#USA

"Land of the free and the home of the brave."

Earlier this semester in my comparative literature class the question of America's culture came up. To my surprise, I found out that a lot of students in my class weren't very fond of America's culture. They went on to describe it as overwhelming and too dominant. Later, I found out that these students weren't originally from America and they felt that their native culture was getting covered up. So, is America really a mixing pot? I would say so. America’s culture is influenced by almost every region in the world. Everyone adds their own flavor. Because of things like this, things such as America not having an official language emerge. 

Soon a whole class discussion started. The class immediately split into two sections: America's culture being too overpower v. America is the best. "I think you guys forget why you or your family came to America in the first place. It was to find new opportunities and to excel in life," said my classmate. And of course this brought up the "American Dream".

When I think of the American Dream, the vision I get is: a nice house with a large yard surrounded by a white fence and beautiful flower beds. Careless happy kids running around the yard with two dogs following close behind. And this whole time their parents watch from the porch drinking lemonade.

The biggest shift that has come about in American culture is dominance. America at one point in time was influenced by every other country and now, America influences almost every country.

Freedom is an important part of American culture. Freedom has allowed American culture to work in ways that other culture cannot. For example, almost every religion is practiced here because of religious freedom. Visitors are often amazed that they can visit major cities such as New York and see so many people of different religions living together so peacefully because religion causes so many problems throughout the rest of the world.

Also, the freedom of expression. The way American’s dress may be the second biggest way of how we choose to express ourselves, behind our voices. Clothing varies depending on occupation, climate, social status, and region. Additionally, it is widely influenced by the media.

The ability have Americans have to come together can be easily seen in the sports world. Sports is a big thing in American culture, because this is a diverse country, sports give us the opportunity to come together. Although, we may have different favorite teams, many Americans bond over football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and many other sports.

The most important part of American culture is our ability to show love. Although 9/11 was an awful time for the country, the support and love that was passed along by Americans quickly filled the country with an honest connection. It showed how that no matter our big our differences, we can come together to be one. American spirit and love is definitely hard to shake.

                                                                 #USA

Thanks for reading.