Thoughts on American Culture
A perspective on the meaning of American culture
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
When someone thinks of America culture they may think of Hollywood, McDonalds, jeans, or Coca-Cola. Although these are all products that have originated in the United States of America, I do not believe this best represents the American culture. From my travels around the globe and conversations with family and friends who reside overseas, I have gained a broad perspective on the definition of American culture, my view has evolved over the years, but the core beliefs have remained the same. American culture can best be defined by freedom, openness, hope and the ability to embrace differences.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
While the world was living under absolute rulers and monarchs, America was the first to be a republic, one that would serve as an inspiration to the French and many others after the revolution, to fight for their freedom from oppression. Americans speak a lot about freedom; who has it, and who does not. It seems to be the topic of all conversations because it has come to represent the spirit of our people. As a society, we have to come to view freedom as the single most dominant force, from politics to economics, with regards to the individual, as well as the collective population. Freedom defines every American; we all want the right to pursue our own career, our own path in life, and to vote for whom ever we want to. The United States has spread our culture of freedom around the world and used it to defeat the darkness that was rooted in Soviet style communism.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
In defeating communism the Americans not only relied on their ideals of freedom, but their reliance on hope. Hope has been a word found on the lips of many presidents, civil rights leaders, and most importantly in the people of the United States. As a group we have faced many dark days; the violation of human rights for African-Americans and women, to the Attacks of Pearl Harbor and 9/11, and confrontations with Nazi, fascist, and communist enemies, that have threatened our existence, but Americans have an eternal hope built of our love for the country and the belief in a higher power. When it seems as though all circumstances are against us, Americans draws on their sense of hope in order to make it through the day, an optimism that spreads like a virus throughout the country, in a belief that better days are always ahead . This optimism has given us the power to preserve our constitution for over two-hundred years and emerge as a leader of the free world.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
The most integral part of American culture can be found in what we have come to refer to as “the melting pot”. This is the concept that all our citizens who have come from all over the world, mix their cultures together into one proverbial giant pot and as it mixes all together, out comes what we commonly only refer to as an American. My friends from different countries are always amazed at the diversity that exists in New York, and our ability to function as one. People embrace each other’s differences and want to know more about you, not to mock you; rather they want to learn about whom you are, your ethnicity, your foods, and your traditions. This curiosity of our differences helps to bring us together by finding out we have in common, while learning to love what makes us unique.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
This melting pot concept can best be described by one of my typical days in New York City, getting on a subway where you can see an African-American gentleman sitting next to an Irish-American student, next to an orthodox Jewish-American, sharing his newspaper with an Iranian-American. After you depart the train, you go upstairs from the station and enter the Italian Pizza shop where Chinese-Americans are sharing laughs with the Mexican-Americans working behind the counter. Finally I go home and celebrate Independence Day with my loved ones. Our holiday menu includes Greek Salad, Swedish sandwiches, and Dutch beer, with a family that has practicing Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, and Jewish members. The ethnic backgrounds are extremely diverse; the family's roots can be traced to Italy, Cyprus, Pakistan, Greece, and Russia. This day, with my family, best symbolizes American culture. It cannot be expressed in a one all encompassing ideology, rather it is an expectation that everyone should be different.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder
American culture is not defined by a soda brand or a famous restaurant; it can only be defined by its people who take pride in their differences. Being American means to mix everything together and what comes out is called American. It is not represented by a statue designed and built by the French sitting in New York harbor or by two towers that stood high for the world to see, its best defined by the diversity amongst its people. My visits to Europe most always include a conversation on the state of my homeland, over the years I have heard negative and positive views, I try to answer as direct as I can, but I believe our culture cannot be defined or defended by words, it must be an experience one lives, not an abstract concept discussed in the halls of academia.
Created with CAST's UDL Book Builder