美国文化简介—— American culture

Something about American culture

Cultural Pluralism

One of the critical questions facing the United States today is what role the new immigrants will play in their new country. How much will they choose to take on the traditional American values and culture? How much will they try to maintain their own language and cultural traditions? Will they create an entirely new culture based on some combination of their values and those of the traditional American culture?

Historically, although the children of immigrants may have grown up bilingual and bicultural, many did not pass on much of their parents’ language or culture to their own children. Thus, many grandchildren of immigrants do not speak the language of the old country and are “American” by culture. However, in some parts of the country with established communities that share a common language or culture, bilingualism and biculturalism continue. This is particularly true in communities where new immigrants are still arriving. In general, cultural pluralism is more accepted in the United States today than it was in the first half of the 20th century, and many of the school systems have developed bilingual programs and multicultural curricula.

At the close of the 20th century, there seems to be a rise in the consciousness of ethnic groups around the world, and a sense of pride in what makes them unique. This occurs in the US among many different groups, and in some cases it has resulted in new names to symbolize each group’s identity. In the US, people have become very sensitive to the language used to describe these groups, and they try to be “politically correct” . For example, many black Americans, particularly young people, prefer the term African-American instead of black, to identify with their African Heritage.

In spite of some very important differences, however, there is still a tie that binds Americans together. That tie is a sense of national identity-of “being an American,” Incidentally, when citizens of the United States refer to themselves as Americans, they have no intention of excluding people from Latin American countries.

A National Religion

In the countries from which the American colonists emigrated, the dominant values of the nation were often supported by an organized national church. American Protestants made certain that no organized church would exist in their young country.

Americans, however, have developed a number of informal practices that combine national patriotism with religion. A number of scholars have referred to these practices as the “national religion” of the US. The main function of this national religion is to provide support for the dominant values of the nation. Thus, it does in an informal and less organized way what nationally organized churches did for European nations in earlier times.

The informal national religion in the US mixes patriotism with religious ideas in songs and in ceremonies that proclaim God’s blessing on America, its basic values, and its actions as a nation. The national religion can be observed on many occasions when Americans gather together-on national holidays, at political conventions, and especially as sports events. Before a ballgame, the players and fans stand up for the national anthem, and sometimes a religious leader will offer a prayer. This practice is taken so seriously that in 1996, the National Basketball Association (NBA) actually suspended a professional basketball player who refused to stand during the national anthem. The NBA stated that he could not play in games unless he agreed to follow their rule requiring players to stand in a respectful manner during the national anthem.

The earliest Protestant settlers believed that by coming to America, they were carrying out God’s plan. This belief gave them confidence that they would succeed. Today, Americans still need to believe that their nation will continue to succeed, and the national religion helps to answer this need by reminding them of their religious heritage. It is a means of maintaining their national self-confidence in a rapidly changing world. Family Structures

What is the typical American family like? If Americans are asked to name their members of their families, family structure becomes clear. Married American adults will name their husband or wife and their children. If they mention their father, mother, sisters, or brothers, they will define them as separate units, usually living in separate households. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are considered “extended family.”Americans view the family as a group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of individual members. The result is that the needs of each individual take priority in the life of the family. In contrast to that of many other cultures, the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group, either socially or economically, nor is it to bring honor to the family name. This is partly because the US is not an aristocratic society.

Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies, since equality of opportunity regardless of birth is considered a basic American value. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the family as an economic unit because the American family is rarely self- supporting. Relatively few families maintain self-supporting family farms or businesses for more than one generation. A farmer’s son, for example, is very likely to go on to college, leave the family farm, and take an entirely different job in a different location.

The American desire for freedom from outside control clearly extends to

the family. Americans do not like to have controls placed on them by other family members. They want to make independent decisions and not be told what to do by grandparents or uncles or aunts. For example, both American men and women expect to decide what job is best for them as individuals. In The Emphasis on Individual Freedom deed, young Americans are encouraged by their families to make such independent career decisions. What would be best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be best for the individual.

A Universal Nation

As we have noted, the dominant culture and its value system, established by the early settlers, had its roots in white, Protestant, western Europe. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, millions of immigrants came from eastern and southern Europe, bringing cultural traditions perceived by the dominant culture as quite different. By the 1920s, Americans had decided that it was time to close the borders to mass immigration, and the number of new immigrants slowed to a trickle. In spite of the worries of those in the dominant culture, the new immigrants did assimilate to life in the US. They greatly enriched the cultural diversity of the nation, and they ultimately did not cause major changes to its system of government, its free enterprise system, or its traditional values.

Many Americans see wonderful benefits for their country. Ben Wattenberg, a respected expert on American culture, believes that the “new immigration” will be of great help to the nation. According to Wattenberg, something very important is happening to the US: It is becoming the first universal nation in history. Wattenberg believed that the US will be the first nation where large numbers of people from every region on earth live in freedom under one government. This diversity, he says, will give the nation great influence and appeal to the rest of the world during the 21st century.