Just culturally? You *are* American. You're not a " 12%Irish,30%Portuguese,28%Swedish,38%English,2%Chinese , Culturally American person. " you're an American.
how much do US citizens know about their own language?
Sander,
5 years of realtionship can make me an american or a irish or a portuguese or what so ever. But that does not mean that staying in the country is the culture, is the tradition, we should follow. So Citizenship cannot be called a base for your culture.
Thanks.
5 years of realtionship can make me an american or a irish or a portuguese or what so ever. But that does not mean that staying in the country is the culture, is the tradition, we should follow. So Citizenship cannot be called a base for your culture.
Thanks.
I'm an American, and, as far as I know, almost completely of European ancestry (one great-great-grandfather was an American Indian). My genetic ancestry doesn't determine my allegiance, though, any more than it did Eisenhower's.
This is not to say that I dismiss the importance of European cultures here. In terms of recent influences I'd agree that American culture is primarily European. European culture in turn had been influenced by the Middle East. There are no pure cultures in the world. Peoples have been influencing each other since prehistoric times.
Strictly speaking, the "culture" of a people is merely an abstraction made up of observations about the cultures of individuals. Individuals choose their own cultural heritage by the choices that they make (what they read, where they travel, the movies and music they listen to). I don't believe I have any Hispanic ancestry, but by reading Cervantes, Bécquer, Unamuno, I've made their ideas and experiences part of my individual culture. You wouldn't be able to infer that Hispanic influence from my geographical origin -- South Carolina, USA. Culture is complex. It transcends geographical boundaries.
This is not to say that I dismiss the importance of European cultures here. In terms of recent influences I'd agree that American culture is primarily European. European culture in turn had been influenced by the Middle East. There are no pure cultures in the world. Peoples have been influencing each other since prehistoric times.
Strictly speaking, the "culture" of a people is merely an abstraction made up of observations about the cultures of individuals. Individuals choose their own cultural heritage by the choices that they make (what they read, where they travel, the movies and music they listen to). I don't believe I have any Hispanic ancestry, but by reading Cervantes, Bécquer, Unamuno, I've made their ideas and experiences part of my individual culture. You wouldn't be able to infer that Hispanic influence from my geographical origin -- South Carolina, USA. Culture is complex. It transcends geographical boundaries.
<This is not to say that I dismiss the importance of European cultures here. In terms of recent influences I'd agree that American culture is primarily European. >
Ok , Why some Americans say: "we have our own American culture" ?
-people don't understand that EUROPE , AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, (new zealand, south Africa,etc) have the same WESTERN CULTURE, originating from EUROPE ! As they were European colonies ! Where the Europeans settled along with their culture.
Being politically independent now ,doesn't affect that! The culture still remains European. The American differences, extras, etc are just a variety of the European culture, just like the American English is a variety of the European English.
So American culture - is just a variety of the European WESTERN CULTURE. (not the case of native American culture)
Ok , Why some Americans say: "we have our own American culture" ?
-people don't understand that EUROPE , AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, (new zealand, south Africa,etc) have the same WESTERN CULTURE, originating from EUROPE ! As they were European colonies ! Where the Europeans settled along with their culture.
Being politically independent now ,doesn't affect that! The culture still remains European. The American differences, extras, etc are just a variety of the European culture, just like the American English is a variety of the European English.
So American culture - is just a variety of the European WESTERN CULTURE. (not the case of native American culture)
Well, "western" culture is a very broad and vague term. Usually when I think of individual cultures, I do limit them to one specific country or region -- French, Hungarian, Scandinavian. Designations like "European" or "Western" seem like looser terms that really describe a complex of related cultures.
Westerner
I understand what you are referring to and I do not say that you are wrong. But I do not like the way that you are presenting your facts and opinion. The American culture is (at present day) based mainly on the European culture that the immigrants took with them (true). However, all these cultures and traditions have in some cases been merged together, in some cases not. For instance Christmas. When Americans says that he/she has his/her own American culture I assume that that is a way for them to obtain and guard there own identity. Something that bound them together as a nation. Such as 4 of July. You can not except a country that is 300 years old to be on the same level (do not misunderstand the term “level” please) as the European countries, that has been around for about a 1000 years. And I interoperated your post as “they are all Europeans and they have our culture, and therefore no identity”. I view that as utterly disrespectful and also not entirely correct since they have been on there “own” for 300 years and during that time “developed” there own common traditions.
I understand what you are referring to and I do not say that you are wrong. But I do not like the way that you are presenting your facts and opinion. The American culture is (at present day) based mainly on the European culture that the immigrants took with them (true). However, all these cultures and traditions have in some cases been merged together, in some cases not. For instance Christmas. When Americans says that he/she has his/her own American culture I assume that that is a way for them to obtain and guard there own identity. Something that bound them together as a nation. Such as 4 of July. You can not except a country that is 300 years old to be on the same level (do not misunderstand the term “level” please) as the European countries, that has been around for about a 1000 years. And I interoperated your post as “they are all Europeans and they have our culture, and therefore no identity”. I view that as utterly disrespectful and also not entirely correct since they have been on there “own” for 300 years and during that time “developed” there own common traditions.
should have been posted first...
>Citizenship cannot be called a base for your culture. <
That is true. It takes roughly 3 generations from that you have immigrated to another country before one can say that he/she is a full “feathered” member of that culture. I actually have double citizenships, but even if I were to move. I would not be a part of that culture since I already have one and within that, a big part of my identity.
>Citizenship cannot be called a base for your culture. <
That is true. It takes roughly 3 generations from that you have immigrated to another country before one can say that he/she is a full “feathered” member of that culture. I actually have double citizenships, but even if I were to move. I would not be a part of that culture since I already have one and within that, a big part of my identity.
<<That is true. It takes roughly 3 generations from that you have immigrated to another country before one can say that he/she is a full “feathered” member of that culture. >>
Where do you come up with these numbers, Eric? Different families assimilate at different rates. It's a highly individual thing.
Nor do cultures age like people, so this 1000 yrs/300 yrs business is garbage. Cultures are the social systems practiced by the people alive today -- it doesn't matter "how old" they are, because they are always in flux anyway.
Where do you come up with these numbers, Eric? Different families assimilate at different rates. It's a highly individual thing.
Nor do cultures age like people, so this 1000 yrs/300 yrs business is garbage. Cultures are the social systems practiced by the people alive today -- it doesn't matter "how old" they are, because they are always in flux anyway.
<Where do you come up with these numbers, Eric? Different families assimilate at different rates. It's a highly individual thing.>
It is true that the rate flexes a bit. But not by much, therefore the line is drawn around the 3 generation. After the
3 generation “they” have been “assimilated”.
<Nor do cultures age like people, so this 1000 yrs/300 yrs business is garbage>
An ignorant thing to say. The culture we have define who we are, and for us (Europe) it has been a work in
Progress for about 1000 years.(for you about 300 years) From that we have our history, language, music, knowledge, art, legal system and so forth. And it is still a work in progress and I hope that it will continue. All these things define the way we live as well as define our identity. Why do you think that we read and study history? That would not be the case, or interesting with your point of view, and of no value since you believe that it “fluxes”. Certain things evolve, but it does not “flux”, we do not remove anything and after a while add “it” again. So no “flux” in that sense. There is always a foundation that everything in life is based on, like good friendship…needs a solid ground/foundation. And from that point you work your way forward.
It is true that the rate flexes a bit. But not by much, therefore the line is drawn around the 3 generation. After the
3 generation “they” have been “assimilated”.
<Nor do cultures age like people, so this 1000 yrs/300 yrs business is garbage>
An ignorant thing to say. The culture we have define who we are, and for us (Europe) it has been a work in
Progress for about 1000 years.(for you about 300 years) From that we have our history, language, music, knowledge, art, legal system and so forth. And it is still a work in progress and I hope that it will continue. All these things define the way we live as well as define our identity. Why do you think that we read and study history? That would not be the case, or interesting with your point of view, and of no value since you believe that it “fluxes”. Certain things evolve, but it does not “flux”, we do not remove anything and after a while add “it” again. So no “flux” in that sense. There is always a foundation that everything in life is based on, like good friendship…needs a solid ground/foundation. And from that point you work your way forward.
If you write off the importance of history and the way it has formed us and the way it still form us. Then I view that as an ignorant remark Brennus. I call it as I "see" it.
I have to agree with Eric on this one, his right. Can’t write of history and its importance as garbage. I see to much verbal abuse in this forum as well as unproductive posts. so I hope that this discusion will not go down the drain too.
Nobody said history is not important. But history and culture are not the same thing. History is just a record of things that have happened; culture is the social system used by a group of people. People have a tendency to anthropomorphize them, and speak of them as being "old" or "new" in terms that are equated with "mature" or "immature", but that is not really how cultures work. Your culture is what you are experiencing within your lifetime. It may very different from the culture your grandparents experienced, even if you live in the same country they did.
One can not exclude one or the other. That would be to simplify it, they go hand in hand.
History can influence culture, but they are not the same thing.
When the horse was introduced to certain Indian tribes, their way of life -- their culture -- changed drastically, sometimes from sedentary villagers to nomadic hunters and raiders. They retained their history and many of their original traditions, but they also adopted a whole slew of new ones to accommodate the radical change in their lifestyle. That change was so radical that although they remained the same people, with the same heritage, they created a whole new culture for themselves.
When the horse was introduced to certain Indian tribes, their way of life -- their culture -- changed drastically, sometimes from sedentary villagers to nomadic hunters and raiders. They retained their history and many of their original traditions, but they also adopted a whole slew of new ones to accommodate the radical change in their lifestyle. That change was so radical that although they remained the same people, with the same heritage, they created a whole new culture for themselves.