Thursday, January 22, 2009
USA is number one
Is the United States of America a nation? It’s true that there is no real tangible border between it and Canada. There is no mountain range, no lakeshore, nor a huge crater. It’s true that American culture is hard to define as one thing, considering the diversity of people in its borders. It’s also true that not everyone agrees with everyone else, and there is not necessarily a common heritage, seeing as how many people descended from immigrants who came from different countries. But, does America need a definable border with Canada? No, because as a people we have not deemed it necessary. If no one finds fault with the line that exists, then the line doesn’t need a physical backing to be legitimate. Does America need a definable culture? No, it doesn’t because Americans enjoy the freedom that an ever-changing culture allows. To be in one neighborhood with a certain characteristic, only to move onto another neighborhood with a completely different characteristic, is embraced by the American people. If the people enjoy it, it does not require uniformity, and essentially acts as a culture anyway. Does everyone need to share a heritage? In America the shared heritage is the immigrant story. People may not have the same birthplace, but the fact that they all immigrate to America serves to bind these people together in a common feeling. America may not have what many people consider necessary for a nation, but it doesn’t matter because the American people embrace this notion. If Americans embrace it, it becomes truth.
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I'm not sure that I agree with your claim that "In America the shared heritage is the immigrant story." I could talk about Native Americans, but they are such a minority that their effect on the entirety of American culture is rather small. However, I have a different question. Are you, Thomas, an immigrant? Do your parents regale you with tales of their journey to the USA? While every person's family came to the USA at some point, that point might have been many generations before. For the most part, many Americans lack this direct and immediate connection to their roots. Instead, I would argue that there exists a prevailing American culture, most easily evidenced by the media. Sure, as technology has evolved with things like the Internet, different minorities have been given outlets for their own interests. But, if you travel abroad, especially to a country that does not speak English, I would suggest checking out the television a bit: everything feels a little (or a lot) different. For me, this demonstrates that a prevailing Americanness does exist in our culture.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is true that a majority of the nation has lived in America for at least two generations (arbitrary amount of time, but I am not sure how many generations defines an immigrant family versus a native one), I think that Americans still view the immigrant story as one that is truly American. I do not consider myself an immigrant, but I still feel as though America is always being changed by immigrants, and because I am an American, this immigration becomes a small part of me. This small part is something that all american have in common.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to your comments on an American culture, I would say that I do not dispute the presence of an American culture, but that I believe this culture is constantly changing, and therefore hard to pin point. Yes, TV is different in other nations, but in the matter of 5 years TV has changed in the US alone. When you watch a show that aired a while back, it has a whole different feel from a show today. Both feelings conjured by these shows are steeped in American culture, but because our culture has evolved over time, the feelings are different.