American Colonialism: Present Day Cultural Imperialism

Present Day Cultural Imperialism

“The policy, practice, or advocacy of seeking, or acquiescing in, the extension of the control, dominion, or empire of a nation, as by the acquirement of new, esp. distant, territory or dependencies, or by the closer union of parts more or less independent of each other for operations of war, copyright, internal commerce, etc.” – Oxford dictionary

Since as long as we could remember, cultures were influenced by others and shared by others. When cultures cross, people adopt new ways of living and thinking. The world we live in has become increasingly interconnected and there are many ways that cultures have been blended; This act of infusing one culture with another is called cultural imperialism. While some

Even with the food that we eat. One major industry that greatly impacted other countries around the world is the Fast Food industry. Fast food is the term given to food that is prepared and served at a fast pace. It is a known fact that Americans are absolutely obsessed with fast food. It’s filling, it’s easy, it's convenient, and it’s inexpensive. Compared to other foods and more expensive restaurants, fast food something that anybody of most ages can go out and enjoy. To no surprise the most popular fast food chain in McDonalds; Originating in May 15, 1940 in California, The McDonalds Corporation is the worlds largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. By 1970, there was a McDonalds in every US

Worldwide, there is over 33 thousand Mcdonalds restaurants in 119 countries and serve more than 50 million people each day. As the McDonalds corporation expanded so did the culture of fast food around the world. The American menu consisted of foods such as hamburgers, fries, shakes, and nuggets; but with it being in most countries, there are now different variations of the once all American menu. Desayuno Especial Mexicano Mexico: Spicy Mexican scrambled eggs, sausage and McMolletes – English muffins topped with refried beans, cheese and salsa. There is also the Rye Vegetarian Burger from Finland and the Pizzarotto from Italy. Not on your typical Mcdonalds menu, right? Countries have added to the Mcdonalds menu to adjust to meals that are popular in their culture as well. Thus, cultural diffusion.

In addition to the Fast Food industry, fashion is also play a role in cultural imperialism. People around the world consistently wear clothing from American designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren’s Polo, and Dona Karan’s DK. With stores and outlets originating in the United States, these clothing lines branched out and now has locations in countries such as Japan. South Korea, Germany, and Brazil. In addition to American designer clothing being work around the world, other cultures are also assimilating American fashion into their everyday