4 ms·

What does becoming American even mean? This country is such a mishmash of religion, politics, food, culture, etc. As an average white guy, I'm happy if you just

What does becoming American even mean? This country is such a mishmash of religion, politics, food, culture, etc. As an average white guy, I'm happy if you just speak English and maybe put up something at Christmas.

geezerjay 8y ago
It's as if immigrants excel at being immigrants in a country of immigrants.
akhilcacharya 8y ago
I was born here and don't put up anything at Christmas..
beezischillin 8y ago
I've been thinking about this for a while. While the US is such a huge country, it's obviously hard to pinpoint an obvious "American culture", but even more so maybe the identity is so hard to track down because of its prevalence? During the last 100 years American culture's become so prevalent in the west ("globalism") that a lot of countries are very Americanised where popular culture, art and even businesses originate from the US. I mean, I live in Eastern Europe and I'm currently watching an American TV series on Netflix while I'm writing this comment on my Apple MacBook with a podcast waiting for a listen later and there's a Sam Harris book on my bed. It's nothing like my heritage of what it means to be Hungarian, living in Transylvania. And yet you're sharing a lot of American identity with me. It's just a thought I've been playing around with, but maybe that's why Americans have such a hard time finding their identity as Americans?
- mondo9000 8y ago
  I think its just white Americans with that problem, other groups seem to have an identity. Why don't white Americans seem to have a culture? I think its an interesting question, I have various ideas, but nothing compelling.
  - pretendscholar 8y ago
    Because white is an amalgamation of many different European cultures (Scottish,Irish,English,German...) that I think all diluted one another to the point that there is no specific culture piece that is universally white-american.
    - mondo9000 8y ago
      There used to be Little Italy and German parts of town and such, but they disappeared with suburban white flight.
jriot 8y ago
I am Cajun, and I believe American identities/norms are regional.

geezerjay 8y ago

It's as if immigrants excel at being immigrants in a country of immigrants.

akhilcacharya 8y ago

I was born here and don't put up anything at Christmas..

beezischillin 8y ago

I've been thinking about this for a while. While the US is such a huge country, it's obviously hard to pinpoint an obvious "American culture", but even more so maybe the identity is so hard to track down because of its prevalence? During the last 100 years American culture's become so prevalent in the west ("globalism") that a lot of countries are very Americanised where popular culture, art and even businesses originate from the US. I mean, I live in Eastern Europe and I'm currently watching an American TV series on Netflix while I'm writing this comment on my Apple MacBook with a podcast waiting for a listen later and there's a Sam Harris book on my bed. It's nothing like my heritage of what it means to be Hungarian, living in Transylvania. And yet you're sharing a lot of American identity with me. It's just a thought I've been playing around with, but maybe that's why Americans have such a hard time finding their identity as Americans?

mondo9000 8y ago
I think its just white Americans with that problem, other groups seem to have an identity. Why don't white Americans seem to have a culture? I think its an interesting question, I have various ideas, but nothing compelling.
- pretendscholar 8y ago
  Because white is an amalgamation of many different European cultures (Scottish,Irish,English,German...) that I think all diluted one another to the point that there is no specific culture piece that is universally white-american.
  - mondo9000 8y ago
    There used to be Little Italy and German parts of town and such, but they disappeared with suburban white flight.

jriot 8y ago

I am Cajun, and I believe American identities/norms are regional.