What represents American (U.S.) Culture to you?

[love2disney]

Coming from an immigrant this is american culture to me

Not looking down upon any kind of work. As long as you are working hard and earning legal money you are respected.
Acceptance [albeit sometimes a bit grudgingly] of you in the mainstream society.
Politeness, i know some may say americans? polite but you have not visited other countries [other than europe]
Patience People waiting in lines to buy stuff, banks etc [not disney] It does not happen elsewhere.
Freedom to achieve your dreams by just working towards them, no day to day corruption.
Mostly it meant no power cuts, abundance of water and very clean environment. Things that you may take for granted here but is a luxury in many Asian countires.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Coming from an immigrant this is american culture to me

Not looking down upon any kind of work. As long as you are working hard and earning legal money you are respected.
Acceptance [albeit sometimes a bit grudgingly] of you in the mainstream society.
Politeness, i know some may say americans? polite but you have not visited other countries [other than europe]
Patience People waiting in lines to buy stuff, banks etc [not disney] It does not happen elsewhere.
Freedom to achieve your dreams by just working towards them, no day to day corruption.
Mostly it meant no power cuts, abundance of water and very clean environment. Things that you may take for granted here but is a luxury in many Asian countires.

Nice to see positive statements.

 

[golfgal]

Coming from an immigrant this is american culture to me

Not looking down upon any kind of work. As long as you are working hard and earning legal money you are respected.
Acceptance [albeit sometimes a bit grudgingly] of you in the mainstream society.
Politeness, i know some may say americans? polite but you have not visited other countries [other than europe]
Patience People waiting in lines to buy stuff, banks etc [not disney] It does not happen elsewhere.
Freedom to achieve your dreams by just working towards them, no day to day corruption.
Mostly it meant no power cuts, abundance of water and very clean environment. Things that you may take for granted here but is a luxury in many Asian countires.

This is EXACTLY what a lot of people posting on this thread just don't understand. Not everyone can walk into a grocery store and have aisle upon aisle of food or a lot of the small things we take for granted--like having not only one car but 2 or MORE cars.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Coming from an immigrant this is american culture to me

Not looking down upon any kind of work. As long as you are working hard and earning legal money you are respected.
Acceptance [albeit sometimes a bit grudgingly] of you in the mainstream society.
Politeness, i know some may say americans? polite but you have not visited other countries [other than europe]
Patience People waiting in lines to buy stuff, banks etc [not disney] It does not happen elsewhere.
Freedom to achieve your dreams by just working towards them, no day to day corruption.
Mostly it meant no power cuts, abundance of water and very clean environment. Things that you may take for granted here but is a luxury in many Asian countires.

Thank You!!!!

You know, I think sometimes that those who appreciate America and American Culture the most are those to have actually traveled/seen/experienced the other side.

Anyone can be an armchair quarterback, sit in their easy-chair (throne) and issue negative statements and complaints. I really don't see much credibility in those types of opinions/statements. America, the bastion of non-acceptance and corruption of civil rights... Really???? When I see this stuff, I honestly don't know whether to or

 

[minnie56]

Well, I don't associate that with U.S Culture though do you????
I live in Canada I have that and more. My sister lives in the U.K. She has that and more. My cousin and husband's cousin live in Australia, yes, that and more!??

I didn't know we were talking of third world countries here?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Well, I don't associate that with U.S Culture though do you????
I live in Canada I have that and more. My sister lives in the U.K. She has that and more. My cousin and husband's cousin live in Australia, yes, that and more!??

I didn't know we were talking of third world countries here?

Since there is virtually nothing exclusive to one country, we are all banned hence forth from associating any good things with America...

Then again...

 

[wdwfan16]

Coming from an immigrant this is american culture to me

Not looking down upon any kind of work. As long as you are working hard and earning legal money you are respected.
Acceptance [albeit sometimes a bit grudgingly] of you in the mainstream society.
Politeness, i know some may say americans? polite but you have not visited other countries [other than europe]
Patience People waiting in lines to buy stuff, banks etc [not disney] It does not happen elsewhere.
Freedom to achieve your dreams by just working towards them, no day to day corruption.
Mostly it meant no power cuts, abundance of water and very clean environment. Things that you may take for granted here but is a luxury in many Asian countires.

Thank you.

 

[minnie56]

There are many good things about the U.S.
Just not exclusively the U.S!

The question was what comes to mind...2 cars, grocery stores laden with food wasn't my 1st thought! I associate that with many many places..

Since there is virtually nothing exclusive to one country, we are all banned hence forth from associating any good things with America...

Then again...

 

[golfgal]

There are many good things about the U.S.
Just not exclusively the U.S!

The question was what comes to mind...2 cars, grocery stores laden with food wasn't my 1st thought! I associate that with many many places..

Try traveling out of North America and see how wrong you are.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

There are many good things about the U.S.
Just not exclusively the U.S!...

Agreed, so if I say that I like the color blue when asked my fovorite color, why would someone want to chime in with a comment like, but that is such a common color?

This was the type of question that cannot really be answered by anyone other than yourself, and one's answer cannot be argued by anyone else.

If I think of Ice Cream when I think of American culture, that is as valid a response as anyone else's. Ice cream doesn't have to have been invented here or be exclusive to America. It just has to be my opinion. Right? Wasn't that the point of the thread?

So, when I bring up freedom, I get people that want to argue about it. Kinda silly, don't you think?

 

[minnie56]

Try traveling out of North America and see how wrong you are.

Whaaat?? Now I am sorry..that's just not true.

I have travelled extensively World wide and that is NOT the case!

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Since there is virtually nothing exclusive to one country, we are all banned hence forth from associating any good things with America...

Then again...

I think the problem, though, is that I don't really see a country's culture as a list of virtues/vices. I think that some of the PPs' lists, while being an accurate portrayal of US life (and virtues), are not really identifiable as distinctly American traits/culture.

I will say, though, that I see the US's pioneering history and spirit as being part of its culture, and that "freedom" has been fundamental throughout the country's history.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I think the problem, though, is that I don't really see a country's culture as a list of virtues/vices. I think that some of the PPs' lists, while being an accurate portrayal of US life (and virtues), are not really identifiable as distinctly American traits/culture.

I will say, though, that I see the US's pioneering history and spirit as being part of its culture, and that "freedom" has been fundamental throughout the country's history.

See, that's the great thing about asking a question like this. We will see a lot of different answers, but there is no WRONG answer...

 

[legalsea]

I have not read all the posts, however I agree with those whom claim that Sugar best represents the culture of the USA at the next Olympics we host. Oh, and Wheat. Sugar and Wheat. Oil. Ah! Don't forget Oil. So, Sugar, Wheat and Oil all will represent the...Cows! Of course, millions upon millions of cows! So, Sugar, Wheat, Oil and Cows will best represent USA culture at our next Olympics.

Ah! I believe that your normal McDonalds sandwich is made up of those four , ingredients, yes? Sugar (check); Wheat (check); Oil (probably), and Cows (checkmate!).

So instead of inviting the world to look at mounds of sugar, rolls of wheat, drums of oil and carcasses of cows at the next USA Olympics, we simply roll out a huge Quarter Pounder onto the field and invite all to eat of it!

Or, yes, we have Native Americans sitting and eating the hamburgers, then the US Calvary rolls in and...

No. It is to be a family event. We will stick with inviting the World to partake of our hamburger.

 

[crashbb]

Agreed, so if I say that I like the color blue when asked my fovorite color, why would someone want to chime in with a comment like, but that is such a common color?

If you said that you were the only person who liked the colour blue, then yes, I would likely comment on that.

That is equivalent of people saying (as they have in this thread) that the US is the only country based on freedoms or the only country that runs towards troubles.

Try traveling out of North America and see how wrong you are.

I've traveled to every continent except the Antarctic. I have found fully stocked grocery stores in every single country that I have visited. And houses with many cars. It is definitely not restricted to the US OR North America.

Which country have you visited without grocery stores?

 

[Mrs. Charming]

This is an offshoot of the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies thread...someone asked what would American culture look like.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the Salt Lake City or Atlanta Opening Ceremonies to know what was featured.

But I'm just going to ask the question. What do you think American culture means to the rest of the world. What do we "export" as far as what people think of as being uniquely American?

Also, please lets try to keep it civil, no politics

Reality TV, credit cards, and SUV's.

Like the Jack Johnson song... Where did the good people go?

 

[legalsea]

The Atlantic Olympics: isn't that the one where a small bomb was set off, and the press and authorities rushed to judgement claiming that some security guard (Jewel I think his name was) did it?

 

[declansdad]

You realize that we started that, right? That, at the time, what we were doing was unique. Other countries have surpassed us, as we have gone backward while they move forward, but we took what were considered unachievable ideals and used them to form our government. A remarkable achievement...

Are you saying the USA started the "freedom" concept?

 

[declansdad]

You want to know a uniquely american Quality?

When something bad happens...we as a culture have the tendancy to run to the problem, not away from it.

And I've been all over the world...Every Continent, 129 countries. We as a country will respond like no other.

In my opinion, there are many other countries that do this as well. It isn't unique to the US.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Are you saying the USA started the "freedom" concept?

In a way, yes. Most of the world was ruled by monarchies or had a caste system firmly in place. Democracies have existed before, but the Constitutional Republic concept was unique at that time.

BTW, I am not saying that this makes America any better today, just that it made America unique then...