americans and their " culture"

[Cod]

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Right, that's dh not ds [bluch]

Satine, unforunately I think those attitudes are more a reflection of a kind of righteousness in American culture that George Bush is taking advantage of to the full at the moment. I've come across just what you've decribed many times and it's always frustrating and often heartbreaking. Not just limited to US cultural identity unfortunately.

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Zebra, you've hit the nail on the head. It's the same in almost any european country. Look at what's happening in Holland... I don't know why the europeans cannot be of the melting pot mentality (maybe a good thing?) and certainly many foreigners refuse to adapt to their adopted country's culture. Here in Switzerland, it's not a problem because the Swiss generally won't let foreigners in except for limited periods & for specific purposes, such as expats or au pairs or seasonal labour.

And what about the French? Now there is a catastrophe waiting to happen...

Those little pockets of culture are amazing. I dated a Vietnamese guy in Dallas and his mother took me into parts of Dallas I never knew existed in order to buy Vietnamese groceries. And there's a town near Austin called Fredericksburg with a large population of German immigrants. They have a huge beer festival every year that's really popular.

Maybe this all explains some of the insularity in the US. We think we've experienced and understand different cultures because of the mix of immigrants?

Nothing against Americans and their culture per se, just wanted to relate something happened to me when two "americans" came to visit. I would classify them as the original "ugly" americans. The man was an ex cop and the woman was, well, lets say, not a woman of the world. Anyway, they came to visit in N. Ireland and despite being pro bush, pro gun, pro capital punishment and of course pro GOD, they supported the "republican" movment wholeheartedly. They recounted the various and sundry things they do to celebrate their "irishness" when they are on U.S. soil (today being the biggest thing), etc etc. I did ask them what they saw their "nationality" as. The man replied we are Irish Americans. They then went on to say that everybody has a bit of "american" in them, its just that "our" ancestors founded the USA first and claimed it. I explicitly stated to him, there was no "american" in me, either culturally, or psychologically. The point being is he, and I think many americans, believe that america is like the be all, end all and is the natural result of when nations come together to form a country. It was absurdly arrogant, an attitude I have unfortunately encountered in many americans who think their culture is some sort of darwinian natural state.

sorry meant to say, "state of being".

Call it arrogance, but for what it's worth, I doubt that you'll find a thread on an American parents website berating the Brits for emulating Americans, buying American products, watching American movies, etc. I don't really feel like wasting my time trying to defend the American culture here (especially under the Bush regime), but I do find this thread offensive.

No, you probably wouldn't find a thread on this almost40, but having "visited" US parents' boards in the past I have seen truly rude things written about Canada and Mexico!

Actually Gizmo's explanation of the whole Something-American thing has helped me understand what goes on a bit more. If you look at "Irish-American" culture as something separate from irish culture then it's easier to see where peple are coming from.

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in n.london we have pockets like that too, tex111, jewish, turkish and algerian virtually next to each other. fascinating

I'm American and I don't find this thread offensive. It's pretty spot on, for the most part.

It annoys my husband as well, Kama. He'll say, 'But they're not REAL Scots!'

thats right Expat they are Scotch arent they

Or 'Scottish', tarantula

Ohhh Bundle, do you know where I can find a good Jewish deli? Off topic I know but I would kill for some really good garlic pickles and matzo ball soup (pregnancy hormones kicking in).

Actually, maybe not so off-topic now that I think of it. Jewish-American delis always do great pickles and soup but that could just be a Jewish-American thing.

To get really picky, what about African-Americans? This term seems to apply to all black people in the US but not all black people come from Africa. If I was, say Jamaican and immigrated to the States I would get really tired of being referred to as African-American all the time.

tex111, i really find parts of this thread offensive, but do have to take pity on your plight. I too found that the dill pickles sold here were not what I knew as good old ny jewish dill pickles. I got really desperate when pregnant and eventually discovered that you can get pickles that taste like what I know from the usa, in lebanese stores. I can't remember what they are called, but if you find a lebanese deli that lets you taste, I'm sure they'll help you out. (are you in london...I can give you suggestions of where to go, if so.)

I would have to agree with Sofia on her comment about this thread being a bit offensive. I'm tired of always having to defend being American, like it's a bad thing. For example, why is the word "culture" in quotations in the title of this thread? As if to say America has no culture?

Being American is something to be proud of.

tex111 all the supermarkets round our way do that sort of stuff (safeways in stoke newington, and the one in holloway too i think) but the best place would be up in stamford hill

bundle, what is sold in the supermarkets here as dill pickles, does not taste like what we know from the usa as a dill pickle.

Too sweet, isn't it? I did find a brand of gherkins that were ok, but they tasted like cheap dill pickles, not the real thing! e ones Certainly haven't found the monster size ones anywhere.

I went off them in pregnancy with DD, and now only buy them occasionally to put in tuna mayonaise or potato salad.

Uwila, being an american, in itself is not a "bad" thing. The thread was entitled americans and their culture. Lets talk about the culture, and try to stand back from getting our noses out of joint. Plenty "wrong" with american "culture", plenty indeed. Plenty right too, like freedoms and easy going"ness". also, plenty wrong with canadian culture, irish culture, and of course british "culture". Take your lumps and somebody start a "Brits and their "culture" thread. I wondered how long it would be before we got someone in this thread say "I am proud to be an american"! So what! Nobody said you couldnt be proud, nobody was lambasting your identity.