How To Write An Essay About My American Culture

In a society, people adhere to various rules and standards that are created and maintained in culture. On page 50, the definition of culture is shared beliefs, values, and practices that participants must learn. Defining one’s own culture can be quite difficult, much less hard to articulate, but it is often the deciding factor when it comes to making personal and social decisions. Independence is strongly rooted in American culture and helps identify modern society to the general population of American-raised children, and explains how the value of American independence has shaped my individual culture.

Are you American, what makes you an American, how does being an American benefit you these are all questions that this essay will answer. By looking at a couple different paths people took to become an American. Taking people like Yezierska or war veterans or how the president feels toward America and how this makes them American. Being an American benefit you with a lot of stuff like being protected, education, basically a good life. Hopefully by reading this essay you would have a better understanding of an american or what it means to be an american.

In the three cultures discussed above, while there are different variations of strictness, the partners were able to choose who they desired to court and in turn marry. This is not the case for Grecian courtships where “virtually all marriages are arranged” (Campbell, 1964, p. 124). The idea of marrying for love, while not a foreign concept in the culture, is often rejected and condemned. Often the only question asked during the courtship is “’will you marry this boy or girl?’” (p. 124). This being said, ““It is almost impossible for a girl to refuse the bridegroom of her family's choice if they insist upon it, although it is believed that a good father or brother ought not to force her into a marriage against her will” (p. 124).

As an American who has Russian parents and was born in Israel, I have always been engaged in multiple cultures. My parents have put emphasis on preserving our Russian heritage while encouraging me to immerse myself in American culture. As I stand at the threshold of entering college, I am thrilled by the prospect of becoming acquainted with yet another cultural sphere.

It was a dark and stormy night- except it wasn’t. It was actually a crisp, clear January morning. January 14, 2011 to be exact. It was the first time I had ever been outside the United States, and I was on a 13 hour nonstop flight to Israel. Even though I had been in an airplane before, this was a totally different experience. We were not allowed to get up, unless we were on the way to the bathroom, we were served dinner which was… interesting to say the least and thankfully, I didn’t get food poisoning (until the flight back to the U.S.). We also had in-flight TV, which was awesome because it had a plethora of new movies that I had never seen before! After the long flight I was extremely happy to be able to walk around, however we didn’t do

Assimilating into this melting pot that we call America may be a walk in the park to some but to others, there is a high barrier that blocks the doorway like a security guard to the trendiest club in Los Angeles. As easy as it may be for some to come up to the front of the line and walk right through the red rope, there are others who are not as lucky. Most people much like you and I, have to wait in a long line and pay their way through. Whether a native on this land or an immigrant from another country, language is a very powerful tool required in order for one to be successful here in America. There is a high price of hard work and determination that can pay the cost of making this success a reality.

When I left my hometown in Hungary to live with my dad in America, a lot of things were different for me. The language was different, the people were different, the culture was different, and the schools were different. I don’t think it took long for me to adjust to living here, the duration of my summer was me figuring out how different things were here and going along with it.

When people from two different countries meet they bring their cultural background with them. This makes it essential to have an understanding of cultural awareness and to have an understanding of cultural diversity. Whether we are talking about their geography, society, language or social structure we must have respect for their values, beliefs and traditions of various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Even though one’s culture may seem strange to us, we must be open-minded rather than to simply labelling it as being wrong. The country of Estonia has overcome many cultural diversities and was declared independence in 1991 after being forcibly annexed to the Soviet Union in 1940. According to former British Secretary Douglas Hurd, Estonia was “stolen or kidnapped from the European family”. Regardless of numerous adversities, Estonia stood strong to hold on to its beliefs and culture.

At night she would tell me enchanted stories, some consisted of romance, others consisted of comedy. I loved all the stories she would tell me before bedtime. There was one in particular that I remember. One summer night we were curled up in bed, and she starts telling the story of a squirrel, and it went like this, “Once upon a time there was Squirrel who lived in a forest, he would gather his food for the coming winter, until one day a rabbit came by. The rabbit looked lost so the squirrel asked the rabbit if he needed help. The rabbit replied to squirrel and said ‘Yes, I could use some help, but do you have anything to eat?’ The squirrel replied and said to the rabbit, ‘You must be nuts asking me for my food’”. I busted into laughter, as waterfalls of tears came out of my eyes. For some reason I could not stop laughing at the pun used within the story. It was the best joke ever. Next morning I would rehearse the story and reenacted it to my classmates, and they would laugh every time at the punch line.

"Je deteste des Americains," said the old Swiss woman sitting across from me. Her face contorted into a grimace of disgust as she and her friend continued to complain that Americans had no culture, that they never learned another language, and that their inferior customs were spreading throughout Europe like an infectious disease. Each hair on the back of my neck sprang to attention, as I strained to hear the women's inflammatory remarks. I gripped my bag of McDonald's harder with each insulting phrase.

“I had the cognizance in that situation, but not the mindfulness,” he said. “And both are key.” (Carter, 2014) Cultural shock is becoming more relevant because of the globalization of business today. Most explanations define cultural shock as “the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country”. (Annenberg, 2013) Culture affects every aspect of each human on the planet, so there is no doubt that culture shock can make or break management in global corporations. The styles and decisions used by managers are affected and defined by its culture and values. Mr. Geert Hofstede carried out a comprehensive study on how values in the work place are influenced by

National flags hung behind tables and were painted on children’s faces. Small talk roared in many languages and the smell of various culture’s cuisines wafted throughout the gymnasium. I was thirteen, standing proudly behind the table that strung the letters “USA” across it. My classmates ran from booth to booth. The Koreans boasted of their “BBQ,” the Germans their bratwursts, and the Taiwanese their Tapioca tea - which my best friend’s mother spent three days making. A stunning compilation of people, the Culture Fair at Canadian Academy is one of my fondest memories of living abroad.

Throughout the premodern period, we see how the nature of cross-cultural trade, migration, and disease is related to how certain historical events has taken place. It is understood how the nature of cross-cultural trade, migration, and disease effected the civilization during the premodern era through documented evidence such as Journey of Faxian to India, Journey of Friar of Pian de Carpine to the Court of Kuyuk Khan, 1245-1247, Pegolotti’s Merchant Handbook, The Decamaron, Novel 1 of the 3rd Day. These documents historically identified numerous reasons as to why certain events occurred that effected the nature of cross-cultural trade, migration, and disease.

Culture is very important to individuals, especially for those who reside in the culturally-diverse United States. The United States can be compared to a salad bowl; different cultures and people are involved and tossed together to make one beautiful and delicious salad. People consider culture as a way to celebrate and acknowledge their own traditions and beliefs. It is very easy to keep these traditions when everyone upholds the same respect for them, but, in a world where America is considered as one of the most diverse countries in the world, it is very hard to uphold one absolute culture. While it is a beautiful notion to be so culturally diverse, children of immigrants suffer with identity issues and where they stand as an American. With several stereotypes against first-generation children, such as Asian-Americans being portrayed as the “model minority”, it proves that first-generation Asian-Americans has to go through a lot to determine how they should balance their Asian history and American upbringing. Cultural syncretism is defined as “a concept that refers to the social processes by which the beliefs and practices of two cultures mix and create a new cultural characteristics” (what). This definition is what best describes the experience that Eddie Huang had in his youth. “Fresh off the Boat” is his memoir and a TV show that takes audience back to Eddie’s childhood where he and his family struggles from being the only Asian in a white-dominated community. The

Culture defines people’s values, beliefs, and personal interests. Culture is important because it allows people to maintain a unique identity society. Many cultures have common interests, while others may have customs that differ greatly from that of another. Technology has had a huge impact on present day cultures. Many culture have been altered including my own, and some have been created due to the rise of technology. Cultures differ so greatly that someone belonging to one culture may not agree with the values of another, which then causes social and ethical issues. My culture shares many similarities with others around the world; most of which have connected more people in recent years than ever before. Cultural gaps, and lack of