American Culture and Diversity - Essay Example

 American Culture Introduction The US hosts a culture that supports diversity, personal freedom, and tolerance. The American society has become increasingly multicultural over the centuries. The US culture is a fine blend of a variety of cultures that its inhabitants belong to. The multiculturalism in the US has not only helped develop a multidimensional culture, but has also incorporated the elements of personal freedom and tolerance in the society. An evidence of this is the African Americans that once used to be slaves and now enjoy equal rights as enjoyed by the White Americans in a vast majority of states. The laws and regulations in support of personal freedom are being increasingly passed and implemented at all levels. In addition to personal freedom, the US is developing a culture of tolerance and patience. The American society would be very unstable without tolerance as it is primarily composed of immigrants that have brought contrasting values, beliefs, trends, and traditions in the US that have merged over the passage of time. Three words to define the contemporary American culture would be diversity, personal freedom, and tolerance. Details of the Interviewees The first interviewee was 50 years old Rohit Verma originally from India. Rohit Verma has been in the US for the past 20 years. He is a married man with two daughters and a son who are all born in the US. Rohit Verma works as a manager in a private firm. The second interviewee was 37 years old Fatima Tatlitug originally from Turkey. Fatima Tatlitug has been in the US for the past 30 years. She is a married woman and has a son. Fatima Tatlitug is a chef. The third interviewee was 18 years old Mark Twin. Mark Twin was born to Caucasian American parents in New York. His family originally migrated from England to America many generations ago. Mark Twin is a student at the University of Illinois. The fourth interviewee was 25 years old Chin Myang. Chin Myang was born in Washington D.C. His parents had migrated from China to the US in 1970. Chin Muang is a Civil Engineer and works as a Planning Engineer at a local firm. Diversity One word to describe the American culture is diversity. Diversity in the American society can fundamentally be attributed to multiculturalism. The advantage of living in the US keeping the omnipresent diversity in view is that people have a lot of opportunity to understand foreign cultures by interacting with the people endorsing them. Understanding different cultures broadens the view and inculcates in one the ability to think outside the box. The disadvantage of living in the US considering the omnipresent diversity is that there is a lot to learn and generalizations are hard to make. Foreigners in other countries overcome culture shock and integrate into the native culture more easily because of the homogeneity of the culture of the native people. However, it takes some time for the foreigners to get to terms with the American culture because every day, their conclusions are challenged by yet different and surprising incidents. Rohit Verma and Fatima Tatlitug shared the difficulties they encountered in the initial years of their migration to the US. On the other hand, Mark Twin and Chin Myang did not mention any of these difficulties because they were brought up in a culture of diverse from the start. Personal Freedom One prime virtue on which the American culture rests is personal freedom. While the American society is considered relatively conservative and influenced by the orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, fact is that the American culture is changing in a way that provides more freedom to its people. This is evident from the fact that many states have legalized gay marriages. Rohit Verma said that one reason he decided to migrate to the US was grant of increased personal freedom. Rohit Verma said that grant of personal freedom has helped shape his personality and helped him grow. Fatima Tatlitug said that living in US, she did not have to deal with the problems women usually do in other societies like doing domestic works along with work. Mark Twin and Chin Myang also love this aspect of the American culture. The advantage provided by increased personal freedom is that people can grow intellectually and socially. The disadvantage that comes with it is that some people tend to misuse this principle of American culture. This may reflect in the form of nudity in the public areas. Personal freedom also puts increased responsibility for their actions on people’s shoulders as they cannot hold others responsible for their own decisions. Tolerance Tolerance has helped the people coming to the US from different parts of the world live together as one nation. Tolerance is manifested in every aspect of the American culture. Rohit Verma, Fatima Tatlitug, Mark Twin, and Chin Myang are four people that follow four different religions, and yet none of them said that it was difficult for them to practice their religion in the US when asked. The advantage of tolerance in the US is that people can freely practice their religion, and everybody can express their views and opinions without fear. Sometimes, tolerance leads to delayed decision-making at all levels as all aspects have to be considered before making an informed decision. Conclusion This was a valuable assignment in that it lent me a lot of learning and realization about the American culture. Probably this was the first time that I looked into the American culture so deeply and critically. This did lead me to realizing the core elements of the American culture and the factors that have contributed to its development. I learned that multiculturalism has played a pivotal role in making the American society increasingly independent and tolerant. I was surprised to find out the differences of opinions, values, and beliefs between the two successive generations; one migrant and the other native-born. Americans are perceived as a freedom-loving nation across the globe and these interviews reassured me of this. Read More