I’ve been given the opportunity to show a North Korean citizen our vast country. He has no knowledge of America and I have been trusted to enlighten him of the great country we live in. I would like to show him as many parts that make up America as possible. I will be showing him what America contains: the variation of nature, the busy cities, slices of paradise, and the people who reside in these places. I would like to give him a taste of the history as well as our modern culture. We will explore more than some U.S. citizens have dared to venture. In these three days, I will give him an eagle’s passion of red, white, and blue. I will make him miss this country. Our first day together would be spent experiencing the past. Our first destination,
• and last but not least I want to visit places outside of our family land.
Clark, Donald N. "1. The Story of the Korean People." Culture and Customs of Korea. Santa
America has always been looked at as “The New World” where people from all over come to fulfil their dreams. Their dreams may not have been exceptional, but only to have enough to survive, have a house where their children could be raised and feel free and protected. Now, according to Webster’s online dictionary Americanism is defined as a custom, trait, belief, etc., peculiar to the United States of America or its citizens, but to me it means so much more.
Salter, Christopher L., and Charles F. Gritzner. "Introducing North Korea,." North Korea. 2nd ed. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. . Print.
In North Korea life was incredibly different, and is still different, from life in America. The residents of North Korea live in extreme poverty, while Kim Jong Il and any member of Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea live as if they were kings; their meals filled with delicacies the citizens of North Korea can only dream of. Although it’s found strange to most in "normal" society, Kim Jong Il is revered as a God, because it is he who gave them all the “luxuries” in North Korea. When in actuality, he is the sole culprit of North Korea’s extreme poverty.
Cave, Damien. "What Does It Mean to Be American?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 2014. Web. 04 Sept. 2016.
According to Dr. Isaac Berkson, the definition of Americanization is "adaptation and adjustment". He further explained his statement by saying that the concept of Americanization happens "When an immigrant has adapted and adjusted himself to the American conditions and surroundings" (Berkson, 1891). There is a gap of the understanding of Americanization between Berkson back then and the concept of Americanization now. Berkson statement somewhat implied that Americanization could only happen in the land of America, or to individuals that come and stay in a sufficient period of time to be able to get accustomed to the culture. However, nowadays, the meaning indeed has changed into something more
Being an American is more than just living in America, or being born in this country. Many people talk about being American’s and they aren't even in this country. Being an American is a way of life that people adapt into by seeing how we act. People all over the world eat the same things that we eat, so that can't really be a way of being an American. To me, being an American is embracing our ways of life, not fighting for the other guys, and loving our anthem and the flag.
There is no clear definition of “becoming American”. Everyone has a different view of what American truly means. The term differs depending on what era in history it is. During the American Revolution, the United States was not a nation, therefore no one was truly American. While the Cherokee Nation fought for sovereignty, the definition of “becoming American” expanded. Both the American Revolution and the Red Clay simulations conveyed how race contributed to “becoming American”.
Alexis de Tocqueville and Langston Hughes both have their own ideas about what America is, was, and should be. Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America praises American democracy in which everyone is included. This inclusion allows for democracy that everyone can be a part of and feel like they are contributing. On the contrary, Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again” depicts an excluding America that does not treat everyone equivalently. Hughes portrays America as a misrepresentation that does not uphold the ideals that it is so famous for. The two works contrast in many ways but do have some similarities. Although their ideas are different, politics is still a choice. Tocqueville describes politics as a choice that everyone should make as it benefits them all while Hughes describes politics as a choice that some do not have the power to take part in. The differing sentiments between Democracy in America and “Let America Be America Again” stem
The American people have always been among the most patriotic groups in the world. After all, we are extremely lucky to be living with the unique rights given to us in America. The United States holds the promise of freedom for all of its people, no matter who they are or where they came from. Because of this, people in the United States come from all kinds of different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Even with this incredible diversity, people living in America can all call themselves Americans.
What does it mean to be an American? To me, what it means to be American is to Pledge Allegiance to your country, to proudly boast that you live in a country that has a justification for existence, to be given opportunity. Although there are many definitions of what it means to be an American, does being an American really just mean being successful in society? The point of this essay is to describe the different meanings and my feelings of what it is to be “American”.
America, land of the free and home of the brave. This is so true but when you stop and think, what is your vision of America? Have you ever stopped to think about it? My vision for America is benefits for veterans, help with college tuitions, and people thinking about their morals.
In this interview Ben Bagley asks Theresa Han about the difference between Korean and American culture. Theresa is a teenager who recently moved to the United States so she has an excellent perspective for understanding the differences and similarities between these countries.
Culture can simply be defined as ‘way of life’ of a group of people. It is about the way groups do things. There can be several ways of thinking about and studying culture. Gail McDonald studied the culture of America through four concepts that include “big, rich, new and free”. (McDonald)For this essay, I would like to define and analyze the American culture in terms of ‘freedom’. I selected this dimension because it has been one of the most distinct dimensions of American culture and it has contributed a lot in making what America is today. It will be interesting to analyze how this cultural dimension has contributed shaping the culture of the United States through the course of time.