Upon reading the two selections for this week, I was further reminded of some of the complications behind why stereotypes and racism exist. Firstly, when immigrants come to America, they bring over customs and cultures from their homeland- which is probably either homo-ethnic or comprised of overlapping ethnicities (those which are different yet share similarities). As any human being clings to the familiar when placed in unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings, these immigrants hold their culture closely because they feel that it is one of their few remaining identifiers. (This is another common human trait- differentiating oneself from others; however, it is also common for individuals to feel close nationalistic ties with their homeland). Because of these factors, it is inevitable that a clash occur. The irony, though, is that since America can be considered a land of immigrants, should we not have more respect and understanding for our fellow citizens?
This is one of the unique problems facing America. Since there has never been another country quite like ours, there are no tried-and-true guidelines for managing this microcosm of the global community. Essentially, that is what America is growing toward more and more each day. In addition to ethnic differences, even more complications are added to the mix when considering social developments of adult immigrants, child immigrants, native-born children of immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and natives.
Due to so many factors, it is difficult to determine and define “American culture.” Living here certainly does add a different spin on more traditional world cultures, but does it affect each in the same manner? Is there one common thread across our country that we can plainly nominate as a facet of strictly American culture? A few weeks ago, my dad jokingly told me that I’m ethnically confused. He is right. In a society where the presence of a vast array of cultures is easily accessible, my everyday life is affected by cultures other than my own. Then again, I’m American. Maybe my culture is comprised by a sort of smorgasbord selection.
