oneofshibumi

American culture is different things to different people. American culture is composed of different ethnic groups that tend to conglomerated into islands of diverse cultures, creating a mosaic culture. This mosaic culture has some of its ethnic groups magnified by an overlapping artificial culture known as the mass media. The artificial culture is also known as mainstream culture.

In the creation of the American national identity, American has been defined as White. Indeed, the immigration law of 1790 declared that only European American immigrants could become US citizens. Even back then there were many non-English immigrants and settlements. But the colonial English shaped basic American social and political institutions, so that Anglo-culture became the ideal by which all subsequent ethnic groups were judged. Acculturation meant acquiring Anglo-Protestant lifestyle, values, and language.

Anglo Americans families cherish freedom of the individual and the emphasis on psychological individualism. This individualism sometimes becomes exaggerated into hyperindividualism. This would explain Anglo American preferences for �not wasting words� or similarly to the silent cowboy or rugged frontiersman who says nothing after months on the trail because �There is nothing to say.� Anglo Americans do not use words for drama as do Italians, nor to elaborate reality as do Irish, nor to articulate and share feelings and thoughts about suffering as do Jews. Anglo Americans feel that is they say too much about themselves it will burden others.

Above all, Anglo Americans value work. They may seem to focus more on the external signs of success, probably because they believe success is evidence of virtue. Calvinists believed that success (which was actually achieved by hard work) was evidence of predestined salvation. An Anglo American�s identity, relationships, self-esteem, and sense of adequacy and well-being may all be tied to work. Indeed, Americans have a tendency to transform many aspects of life into work. Men and women �work� at making a living, and �work� at raising the children. Anglo Americans may talk of �working� on relationships, love, sex, fulfillment, and identity. They may even treat their recreation, hobbies, collections, and sports very seriously, with standards of achievement and success in each.

In the United States in 1990, there were 58 million Americans of German ancestry. They surpass the English (32 million) and the Irish (39 million). Despite their numerical strength, German Americans seem to blend with their Anglo-Saxon cousins as part of the dominant culture. With the exception of regions that are centers of German culture (e.g., Wisconsin and others) and enclaves of special groups of Germanic heritage, such as the Amish and Mennonites, signs of German life are barely visible as distinctly different from the dominant culture. The cultural traces left in American culture, include respect for thoroughness, solid craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Success in work is a source of pride and self-esteem.

The concept of �White culture� helps hide a repetitive pattern. When the Germans first arrived they were greeted by suspicion and hostility by Anglo Americans, later they adapted with little difficulty. In contrast, the Irish adjustment was turbulent, although most Irish spoke English and fit well temperamentally with many aspects of Anglo American culture. But the Anglo Americans were threatened by their perceived clannishness, orientation to political power, and fierce loyalty to the Catholic Church. The Italians intense loyalty to each other violated the dominant culture�s norms. They responded to the hostile dominant culture as they had coped with outsiders for centuries: by relying only on family and friends. Unlike the Irish, the Italians did not organize politically and therefore were not perceived as a threat to Anglo Americans except in terms of crime. You could become �White� or belong to one of those �inferior� cultures.

From 1880 to 1921, after living in the United States for two or more generations, the immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe called themselves �Americans� But the �native� Anglo Americans viewed them as unassimilable and judged them intellectually and culturally inferior. Objects of ridicule, prejudice, and discrimination, they were blamed for a vast array of contemporary urban problems, economic recession, and political corruption, not unlike the current attitudes toward Haitian, Hispanic, and Asians immigrants.

Such sentiments helped create the extreme nationalism an ethnocentrism that characterized the 1920s �nativist,� movements, which restricted immigration and protected the interests of the native-born, and a renewed round of lynching and rioting in African American communities.
When the economy goes down, the mass media begins to talk about how much money the immigrants send home. And this some how the immigrants have caused the American economy to falter and fall.

The artificial culture intensifies and encourages such views through the mass media. The actions of the FCC over the last two decades have hastened the growth of these artificial cultural-social institutions for manufacturing a scapegoat for the ills of society. European Americans become angry at �immigrants,� Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, or non-Christian religions distracting from the real reasons for the social, economical, educational, or moral setbacks.

Answerer

I hope you guys are not offended, here are some nasty comments on Americans culture, I heard from some Asians( not mine).

American culture is mostly about christinity, freedom, fast-food outlets, sex, drinking, gang fights, big cars, basketball, hollywood, pronography, smart suits and cowboy jeans and T-shirt, and ever-seeking to force their culture upon every other nations on the world.

NZAmoeba

The patriot act would NEVER happen in Europe, period.

Vorkosigan

There is a kind of naivete in cynicism like this. An inability to see what is strong and good is as bad as an inability to see what is evil. I assume, then, you don't do volunteer work of any kind. Don't worry. Us "delusional" types will continue to hold our communities together....

Vorkosigan

Vorkosigan

Yes, I hear lots of the same thing.

Vorkosigan

Vorkosigan

Maybe on your earth. On mine, we had Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco in Europe. Currently, we can look at state support of religion in many countries (see Gerd Ludemann case, for effects)...who regulates Britain's surveillance operations on its public streets?....

"40% of people were targeted for "no obvious reason", mainly "on the basis of belonging to a particular or subcultural group". "Black people were between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half times more likely to be surveilled than one would expect from their presence in the population".
30% of targeted surveillances on black people were protracted, lasting 9 minutes or more, compared with just 10% on white people.
People were selected primarily on the basis of "the operators negative attitudes towards male youth in general and black male youth in particular. ...if a youth was categorised as a "scrote" they were subject to prolonged and intensive surveillance."
Those deemed to be "out of time and out of place" with the commercial image of city centre streets were subjected to prolonged surveillance. "Thus drunks, beggars, the homeless, street traders were all subject to intense surveillance".
"Finally, anyone who directly challenged, by gesture or deed, the right of the cameras to monitor them was especially subject to targeting."

....Don't worry. As we can see, the Patriot Act could never happen in Europe.....

Vorkosigan

Jat

You speak of the exceptions and not the rule for the most part. It is what most Americans would wish their country was instead of what it is. Many don't see what is below the exterior as well and find it difficult to understand why everyone doesn't want to be just like them.

BTW, I know the reference your alias is from. Nice series.

Vorkosigan

Volunteerism has never been higher in the US, far more people have volunteered, marched in political protests, worked on community affairs, and other civic activities than ever before in US history. All over the US sports and community activities are run by vollunteers, such as yours truly, volunteer soccer coach, assistant teacher, and other things besides. This does not count voluntary behavior in hobbies, professional associations, community organizations, and so on. Such behavior is the norm in my country. It is not the exception.

It seems that your ideology does not begin to encompass the complexity of the US. Indeed, one of our little crosses to bear is that everyone thinks the US is simpler than it is, that it is easy to understand, and all believe they understand it. They do not.

Vorkosigan

Luiseach

Well, all I can say about 'American Culture' is that it is the reason my young, naive and idealistic parents decided to leave the country of their birth for the 'land of opportunity.'

They've never regretted this decision....neither have I, for that matter...

Canada was their final destination in North America, not the United States, but as far as I am concerned, the two cultures aren't that dissimilar when it comes to what matters, which is freedom, opportunity and optimism.

I never appreciated my North American upbringing and formation properly until I moved to the U.K...I've learned just what it means to be a North American...

Besides, which other nation in the world could conceive of such wonderful television programmes as 'The Simpsons,' 'South Park,' and Jackass'?????????????

:-D

Jat

Originally posted by Vorkosigan

Volunteerism has never been higher in the US, far more people have volunteered, marched in political protests, worked on community affairs, and other civic activities than ever before in US history. All over the US sports and community activities are run by vollunteers, such as yours truly, volunteer soccer coach, assistant teacher, and other things besides. This does not count voluntary behavior in hobbies, professional associations, community organizations, and so on. Such behavior is the norm in my country. It is not the exception.

What, only Americans volunteer in the Western world? This is only one small thing of what we were speaking of anyways.

It seems that your ideology does not begin to encompass the complexity of the US.

I don't have an ideology (You've been listening to too many reich-wing radio talk shows) and the USA isn't all that complex.

Indeed, one of our little crosses to bear is that everyone thinks the US is simpler than it is, that it is easy to understand, and all believe they understand it. They do not.

There's that martyr complex. Yes, the USA is all too easy to understand.