Define American Culture

These illegal immigration threads are drving me nuts.

One thing I keep hearing over and over in these threads is that immigrants (and lately it is both legal and illegal...just hispanics now) need to assimilate to our American culture. And I'm thinking...what is American culture??? In one recent post the member was upset that Spanish was being taught in the schools instead of French...and I wasn't aware that learning French was part of American culture. So I have to ask this question...what is American culture?

I'm pretty sure my definition of American culture is quite different from anyone elses...and the same goes for everyone else...I really don't think we have ONE American culture. And why should we...we are a land of immigrants. Different regions have different cultures, rural vs city has different culture, Texas has a different culture than New York City, different races have different cultures inside America. But I don't care if someone else has a different definition...because we are the "melting pot"...and that is the way it should be. And since there are already multiple cultures here and no ones definition of American culture is probably going to be the same...I don't understand how adding one more sub-culture is going to change your own personal definition.

So I have two questions for everyone.

1. Define YOUR view of American culture.

2. How are Mexican immigrants (Legal or Illegal) changing YOUR definition of American culture?

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


To me America has it's history and more so pop culture. To answer your question no! America has no real culture. Many from America will discuss anything about entertainment more then how to improve this country. Make's me regret being a citizen of this country.

Mexican immigration is not as bad many think. We need to really fix the problem at the beginning. But they're not changing my view on any type of American culture.

Ok, let me sum this up as a European.

1.

Crocket, Washington, Lincoln, Tesla, Edison, JP Morgan, Rockefeller, Kennedy, Johnny Cash and Ron Paul.

CIA/NSA/SS/CFR, Trilateral Commission, FED

Coca Cola, McDonalds, Burger King, Global empiricism and pre-emptive war for resources.

2. They don't, your culture is being destroyed by the elitists that allow it since the moments the FED was created and America became infested with Nazi ideology after Operation Paperclip.

Biggest example;

George Bush who said the Constitution is just a %^damned piece of paper.

[edit on 10-5-2010 by Grey Magic]

The United States of America has many different and distinct cultures, I believe. I've been all over your country and it is as diverse as it gets. You guys give the whole of the European Union a run for her money there.

There is more of a cultural difference between Hollywood, California and Hollywood, Alabama than there is between London, England and London, Ontario.

As for immigrants assimilation, well it's a two way street. The US should know that better than anyone, but we here in the UK are learning it as well. Our number one dish is curry now, it's a cultural give and take, that is natural.

So yes, the Latin immigrants into the United States will eventually learn English but the general lexicon will also gain some Spanish words too. It is up to you, the American to look for ways to meet the immigrant population, being welcoming, not confrontational will allow for faster assimilation of both parties.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Is two different cultures in America the Historical culture that created the Nation of the USA and the people that made posible to be in existance.

(The one that eduction has failed to teach the children as our education system is been downgraded in the last 40 yeas).

And the manufactured culture call Pop culture that has been created with the sole purpose to make the new generations of the last 40 years forget about their historical beginings and the reson that the USA was created to beging with.





[edit on 10-5-2010 by marg6043]

Our culture revolves working at jobs we hate to buy crap we don't need so that people we don't know can perpetuate this same cycle.

Really, America as an entire nation has no single identifiable culture. Every city has its distinct culture, every region of the country it's own identity.

The US has no worthwhile culture that exists throughout the nation. Some resemblance of a culture exists, but it isn't a good one.

America doesn't have culture, and by and large, many of it's inhabitants are undesirables. I grew up in a small town in America, as do many people, and if a person didn't keep to themselves, then chances are they were just a drunk idiot who couldn't name a single Mexican town. Yet they see fit to claim Mexico is the cause of all their problems, and they know "so much about it".

Mexicans are not destroying America. People who think Mexicans are destroying America, are destroying America themselves. I'm getting tired of it on ATS. People want violence and war. They want to see border guards and the armed forces "lighting up" Mexico. Various comments reinforce this, such as "Go ahead, bring it, I got an AR-15 and I'm not afraid to use it." etc.

Also, I love the people who talk about Arizona as Ground Zero, and when an argument against an immigration war is failing for them, then they will raise the statement that, "People in Arizona aren't laughing." Even though they don't know anything about Arizona, and live in Montana, and if challenged, couldn't a name a single city in Arizona, let alone one close to the border.

Idiots, for the most part. Reminiscent of the public heat-up to the Iraq war. Good ol' fashioned hatred and racism, war-mongering and violence.

Thanks for all the replies so far...I was hoping to get some people coming here giving me some specific examples of what part of the American culture the hispanic immigrants are destroying.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


I agree we have history and pop culture. But history can't be destroyed and pop culture is constantly changing anyway so I don't see how immigrants could "destroy" that. But as far as true "culture"...I don't think we have anything.

reply to post by Grey Magic


Yeah...I know that is the view of America...I wouldn't even disagree with most of it. You could probably add greed, selfishness, and materialism to the list of the negative. We do have some positives though...I'm waiting for someone to come on here and put those forth.

reply to post by ProjectJimmy


Yes...we have lots of diversity...we have sub-cultures that have sub-cultures. And that is what I love about America...we have everything. I love that I can go to Texas and see things I would never see in New York City...or go to Chicago and be able to go to to Chinatown, Little Italy, Greek Town, The Little Village, German Town, Bronzeville, etc. You don't even have to travel the country to see the diversity...most cities have it.

And your point about assimilation being a two way street is right on.

reply to post by marg6043


I understand that...but can you define it? And do you think hispanic immigrants could "destroy" it?

Ha ha, i think american culture is more like a lack thereof. Our cheese has no culture, and neither do our beers. American cheese is laughable, and our light beers taste like watery urine. Our music, for the majority, is artless and made for profit. Our architecture no longer has the beautiful art of the past, now mostly consisting merely of geometrical figures. No sweeping murals and such.

Our mainstream foods are hamburgers, pizza, and hotdogs, mostly processed refined garbage, with little to no nutritional value. And our movies are all cookie cutter fairy tales, with the hero always getting the girl and riding off into the sunset. Heck, most of our kids today have such short attention spans that if there are no explosions or aliens in the first 5 minutes of a movie, it must be boring. Forget having them wait for a plot to actually develop. Sadly, much of our country is so egocentric that they see no value in anything outside of their own community, their curiosity is limited, and they have little desire to travel much or expand outside their normal boundaries.

Since you brought up my thread, I will contribute and clarify some things for you.

In one recent post the member was upset that Spanish was being taught in the schools instead of French...and I wasn't aware that learning French was part of American culture.

French is part of American Culture. So is Spanish, German, Dutch and a host of other languages. The thing I was talking about was local heritage (in my case, French) was being replaced with Spanish in a direct correlation to the immigrant influx.

As I said in another thread, assimilation is simple: Assimilation is simply speaking a common language, following the rules(law,) and taking pride in and supporting this country as opposed to another.

1. Define YOUR view of American culture.

2. How are Mexican immigrants (Legal or Illegal) changing YOUR definition of American culture?

I think American Culture is best described as a Melting Pot. It is a consolidation of cultures from around the world, all under an umbrella of unity, a belief freedom and responsibility, a hardy spirit, and a penchant for charity or lending an hand when in need and able.

However, the local cultures vary from one area to another. It is the encroachment or elimination of those local cultures by illegals (or racial/cultural separatist) that is unacceptable. Before my current feelings towards illegals and by default hispanics developed, I had no problem experiencing a heavily hispanic culture in El Paso or San Antonio or Miami. I don't anticipate it and would find it out of place in New Orleans or Minnesota. I expect to hear Zydeco or Polka in those areas, not Mariachi.

Hispanic immigrants, legal or illegal, are not changing my definition of American Culture. They are, seemingly intentionally, overwriting local non-hispanic cultures as they spread outside of the southwest.

This doesn't address the other issues as to why illegals is so poisonous to the US, but it does answer your American Culture request.

I think the OP before creating this overtly racist post

examples of what part of the American culture the hispanic immigrants are destroying.

Should probably have researchd America and Spanish history a little more. America certainly has some pretty good fundamentals concerning life, liberty etc[well it used too] But culture?, thats specificaly American?, whatever. The title of this post should be revised immediatly to

What Cultures Have Been Adversley Impacted and Destroyed By European Colonialisation of The Americas

For the OP's personal research into a matter he is obviously intruiged by would be this.

en.wikipedia.org...

Please pay attention to those maps and understand the borders you have come to accept were never really this way up untill very recent times. It will probably also let you understand WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY #ING MEXICANS IN YOUR COUNTRY.

Btw sorry for sounding like a dick, but on a site like this the level of ignorant racism is pretty much the last thing i would come to expect.

[edit on 10-5-2010 by Johnze]

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

Make's me regret being a citizen of this country.

Then we'll anxiously await your (glowing) reports from your new homeland.

Make it snappy on the move would you? A bunch of us that DO NOT REGRET being citizens DO REGRET that people like you are. Plus, there are several families of illegal immigrants that could use your home.



[edit on 5/10/2010 by centurion1211]

American culture interesting you should post this topic as I have been considering it for several days now after being informed the we Americans have no culture. Note his is my point of view and many Americans will disagree with some of the thigs I say here, That is one of the things that makes America great.

I would define American culture broadly as very eclectic, as we have a very diverse society that borrows heavily from those people that have chosen to immigrate here.

American culture's roots has been based on that of British/European society and the English language. It is a citizenry with a shared set of values, customs and history. Granted, citizens born in this country may have ancestors from another country and some of those customs may be retained in the new citizen but a true American will embrace the culture and language of this country first and foremost. They will not look to their ancestors old country with equal or more loyalty and love than to this one.
When you look at shared American Values that crossover from what every ancestry we may come from, I see an emphasis on Individual Freedom The individual has rights above that of general society and government. Success occurs at the level of the individual. People should not have to fight for their rights. The government should protect the rights of the individual, not the other way around.

Entrepeneurship, most businesses in America this is mostly overlooked in other countries who mainly see the Big American corporations.

A Pioneering culture with a (be all you can be attitude) strong willed, confident, and self reliant, Americans tend to risk takers sometimes this is good and other times this is bad.

We have our founding documents The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution unique creations for what has become a unique society. Alot of blood sweat and tears have been shed to live up to these documents with varying degrees of success. at the time of these documents I think the most important thing that happened that made America different from Europe was that the Divine Right of Kings did not exist for Americans. Are the documents perfect no, but we have made great strides in equality and fairness for all of us, America will always be a work in progress.

We have our own Architecture From Log Cabins and Sod houses, Southern Plantations, Southwestern Pueblos, from one room Wooden Baptist churches, Anglican and Catholic cathedrals our State and National Capitols with thier Domes and Skyskrapers of the Early 19th century.

Artists, Gilbert Stuart, Ansel Adams, Jackson Pollock, Norman Rockwell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Aaron Douglas, John James Audubon,Frederic Remington ,Walker Hancock, Gutzon Borglum


Writers, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson , Henry David Thereau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Stephen Crane, Upton Sinclair, F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, John Steinbeck, Edgar Allen Poe


Musicians, Stephen Foster,Thomas A. Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, John Philip Sousa, Dan Emmett

We have our own unique sports and sports traditions, American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Softball, Tailgate parties The closest thing I can compare to European Football in America is American College Football in ferver nad team support.

Blue Jeans, T Shirts, Basball Caps

Atheletes, Muhammad Ali,Lou Gehrig,Jackie Robinson,Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Willie Mays, Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, Jim Thorpe, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Jim Brown.

Politicians, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adam, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin ,Franklin Roosevelt ,Abraham Lincoln,Theodore Roosevelt ,Cordell Hull, John Marshall,James Madison,


Other Americans who are famous inventers explorers generals judges etc.

John Marshall,Martin Luther King Jr,Thomas Edison,Andrew Carnegie,Alexander Graham Bell ,Dwight Eisenhower,Earl Warren,Susan B. Anthony,Rachel Carson,Harriet Beecher Stowe,W. E. B. DuBois,Samuel F. B. Morse,William Lloyd Garrison,Frederick Douglass,Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr,Horace Mann,Robert E. Lee,Louis Sullivan,George Marshall,Noah Webster,Thurgood Marshall,Nat Turner,George Eastman,Booker T. Washington,

Of course here I am highlighting the positives, but truthfully I think ATS has had enough of the negatives over the last 6 years, I encourge folks to picj a couple of names you have never heard of before and take a look, these are Americans not White Americans, Black Americans, Red Americans, Yellow Americans, or Brown Americans To me they are just Americans.

Thats my view from the nest....

[edit on 5/10/2010 by DarkStormCrow]

Originally posted by centurion1211

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

Make's me regret being a citizen of this country.

Then we'll anxiously await your (glowing) reports from your new homeland.

Make it snappy on the move would you? A bunch of us that DO NOT REGRET being citizens DO REGRET that people like you are. Plus, there are several families of illegal immigrants that could use your home.

[edit on 5/10/2010 by centurion1211]

You know that is never happening. What other country would allow him to post such silly nonsense with out any basis of truth. The OP is more of a Race Baiter to flare up bashing comments only to repeat the same "...Illegals have rights..." wait correction, the OP thinks all Illegals are Hispanic so its more like this "...Hispanic Illegals have rights...."

Originally posted by ProjectJimmy
The United States of America has many different and distinct cultures, I believe. I've been all over your country and it is as diverse as it gets. You guys give the whole of the European Union a run for her money there.

There is more of a cultural difference between Hollywood, California and Hollywood, Alabama than there is between London, England and London, Ontario.

As for immigrants assimilation, well it's a two way street. The US should know that better than anyone, but we here in the UK are learning it as well. Our number one dish is curry now, it's a cultural give and take, that is natural.

So yes, the Latin immigrants into the United States will eventually learn English but the general lexicon will also gain some Spanish words too. It is up to you, the American to look for ways to meet the immigrant population, being welcoming, not confrontational will allow for faster assimilation of both parties.

Star for you for posting the best response on what otherwise and predictably will be nothing more than a trash the U.S. thread.

I have been in 47 of the 50 states, and no one can tell me that there are not unique cultures in many different areas such as, New England, "the South", New Orleans, "the Southwest", Peoples Republic of California, "the Midwest". Every one of those areas has different speech, likes/dislikes/attitudes on just about everything there is to discuss, not to mention food, housing styles and on and on.

Regarding the "be welcoming and not confrontational". I think people are in general. You have to admit boasting about the "reconquesta"and shoving mexican holidays down the throats of U.S. citizens will NEVER further the cause of LEGAL immigrants.



[edit on 5/10/2010 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
1. Define YOUR view of American culture.

There is no one American Culture. There are MANY cultures. That's what America is. There ARE American values, that come from the Constitution, though I don't see them practiced much any more, sadly.

2. How are Mexican immigrants (Legal or Illegal) changing YOUR definition of American culture?

They aren't.

Originally posted by prionace glauca
The OP is more of a Race Baiter to flare up bashing comments only to repeat the same "...Illegals have rights..." wait correction, the OP thinks all Illegals are Hispanic so its more like this "...Hispanic Illegals have rights...."

1. You are making some GROSS and INACCURATE assumptions about the OP.

2. Illegal Immigrants DO have rights.

American culture is the bastardization of all other cultures into one single mish-mash of cultures. American as hotdogs and beer...German, corn beef and cabbage...Irish, country music-bluegrass.... Irish-Scotch folk, spaghetti/pizza...Italy... Godfather or Goodfellas...Italy again...... blues and raggae...origins in Africa....Taco Bell...Doritos... Juimmy Buffet and Margaritaville...Mexico....oops...too late.

Originally posted by AlreadyGone
American culture is the bastardization of all other cultures into one single mish-mash of cultures. American as hotdogs and beer...German, corn beef and cabbage...Irish, country music-bluegrass.... Irish-Scotch folk, spaghetti/pizza...Italy... Godfather or Goodfellas...Italy again...... blues and raggae...origins in Africa....Taco Bell...Doritos... Juimmy Buffet and Margaritaville...Mexico....oops...too late.

And what other (for example, European) cultures are not a "bastardizations" of what was there before and all the conquerors that have come through since?

In the U.S. we have also changed most/all of the things you mentioned to the point they are are pretty different from the "originals".

Many European languages, religions, art, etc. are based on Roman/Latin influences. Spain adds the Moorish influence. Farther east there are Greek influences in many places.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Is no explanation my dear, if you went to school in the US and payed attention to your history class you should know what the humble beginnings of the American nation are, and who were the great men and women that contributed to it.

And if you were born after 1960 you know exactly what is the pop culture as is the only one that the last two generations knows about.

[edit on 10-5-2010 by marg6043]