Standard American Greetings

The usual way Americans say hello to each other is to ask “How are you?” with the answer being, “Fine, thanks.” To outsiders, this is strange since depending on where you come from, the greeting goes deeper than that, as in, to Thais, as reflected in the book Distant Mirrors: America as a Foreign Culture by Phillip R. Devita and James D. Armstrong, it means “Have you eaten?” (p. 69). In the United States, your personal life and your income are something to avoid talking about — but in other countries, not so much. Curiosity is extended to provide further means of discussion.

The informant reveals that they notice Americans keeping to their own company at social gatherings where information of little importance is revealed. American culture is that of strict individualism while in other parts of the world like China, cultural conformity is valued more. Some people in the United States do not talk about anything personal, as part of a cultural value system where that is not necessarily what people do. Having grown up in the United States, I have learned that I have to keep to myself. This is the way I navigate American culture. However, in Spain the economic crisis has people unemployed for great lengths of time, often without a break. So to ask somebody in Spain what they do for a living, is inviting awkwardness because of their political climate that influences the job situation there.

Chile, my dad’s country, is more prosperous economically. The United States values material wealth as a sign of individualism. I’m haunted continually by how low-income I am and often am treated as though my money doesn’t matter as much. This is why I’m trying to earn more money this month. The bottom-line is that I need more income to pay for licensing myself with an insurance gig I found that’s very part-time. Individualism is a very American value because often times, the Thai author of this excerpt of Distant Mirrors felt awkward when an American 10-month-old baby fell, every Asian rushed to help but the parents wanted him to fall on his own. Asian families in Thailand, emphasize interdependence, compared to this. In the United States, Natadecha-Sponsel feels that Americans value independence as a huge American value since many elderly live by themselves with little help from their busy families. The author observes that Americans who are wealthy and famous have more freedom to be an individual.

Individualism, not conformity, is an American value, the author feels. She also observes that Americans cultivate talents in singing, dancing or acting. Growing up, I didn’t have much in the way of opportunities for experiencing creativity like this. In Thai culture, aspiring to be rich and famous would be seen as greedy, unlike Americans who admire the rich and famous, particularly if they do not have this fame. American values are shocking to newly-arrived immigrant communities. In my own experience, I do want some fame and money but not a whole lot. In that, I understand the Asian mentality. Thai culture is something I could probably fit in better with. But then again I have learned how to fit in, as an American. I have dual citizenship with Spain, and could apply for Chilean citizenship as well if I wanted too because I would be living there for an extended period. I have to finish my education in the United States, before I do anything else abroad. The United States has a diverse population with many cultural differences abounding. This creates many cultural divides and misunderstandings if we do not work to understand the background of where others come from.

Work Cited

Natadecha-Sponsel, Poranee. DeVita, Phillip R. Armstrong, D. James. The Young, the Rich, and the Famous: Individualism as an American Cultural Value. Chapter 9. Distant Mirrors: America as a Foreign Culture, 3rd Edition. 2002. Wadsworth Group.