Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The American culture, migrated in from other countries. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated by Germany, interesting enough if one looks it up, and carried over by those who migrated into America centuries ago. Look up Apple Pie, Hot dogs and Baseball, (just a few ideas deemed as American) every tradition that America claims, came here from some other country, brought here by the very folks that arrived on ships at Ellis Isle. American culture is a mutt.
So which identifying culture do you suggest Americans live by or has lived by or had/has adopted as their own? French? German? Italian? uh Spanish? oh ... European? Which incorporates ... and Americans would like to retain what? ... The many different cultures that arrived here 250 years ago and kept coming and that helped to build this great nation.
The only culture that I see that can claim to be American are the Natives that were born here of this soil. (which would bring us to yet another issue)
So now lets see other issue is political ... the old R and D and let us not forget I. So white folks are R, black folks are D and I depicts? When in reality ethnicity does not depict which political party one will affiliate themselves with ... so now where are we with this, retention?
White European the decedents of those from 250 years ago by way of not having babies to multiply and continue the race (any one can look this up) are on their way out of existence. Not having babies is one factor the other is they are aging out, doesn't matter, evolution happens. (the planet is aging, warming and i have a theory, but not to speak of for here)
America, these great U.S. of A. states need to sustain themselves way into the future and if the trend continues that the decedents that came here are aging out and the replacement by birth is fewer than it takes to sustain economic gains (people are just so smart they stopped having babies, because no welfare babies oh my) one can forget about retaining identity culture that didn't exist in the first place.
If not for legal and illegal immigration how will America continue, economically? The foundation may be strong, but the house is old. It will take new carpenters trained ones to continue and the new carpenters, they are going to make some changes. They always do. A light fixture here, a counter top there and some pretty french doors.
Forget about being a stranger in your own country. If not for the new migration of people, there may not be a country in which to be a stranger in. Or we could turn miss lady liberty around, show the world her backside and let the walls fall where they land.
What do you think? To much or not enough?
The people that have been voted in to represent the interests of America, they are not dismissing the (pew reports) survey demographic population numbers but rather they utilize those numbers to make the decisions that are going to blow your hair back, and make people want to spit penny nails.
The only way to change the decisions, is to change our behaviors ... like any one can seriously do that.
You make a very good point. American culture is an amalgam of traditions and ways from many foreign lands. We are like a house that is constantly adding rooms for new people in the family. It looks like a hodge-podge of architectural contrast, but it is still our home.
As a bilingual Chinese, you are multicultural. A fusion of two cultures, and with an immigrant mindset. You are not culturally American, neither are you culturally Chinese, celebrating some holidays and speaking the language are the first superficial trappings of culture.
But foremost, you are not racially European, or ethnically from NW-Europe. To many older generation Americans who grew up in such racial and ethnic homogeneity, they can't get over the unfamiliar faces even if they speak English and celebrate Christmas.
I think that is true only in certain geographical areas of the country, and more rural areas as well. It certainly is not true for California or the Northeast where there has been diversity since the 50s and 60s when people in this country became more mobile. One of the first things we were taught in school is that America is a melting pot. Do people not understand what that means?
Also much of the older generation of which you speak have been surrounded by racial and ethnic diversity for decades--they just don't like it.
Yes, we get it, you want to be able to understand what people who are not talking to you are saying, so that you could listen to their conversation if you want. Maybe if you don't understand what people are saying around you, but not to you, maybe it is time for you to either learn a new language or move to a place that is full of like minded English speakers with no one that is from another country around you.
If someone wishes to speak French to someone who also speaks French, that is an acceptable practice in thus country, even if you don't understand French.
I've been in many other countries as a visitor and absolutely did not know the language even with my translation dictionaries in hand. Does that mean I should have only whispered or not have spoken to others in English in public for fear of offending people? How ridiculous. Anyone who gets offended that easily is either massively oversensitive or a control freak.
I cannot remember anyone ever saying that I should not be there unless I could speak the language, though I did get a few looks in Paris that indicated that is what they were thinking. Most people I encountered were happy to try to help with broken English or smiles. I don't remember indignation or annoyance being part of the equation.
What arts, beliefs, customs, and national cultural identity do I in Oregon have in common to someone in Texas beyond the willingness to stand for the national anthem?
Just as a primer: Unless your mom has you imprisoned in her basement, you are watching the same American films and listening to the same American music. You can make up your own definition of culture, but no one else will follow it. Start with a dictionary so you will have an understanding of the meaning of culture and, as already stated, there are scholarly articles and college courses on American culture. Also, international employees and students receive orientation, no matter where they are from, on American culture to help them adjust more quickly.
Quote:
The reason why I asked for links is because I have no interest in going on a goose chase for something that I think is BS.
Willful ignorance is a choice and this is why I won't waste my time gathering links that you won't read. Intellectual curiosity is something you either have and exercise, or you don't.
Just as a primer: Unless your mom has you imprisoned in her basement, you are watching the same American films and listening to the same American music. You can make up your own definition of culture, but no one else will follow it. Start with a dictionary so you will have an understanding of the meaning of culture and, as already stated, there are scholarly articles and college courses on American culture. Also, international employees and students receive orientation, no matter where they are from, on American culture to help them adjust more quickly.
Willful ignorance is a choice and this is why I won't waste my time gathering links that you won't read. Intellectual curiosity is something you either have and exercise, or you don't.
You do realize that the US is a huge country, so no, there is not a blanket American culture, we are a country full of various cultures.
You can pretend that there is this universal American culture, but that is a myth. My American culture is going to be much different than your American culture.
The fact that you won't post any links backing up your claim just proves that you have no leg to stand on with this argument.
We have an identifying culture and language. All others are just minority cultures living among us. "Out of many, ONE" not out of many, many. We were a melting pot. There were no native Americans. All of our ancestors migrated here from somewhere else including the so-called native American's ancestors.
White Americans aren't producing babies? WTH are you talking about? They should keep up with many minorities who produce with wild abandon and live off the government teet? Our population should stabilize not increase. We were just fine as a nation of 200 million rather than the over 300 million we have today. There is a shortage of jobs and resources due to our blossoming population.
Economically speaking, a steadily growing population is conducive to our well-being. For example, the failure of Detroit was not only a loss of its manufacturing jobs, but also a sharp exodus of its tax base from the city to the suburbs. This is also why Chicago, which had many of the same challenges as Detroit, has not succumbed to the same fate despite heavy losses of non-service jobs.
This is all to say that those who fear increases in America's population need to study the detrimental effects of stagnant or negative population growth on economic and social systems. Moreover, as Boomers continue to age, a large tax base to support them is extremely important to sustainability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldglory
There is nothing wrong with legal immigration in reasonable numbers. How can you possibly defend illegal immigration though?
Maybe I'm wrong, but not many people defend illegal immigration; though seek to come up with a practical plan to integrate them into the nation. Deporting 11 million people is not only a monumental task, but it would economically hit the likes of Texas and California fairly hard.
Economically speaking, a steadily growing population is conducive to our well-being. For example, the failure of Detroit was not only a loss of its manufacturing jobs, but also a sharp exodus of its tax base from the city to the suburbs. This is also why Chicago, which had many of the same challenges as Detroit, has not succumbed to the same fate despite heavy losses of non-service jobs.
In Chicago, if you work for the city you must live within the city limits. That residency rule applies to cops, firefighters, teachers, streets and sanitation workers--basically any city job. I lived on the northwest side, close to the city limits, and my neighborhood had a high proportion of city workers. They migrated to as close to the suburbs as they could without leaving the city. That's been instrumental in keeping Chicago from facing the same fate as Detroit.
In Chicago, if you work for the city you must live within the city limits. That residency rule applies to cops, firefighters, teachers, streets and sanitation workers--basically any city job. That's been instrumental in keeping Chicago from facing the same fate as Detroit. I lived on the northwest side, close to the city limits, and my neighborhood had a high proportion of city workers. They migrated to as close to the suburbs as they could without leaving the city.
Agreed! That's definitely a major contributor to the city's sustainability.
Ironically, poor planning in pension upkeep for these very same city workers have also been a huge financial strain on the budget (or lack thereof). So, Chicago's large bureaucracy has been a double-edged sword in many respects.
You do realize that the US is a huge country, so no, there is not a blanket American culture, we are a country full of various cultures.
You can pretend that there is this universal American culture, but that is a myth. My American culture is going to be much different than your American culture.
The fact that you won't post any links backing up your claim just proves that you have no leg to stand on with this argument.
Did you write a paper refuting American culture scholars? If you have, I am not afraid of reading it. My guess is no because you don't even know what they say. You have no counterargument until you know what you are countering.
If you don't know how to search for .edu scholarly articles, or for college websites that offer American culture courses, why not just say so? Are you capable of finding links that will teach you how to search?
It has been amusing to see how long you will remain willfully ignorant in your belief. I guess you will have to take up your argument with Academia, but it will not be met with as much amusement. Good luck.
We have an identifying culture and language. All others are just minority cultures living among us. "Out of many, ONE" not out of many, many. We were a melting pot. There were no native Americans. All of our ancestors migrated here from somewhere else including the so-called
What identifying culture unites a person from Mississippi to a person in Boston to a person in souther California?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
and Americans would like to retain what? ... The many different cultures that arrived here 250 years ago and kept coming and that helped to build this great nation.
When in reality ethnicity does not depict which political party one will affiliate themselves with ... so now where are we with this, retention?
