One of the classes I'm taking this semester, Educational Policy 460, deals with cultural differences and the curricula of U.S. schools. Discussion in this class recently delved into the issue of cultural integration — specifically, the concept of an obligation for children of recent immigrants to adopt the customs of their new home. It wasn't long before my mind wandered into a daydream (sorry, Professor Olneck!), contemplating what exactly it is that can be considered representative of American culture.
Growing up in the United States, children often learn about the fabled 'melting pot': the theory that this country's populace is one of shared values and characteristics, as if all of the factions comprising it have seamlessly bonded to form a national identity. It's doubtful that most of us are naíve enough to believe that some harmonious culture can have been borne of this country's colonial foundation and have come to fruition over a mere 250 years. But what, then, is American culture?
Looking at the United States today, it's fascinating to reflect on the immigration patterns that ultimately shaped and are shaping American society. Strangely, while this country has always been something of a cultural amoeba, there are people who seem to feel they've pinpointed the pinnacle of what American culture is (whether they believe it to have occurred in 1850 or 1950) and who will vainly fight to restore this fantasy era. Often accompanying this attitude is the belief that recent immigrants are obligated to follow some "historical precedent" of assimilation into the American way of life — a way of life whose own admirers would not be able to define.
The United States has evolved not through the assimilation, but rather, through the rigid incorporation of various international factions. If you think, for instance, that Irish, German, Italian and Chinese immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries gladly abandoned their own traditions upon arrival in the United States, you're badly mistaken (think: Chinatown, Little Italy, Oktoberfest, etc.). People of these origins emigrated for one reason: self-advancement in the material sense. In the process they brought along and maintained their respective cultures. This does not imply, however, that these newcomers did not embrace American culture.
After reviewing the motivations of various groups to leave for the United States — the British brought with them the concept of land ownership, those originally from Africa were brought here forcibly to contribute in accumulating wealth for their owners and the aforementioned Irish, German, Italian and Chinese came with dreams of personal wealth, as did most other immigrant groups (exempting those who fled their homelands because of persecution), including those arriving today — I came to the conclusion that American culture is synonymous with little more than material acquisition.
Certainly, this country has its own cultural symbols: baseball, the hot dog, the motion picture. Most of these symbols, however, tie into the undeniable, overriding American drive for material wealth. Baseball sparked the utilization of competitive sports as a major commercial endeavor, the hot dog represents the beginning of an all-encompassing fast-food industry and the motion picture spawned Hollywood. Even when America does coffee, it can't help but allow Starbucks to happen.
And it can be argued that other symbols, less related to materialism, have also come to represent American culture. Really, though, most of these symbols can be traced to specific, separate cultural groups within the United States. Take, for example, Tex-Mex cuisine, hip-hop or jazz: all are considered to be of American origin but are actually products of subcultures within the country.
For better or worse, it seems that the United States has always been held together by a common identity no more complicated than a shared desire to amass wealth.
Perhaps those presently afraid of newly arriving cultures, then, are simply afraid of sharing the wealth.
Rob Rossmeissl ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and political science.
