I enjoyed Englishman's post about Americans vs Europeans. I chose to start a new thread because I want to take the topic in another direction.
The USA is still a young nation and an enigma. The nation was created by European settlers who wanted to get away from things they did not like about Europe, especially religious intolerance and inflexible governments, and have the opportunity to build a new future. Some wanted to escape prison and class distinctions, and some were forced here because they were social misfits - What is now the State of Georgia was once a place to send outcasts. But the Europeans that arrived here also brought their religions and cultures and somehow had to find a way to work together. It was a long evolution of several hundred years before the USA was born.
The country has been evolving ever since, and is still struggling to find its identity in an ever changing world. We stand in stark contrast to the long established cultures of France, England, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, etc. The USA is still finding its way as it is still a relatively new player on the world scene. We are going through the same growing pains that past empires and great cultures have gone, and we are making many of the same mistakes.
At the same time, as an American I have always been taught to value and respect other cultures, nations, races, and religions. I think of England, Canada, Australia, and South Africa as brothers. When I first left the USA it was to cross into Canada at VanCouver. The plaque there at the gate talks about the longest unsecured border in the world, and the brotherhood between Canada and the USA.
As an American, I don't want other cultures to become like us, speak our unique brand of American English, or feel imposed upon by the USA. I want Canada, England, South Africa, and Australia to be what they are. Your unique history, values, and culture are too great to allow yourselves to change into Americans. At the same time our own national and cultural evolution is a product of what so many nations, but especially the British Empire, helped start, and our evolution into a great culture is still a work in progress. We have a long way to go to catch up to the history and greatness of the UNited Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Germany, and other great peoples of this world.
I would ask one thing of all from around the world. Please try not to judge America by the handfull of Americans you may have met in your lifetime. This is a very diverse nation of over 280,000,000 people. We did not get this large because we spawn fast, but because on continuing immigration. Americans that travel abroad are not necessarily a good sampling of our nation as a whole.
I can say that every person I have met from other nations who have traveled here are good and enjoyable to be around, except for one palistinian I worked with who loathed Jews. He was obnoxious to work with. I once worked for bechtel Corporation in San Francisco. Our particular engineering department was so diverse, that I was affectionately referred to as the "token' American. Of the hundreds of people from China, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, Lativia, Finnland, Germany, Greece, England, South Africa, France, Italy, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Phillipines, Viet Nam, India (God love Hindu people!), Mexico, and several other nations, I can honestly say that they are good people, with great values and culture ... and
While at times certain cultural differences can be irritating, especially when caught off guard, with a little patience and effort to understand one another, I find that we are really all brothers and sisters underneath.
My favorite cultural difference was with a British fellow. I was working in San Francisco at the time. We were standing outside when he said he was needing to suck a fag. Given that San Francisco was at one time the homosexual (fag) capital of the world, I was taken back by this statement. He clarified that he simply wanted to smoke a cigarette.
I did not think him rude for making a slur against homosexuals by his use of the term "Fag." I did not think what idiots Englishmen are because they want to do something with homosexuals. I knew that he must mean something more harmless. I learned early on to give people the benefit of the doubt. It is the JW religion that caused me to be somewhat judgmental. It is people from other nations that caused me to realize that most people are good people with good motives acting within the context of their culture. I hope for the day when at least our brother nations of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and South Africa will give the same benefit of the doubt to Americans and understand that we are still 'growing up' and evolving as a nation, a people, and finding our cultural identity. We are a very diverse people, and owe much to many other nations and cultures.
Amazing