality.

 

But is that actually a "culture"? So the overarching American culture can only be defined as "a lack of overarching culture"? If we are really just a lot of different groups with different cultures living our lives in our own way and the only thing we share is the same country geographically-speaking, then what does it mean to be American? Other than living in a certain area of the world owned by the United States and an acknowledged lack of a unifying culture and pride in that fact?

 

I guess sometimes I feel like I am missing out on something culturally. Don't get me wrong, I love the USA and I am proud of my country. But I think one of our problems is a lack of connectedness with one another. Everybody is busy doing their own things, being their own person, living life their own way that we lack a connection with one another.

[mom4him]

If you are looking for the true original culture of the US, I think you would have to go to the Native American culture. It is very distinct from other cultures even though it itself varies from area to area of the US.

[Chris in VA]

Everybody is busy doing their own things, being their own person, living life their own way that we lack a connection with one another.

 

I think you've hit on something key--part of our culture is the myth of Rugged Individualism. There are lots of little things that mean America to people, but I think individualism is the big idea that holds us together. It's not foods or a religion or manner of dress--

 

Remember that we are a nation of immigrants, and that the people who were here first are not even mentioned as the beginners of American culture (how many First American/Native American/American Indian things were mentioned in this thread--we had Texas bbq, sweet tea, New England stuff, but none of the culture of the people first here). There are no roots here for most of us. We are mostly transplants.

 

On the other hand, being with lots of different cultures at once seems like it should change those cultures-- smooth the edges, so to speak. I wonder if we have watered down what is precious by being the amalgamation of so many differences.

 

And, isn't it funny that we, as homeschoolers, seem to always be so leery of "the culture?" We must have some idea of what we are opposing.

[Kay in Cal]

I lived in Norway for 4 years, and everyone there spoke English quite well... just recently had a friend come visit that I hadn't seen in 20 years. She works as a house painter--not a "white collar" job, nor does she use English in her everyday life. But she speaks English well enough to make her understood! Her husband works for an airline as a freight manager, and his English is fluent--it's the lingua franca of the air industry. Most of the movies they watch are English language one they stream online... gotta speak English to follow the story.

 

My Dad lived in Germany at the same time, and our younger friends all spoke English--we lived in a village as the only Americans, not on a base. I'd say that most of the friends we made and kept all these years are from the Netherlands or Switzerland. They all speak fluent English. The only place we ever ran into where people didn't speak English was France, but I had the impression they just didnt' want to cooperate.

 

OH... I lived in Kazakhstan... they all speak Russian and Kazakh. A minority speak English, but they all want to.

 

Here? I live in LA. My neighbors are from Mexico, Armenia, Russia, El Salvador, Iran. My church has members from Tonga and Ghana and the Ivory Coast--as well as England, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Panama and Barbados. My boys love sushi, pupusas, and anime. And Star Wars. To me.. that's American culture!

 

Of course, I'm moving soon to a very different area...

[chiguirre]

It's hard to explain without referencing another culture. After you've lived in Malaysia a year, I think you'll have a much clearer view of American culture and it's differences with Malaysian culture. That's not super clear, let me give you an example. In Venezuela, there were times when I wished I could just call someone up, discuss our business and get off the phone. The reality is that you'll have to chat quite a while before getting around to the point of the conversation. I'm sure there are countries where an American would long for chit-chat. Personal space is another cultural assumption. Some countries have a need to touch much more than America and there are some places where I'm sure our tendency would be to stand too close. Other topics are how loud you should talk, how quickly you should switch to familiar pronouns, how fast people speak, how much slang should you include in your vocabulary to not seem uptight or too casual, etc.

 

You'll also find out quickly what foods or toiletries are different. For example, Venezuelans despise the taste of peanut butter, root beer and pretzels. This is a pretty uniform dislike across socioeconomic groups. Most Americans can't stand kolita (a flavor of softdrink), lechosa (papaya, but with a very distinct stomach acid taste) or spagehetti sauce made of cheeze whiz, devilled ham and ketchup (I kid you not!) :tongue_smilie: I'm sure there are Malaysian equivalents of this list. The supermarket can be a frustrating place sometimes, but you'll find sources for your favorites even if it's just loading your suitcases everytime you visit the US.

[Heather in Neverland]

spagehetti sauce made of cheeze whiz, devilled ham and ketchup (I kid you not!) .

 

I am pretty sure that is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. :tongue_smilie: They put that mess on spaghetti noodles? And actually eat it? :svengo:

[ciyates]

I lived in Norway for 4 years, and everyone there spoke English quite well... just recently had a friend come visit that I hadn't seen in 20 years. She works as a house painter--not a "white collar" job, nor does she use English in her everyday life. But she speaks English well enough to make her understood! Her husband works for an airline as a freight manager, and his English is fluent--it's the lingua franca of the air industry. Most of the movies they watch are English language one they stream online... gotta speak English to follow the story.

 

My Dad lived in Germany at the same time, and our younger friends all spoke English--we lived in a village as the only Americans, not on a base. I'd say that most of the friends we made and kept all these years are from the Netherlands or Switzerland. They all speak fluent English. The only place we ever ran into where people didn't speak English was France, but I had the impression they just didnt' want to cooperate.

 

OH... I lived in Kazakhstan... they all speak Russian and Kazakh. A minority speak English, but they all want to.

 

Here? I live in LA. My neighbors are from Mexico, Armenia, Russia, El Salvador, Iran. My church has members from Tonga and Ghana and the Ivory Coast--as well as England, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Panama and Barbados. My boys love sushi, pupusas, and anime. And Star Wars. To me.. that's American culture!

 

Of course, I'm moving soon to a very different area...

When we lived in Germany we lived on the economy 45 mins from the base. No one spoke English. There were a few phrases but for the most part it was no existent. When we visited Wisspasing Austria, (30 mins by train from Venia) no one spoke English (but were more than helpful in helping us). Rota Spain once again when you got away from Madrid or the bases English was almost non existent. The same was true for Italy. I will admit the England did the best job! In France we got by as long as we stayed in the cities. The best luck I had was Asterdam but once again when we left the city it quickly tapered off. Japan was by far the best place for English. The Koreans tried as hard as I tried to (which while it was a great effort on both our parts it was dismal experience). I can only comment on my experiences. In all of the countries we were stationed in we lived on the economy (except Korea). I always did my best to learn enough to be able to complete simple task. Languages are not my forte and I struggle with them. For the most part people were more than willing to help me and we would laugh our way through a simple task that took me 4 times as long as anyone else.

 

On the note of cultures, I think that many people do not look at the entire culture. The take in the food and the traditions and maybe the dress and think "Why don't we have that?" It appears often that we don't look at the darker side of the situation.

 

Example: In Italy there divorce is a rarity. When you know more about the laws you understand that it takes a minimum of 7 years to complete the divorce and for the most part the 2 individuals just agree to live separate lives. We had friends that we knew for quiet a while with small children, the house, the car etc... We always assumed they were married. They were just not to each other. They both had spouses in different areas and because it so difficult to get a divorce they just decided to go their separate ways. Because of the laws in Italy, legally the children she had belong to her legal husband not their biological father.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think you will find that many other countries have sub-cultures in them as well. Malaysia itself is made up of people of many different sub-cultures. And not all of those cultures eat the same food or even speak the same language at home - though they have use the same language(s) for business and have certain things that people think of as "Malaysian".

 

In the United States we have sub-cultures (as many have pointed out) but there are over-arching things: the English used by news anchors, "American" cuisine as found in someplace like a Denny's, certain unique holidays like American Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July etc.

[Spy Car]

My boys love...pupusas

 

Do you ever get pupusas with "loroco"? Mmmm.

 

I love American food :D

 

Living in the Valley does have its advantages

 

Bill

[Sara R]

I just thought of a couple of other things--

 

--I remember someone saying that when they went to Russia (around 1998), it was easy to tell an American among Russians just by their posture and bearing. Americans stood up straight, looked people in the eye, smiled, shook hands. Apparently Russians don't.

 

--Along those lines, I think Americans tend to react to political problems more directly and with more hope that they can make a difference and stop dangerous trends. (This may be changing, but I hope not.) Where those in other cultures may react to problems by shrugging and accepting it, thinking (probably correctly) that there is no way things can be changed, Americans tend to jump in and try to change it.

[Christy B]

But is that actually a "culture"? So the overarching American culture can only be defined as "a lack of overarching culture"? If we are really just a lot of different groups with different cultures living our lives in our own way and the only thing we share is the same country geographically-speaking, then what does it mean to be American? Other than living in a certain area of the world owned by the United States and an acknowledged lack of a unifying culture and pride in that fact?

 

I guess sometimes I feel like I am missing out on something culturally. Don't get me wrong, I love the USA and I am proud of my country. But I think one of our problems is a lack of connectedness with one another. Everybody is busy doing their own things, being their own person, living life their own way that we lack a connection with one another.

 

Well, I didn't define American culture as "a lack of overarching culture". I said it may appear to lack an overarching culture. There is a big difference between truly lacking a culture and having a culture that is too complex to be defined by a certain style of food or dress. And see, I wouldn't define being busy, being my own person, and living my life my way as a "problem", I would call it "freedom". Of course, I'm an introvert who can happily go for days without having to actually talk to anyone. :tongue_smilie:

 

And as far as a lack of connectedness, I would suggest that the American response to 9/11 indicates a true connectedness; as does our local charities reporting that donations are up about 20% in these days of economic crisis. Sure, we like doing our own thing but when the situation calls for it, I think Americans are connected. I think any country that is developed to the point of internet access being common in most homes is going to have a certain sense of disconnect, not just America.

 

I have friends from the Dominican Republic who describe the obligation to get up early every morning, make sure the house looks great, and start cooking something yummy, because the cultural norm there is for people to drop by around lunchtime and visit (uninvited). Now, that's connectedness. And it would make. me. crazy. So, yes, our culture is different. In America, a very close friend or neighbor might feel welcome to drop by uninvited, but certainly wouldn't expect the house to be company ready and food served on their behalf. That's an example of American culture. Now, whether or not one thinks it compares favorably to another culture is purely a matter of perception.

 

One unique thing about America is that a lot of us have had more opportunity than much of the world to be exposed to so many different cultures, and it is fun to try to learn and implement some things that we find appealing. My Dominican and Mexican friends, for example, have taught me a lot about s l o w i n g down and enjoying friends. And naturally, I never turn down their offers to cook. Yum. (It's spoiled me for restaurant fare, though.) They don't jump at my cooking, but I don't think that's a cultural statement, I think that's because I'm a lousy cook. :lol:

 

It is really, really sad that the original American culture is all but lost to our generation.

 

We are, in comparison to much of the world, still a very young country. I wonder if our grandchildren will ask the same question? Fascinating stuff.

[Rosie_0801]

But what is it that is "American"? Or is American culture really just a borrowed culture? Borrowed from all the places that people have come from? Is there anything that is "distinctly" American that is NOT borrowed from another culture?

 

You must have a culture or you wouldn't be accused of cultural imperialism. I've never been to America so I wouldn't know what American culture is like first hand, but the above quote could just as well be talking about Australian culture. I think everyone in the world has borrowed from elsewhere, but the likes of America and Australia have done it so much more recently so it feels like the difference between a pair of new slippers and the pair you've had forever and has moulded to your feet exactly.

Excuse me if that's a dumb analogy, I've just woken up...

 

:)

Rosie

[Kelli in TN]

Not in Tennessee. Dang. We got yore culture right here. :001_smile:

 

No, America has a beautiful culture of independence and ingenuity.

 

Our foods are a wonderful combination of so many other cultures, and yet we make them our own.

 

And look at our music! Sousa! Gershwin! Louis Armstrong! BB King! Joplin! Foster! Nashville! Beale Street! New Orleans! (Remember the stuff you sang in 5th grade chorus class? Much of it was probably the music that is ours, distinctly American.

 

Look at our art! Gilbert Stuart! John Singleton Copley! Mary Cassat! Whistler! Georgia O'Keefe! Grant Wood!

 

Look at our architecture! Wright! (my favorite!) Sullivan!

 

Oh we do have a culture that is all our own.:patriot:

[Rosie_0801]

You are assuming I don't have an interest in the U.S.? That's quite a leap.

 

 

I don't think she was accusing you of having no interest. I think she was suggesting you take off your "I know American Culture" sunnies and see if you can look at America from the outside instead of as a part of it. No idea if that's possible...

 

Rosie

[Laura Corin]

When I've been in Libson (1990), Rome (1996), Madrid (2005), most of the people in the restaurants and on the street did not speak English (and out-lying areas of those cities). They handed us an English menu and we pointed to what we wanted to order. In a Madrid bank, there was one young lady that between our BAD Spanish and her BAD English we learned what we needed to know (work it out with your credit card company when you get back to the States).

 

In general, the countries of southern Europe do not speak other languages well, whereas those of northern Europe do, except Britons who are mostly monoglots.

 

Laura

[Heather in Neverland]

I don't think she was accusing you of having no interest. I think she was suggesting you take off your "I know American Culture" sunnies and see if you can look at America from the outside instead of as a part of it. No idea if that's possible...

 

Rosie

 

I suppose I will have that chance while I am in Malaysia! :D

[Kelli in TN]

It's me again.

 

Audubon!!!

 

The circuit riders!!

 

Our good, our bad, our ugly. How we rose up and did away with slavery, though it took our ancestors way, way, way too long and cost too much in terms of lives lost and suffering, ultimately right won out it. That is part of our culture. That is part of who we are.

 

And the Civil Rights struggles are ingrained in our culture.

 

We are more than the sum of our parts and there is no other nation like ours. Nobody is better than us and we are not better than others. We are who we are and it is distinctly us.

[Laura Corin]

I am a foreigner who lived in the US for a couple of years. I have had a lot of American friends and have just celebrated my twentieth anniversary with D American H, I think that two key aspects of American culture are independence of spirit and patriotism. Both of these have both good and bad aspects - let's not get into the politics of this.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Jenny in Atl]

I really feel the US is not old enough to have a unique distinctive culture. We are made up of so many, from so many places (with new folks daily). The real question is whether the rest of the world's cultures are surviving or becoming more and more a mix like the US and Australia? And all those cultures took centuries to form. Very much a living and changing thing.

[Heather in Neverland]

I really feel the US is not old enough to have a unique distinctive culture. .

 

I think this may really be a key to this discussion. Maybe a distinct culture takes longer to develop? I was looking at Kelli's list of "American" icons and noticed that for many of them, they were born on American soil but not necessarily American:

 

John Phillip Sousa? Portuguese, Spanish, Bavarian

 

George Gershwin? Russian/Jewish

 

Foster? Canadian

 

Stuart? Scottish

 

 

Copley? Irish

 

Whistler? born in America but spent most of his life in Europe and Russia

 

O'Keefe? Irish/Hungarian

 

Wright? Welsh

 

 

So then I started thinking, gosh, are ANY of us American??? What IS an American? Maybe I should go do laundry instead of thinking so hard. The U.S. used to be a "melting pot" but now it is a "mixed salad". Does that mean we, as "Americans" are adverse to sharing any kind of national culture? So we hold onto out individual cultures that come from other countries and is that a bad thing or a good thing? And Jenny's question...will other countries eventually look more like us? Will other countries become more mixed in cultures and less easily identifiable?

Edited April 4, 2009 by Heather in NC

[Christy B]

. . . for many of them, they were born on American soil but not necessarily American . . .

 

:confused: My history and civics education left a lot to be desired, but I was pretty sure that being born in American makes one an American citizen. How are you defining "American"? Do you think it takes more than citizenship to be a "true" American? (That's genuine curiosity, not snark.)

[Kelli in TN]

:confused: My history and civics education left a lot to be desired, but I was pretty sure that being born in American makes one an American citizen. How are you defining "American"? Do you think it takes more than citizenship to be a "true" American? (That's genuine curiosity, not snark.)

 

I always thought so too.

[Erica in PA]

It's those pockets of cultures because we have some choice as to what sort of lifestyle we want: gracious Southern living, laid-back Seattle style, wild west Texas style, colorful fast-paced Latin-influence Miami style . . . etc. The fact that we don't have what might appear to be one, over-arching, all-encompasing "culture" is because our culture is one of choice and individuality.

 

That is a great point! I never thought of it that way before. That is one of the things that I love about being an American, the opportunities that we all have to affect our own lives for the better, and to choose how we want to live. I think you're right that all the various sub-cultures here in American are a reflection of that.

[JWSJ]

In general, the countries of southern Europe do not speak other languages well, whereas those of northern Europe do, except Britons who are mostly monoglots.

 

I've never heard of this before. I thought it was just an American thing.

 

What is the cause of not speaking other languages well for southern European countries?

 

And, why are most Britons monoglots?

[keptwoman]

I definitely think that there are things distinctly American. I suspect that once you are living outside of the US you will be able to form a much stronger idea of what constitutes American culture.

 

I'm a New Zealander. I would have said when I was living there that we had no specific culture. Now I am in Australia I can see many things that make up NZ culture even though I live in a country similar in many ways.

 

It's very hard to see what you live everyday because it is just so normal that it defies description. But when you step outside of living it everyday it becomes much more defineable.

[angela in ohio]

What is the problem here? How is telling me to try being interested in my own culture "helping me"? Then you make a snarky comment about being a "boorish cultureless american"...an obvious jab...and I am the one not being cool?

 

It was a simple question, a topic that was on my mind, that's all.

 

And she offered you a sincere possible solution, as far as I could tell. (I think) she was suggesting that perhaps because you have an interest in those other cultures, you are seeing the positive cultural things in them; and if you looked at the U.S. and studied it with the same passion, you could find culture to appreciate. It made sense to me. If you've already done that, then I would just check it off as nice advice but something you already knew.

[mazakaal]

For instance, my youngest ds was born in Korea and is Korean. But we adopted him and therefore he became an American citizen. Obviously, living here, he is being brought up as an "American" (whatever that means). Now we are moving to Malaysia and have no idea how long we will be there. These upcoming years will make an enormous difference in his life and, depending on how fully we immerse ourselves in the culture, he could adopt many of the Malaysian cultural aspects in his own life.

So would he be Korean? American? Malaysian? Is it about where you are born? What your legal citizenship is? Where you live? Or the cultural habits you adopt? That's what I mean by "culture".

 

He'll grow up as a third culture kid. Most likely he'll have parts of all those cultures that he adopts as his own. And at the same time, he may not ever feel 100% comfortable in any of the cultures. It's one of the difficulties that we accept when we decide to live overseas. But there are, of course, advantages for third culture kids, like the ability to adapt and fit in in lots of situations and the ability to find his way around an airport really well.

 

My whole point to this post was that when you think of certain other cultures like Chinese, Italian, German, Arabic, Mexican, etc., etc., etc., there are many, many aspects to their culture that are easily identified (even beyond the stereotypes) and I guess I don't see the same trend in America.

 

 

You will see it more easily when you get out of America, like I said in my earlier post. Right now it's just hard to see the forest for the trees.

[Laura Corin]

I've never heard of this before. I thought it was just an American thing.

 

What is the cause of not speaking other languages well for southern European countries?

 

And, why are most Britons monoglots?

 

My travels in Portugal, Spain and Italy have come up with this result though. I was able to use French a little in Portugal, but neither French nor English worked much in Spain or Italy. I've always been told that the Netherlands is very good at languages because of being small and surrounded by different cultures, but Belgium (culturally closer to France perhaps?) is also small and much less good at languages. There must be individual cultural aspects that I don't understand.

 

As for the UK: I put it down to being an island nation which speaks the language which has been dominant worldwide for the last two hundred years. We all study a foreign language from age 11 (younger these days in many cases) but most give it up at 14 and can't speak it at all. I don't know that any of the English-speaking countries worldwide is particularly good at foreign languages (although some have bilingual pockets, as in Quebec and Wales).

 

Laura

[Hannah]

I've always been told that the Netherlands is very good at languages because of being small and surrounded by different cultures, but Belgium (culturally closer to France perhaps?) is also small and much less good at languages. There must be individual cultural aspects that I don't understand. Laura

 

I have a theory about this, that I haven't been able to test. In the Netherlands most foreign television programs (even children's programs) are subtitled rather than dubbed, so children hear the foreign languages from an early age. I think this has a lot to do with their multi-lingualism. It is also compulsory to take foreign languages at school, but I don't know how much this contributes.

 

In Germany, in contrast, most foreign programs are dubbed, so there is not this exposure.

[TeacherZee]

I have a theory about this, that I haven't been able to test. In the Netherlands most foreign television programs (even children's programs) are subtitled rather than dubbed, so children hear the foreign languages from an early age. I think this has a lot to do with their multi-lingualism. It is also compulsory to take foreign languages at school, but I don't know how much this contributes.

 

 

This is also true in Sweden. Children's programs are dubbed if they are aimed at pre-readers but for older children they will be subtitled.

 

English is also a compulsory language from 4th grade up until 10th grade (or 11th grade depending on which program of study you are doing).

 

In Sweden English is considered a necessity because we are such a small country much of our business is done elsewhere in the world. Swedes also travel a lot.

 

Many if not most students also study a third language, German, French and Spanish being the most common (when I was growing up German was by far the largest but I think that Spanish has edged it out now). I have 12 years of Swedish, 9 years of English, 3 of German and 2 of French from school. (I can't say more than a few phrases in the last two any more).

 

Now to the OP :D. As an American who has lived in Europe most of my life I do think America has a very distinctive culture that is very different from Swedish or British (the other two cultures I have long term exposure to). I was just talking to friends the other week about the American way of lining up meals when someone is ill or there has been a death. In Sweden we wouldn't do that. What we would do is make coffee and bring over cookies and buns (the Swedish Fika).

 

When I worked in the tourist industry in the UK you could tell the American's by a mile. There was something in the way they walked and talked and dressed.

 

Americans are also a lot more likely to eat out for dinner than Swedes are (this is changing somewhat). I know it might seem like all the different restaurants from all the different countries are their culture and not American culture but to me the fact that I can have pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch and thai for dinner without leaving the same street is quintessentially American.

 

For me another American trait is hard work and individuality mixed with a healthy dose of community spirit. If something needs to get done people will get together and do it. In Sweden we will need a committee and a study and meetings and subcommittees before we do anything:D

 

I think as Jenny mentioned America is very young and I think still growing in to the culture. It is there but it is still trying to define itself.

[Kate in Arabia]

Heather, I think you will see things differently once you start living outside America, I know I have. I think I felt fairly blase about "American culture" until I wasn't living in it anymore, then I found I started to cling to things that were uniquely American (to me). I wanted those things for my children. I think you will easily be able to feel what these things are when you're not in America anymore; I would have a hard time quantifying an American culture, but to me it is just those things that are part of me that I no longer see around me, whether it is food or attitudes or worldview or accent or clothes or whatever.

 

Of course we don't think we have an accent, and I'm sure Britishers don't think they have an accent, or Irish, etc. It still strikes me when I am complemented on my English accent -- what accent? But people know as soon as I speak English that I'm American.. they even have known from my stride, the way I walk... and I find myself drawn to other American expats (not many where I am), and we talk about our shared cultural heritage, the common things we grew up with, even though we may be from states on opposite sides of the country.

 

So I do believe there is an American culture, but I don't know that I can describe it... but I think you will definitely feel it when you start living overseas.

[Osmosis Mom]

I could always detect an American and which kids in the airport were American. It was just the way they moved and carried themselves, very confidently. I definitely see that Americans (now that I live here) raise their kids to be very confident (even arrogant, but that's not the norm). I love the way Americans in general encourage their children to be curious and open to the world; a trait that seems to directly translate into extrovertedness as adults.

 

So, to me, the way they are/move/feel confident is uniquely American to me. And then throw in a pair of jeans and you knwo who you are dealing with (and this is coming for moi whose two dd's can *only* wear jeans!!).

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Our family just had this discussion a few weeks ago. We are actively involved in an exchange student organization. Personally, we have hosted a S. Korean, two Finnish, and one French student. In addition to that, I volunteer with the organization so my family is globally connected with many nations: China, Japan, Chile, Yemen, Thailand, Norway, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Jordan, Netherlands, Brazil, etc.

 

It's amazing to be able to share in their cultures. However, during a family discussion, we were not able to think of something we, as Americans, could offer as a gift to a foreigner. Every item (many food-related) that was disscussed was "taken" and Americanized from another country.

 

In the end, I decided that cheese-in-a-can and butter in a spray butter is all-American.:tongue_smilie:

[unsinkable]

Our family just had this discussion a few weeks ago. We are actively involved in an exchange student organization. Personally, we have hosted a S. Korean, two Finnish, and one French student. In addition to that, I volunteer with the organization so my family is globally connected with many nations: China, Japan, Chile, Yemen, Thailand, Norway, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Jordan, Netherlands, Brazil, etc.

 

It's amazing to be able to share in their cultures. However, during a family discussion, we were not able to think of something we, as Americans, could offer as a gift to a foreigner. Every item (many food-related) that was disscussed was "taken" and Americanized from another country.

In the end, I decided that cheese-in-a-can and butter in a spray butter is all-American.:tongue_smilie:

 

 

Levis jeans? Jello? Baseball? Hollywood blockbuster movies? Were any of these on your list or all these taken from another country?