Cultural Diversity and America?

Question

Culture is a powerful phenomena. We see it around the world. It is hard to change even if it is detrimental to the society where it is practiced.

My question is. When so many people come to America from their "bombed out" countries, why don't they change their ways, ideals, beliefs and practices to "modernization"? Why would they still adhere to their traditions and practices that they might have actually run away from?

For example, why would a Hindu in America still worship lifeless idol that didn't or rather doesn't do much trick in their own rotten countries? Why would people not educate themselves and learn from us? Can't "they" think that if we all were practicing the same beliefs, we would be another rotten country?

Answer 1

They don't change their ways BECAUSE of the fact that we are such an accepting country. "American" is not a culture, after all. America itself became diverse through immigration. Only Native Americans can claim to be true "Americans".

The reason people still adhere to their traditions and practices is because they didn't run away from them in the first place. The reason people come here is for a better life. The places they were before were corrupt and had a distorted view of their religion/culture. They come to America to practice their religion in the way they see fit, not by some guy's standard who sits there killing people all day.

As for your example, a Hindu still practices his/her religion because it's just that, THEIR RELIGION. They aren't hoping their "God" will fix everything. They just know that where they were before America, is corrupt and they cannot continue to practice their religion in a corrupt country.

People decide not to modernize because they also see the downsides to it. Only Americans are so ignorant that they think modernization is so great. What about the negatives? There are many reasons why modernization is not such a good thing. Look what it's done to teens and kids of this and last generation. Look at our government; it's not perfect! Money has corrupt our minds and has done more harm than good. We, as Americans, are not as free as we like to believe we are.

As for your last statement, that's just funny. You are saying that basically, if all Americans shared a common belief, our country would be corrupt, correct? Well, then why is it such a big deal that these people you speak of practice their own religion in our country. You contradicted yourself on that last line...

Answer 2

Recently I had the priviledge to partake in a teaching about customs, attitudes, behaviors, character etc. It was stated that the old adage: "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is a misnomer, an untruth.

Please understand my answer is not coming into complete agreement with yours, but I can get with your mindset.

To break a habit (a behavior, a custom an attitude) one has to change their actions. These habits (behaviors, customs etc.) are what is going on inside of people. To get to the point of changing these habits a person HAS to want the change.

Pure and simple a lot of people may not want to change their traditions and practices. Consider this: they want US to accept and gradually embrace their beliefs as ours.

So we have America the Beautiful, the Home of the Brave, the Land of the Free offering to all who come these same inalienable rights. We give them the right to hang onto their practices as well as being able to enjoy ours.

I'm not a strong proponent for people not trying to understand and cultivate American standards and practices, but I do believe "newcomers" should become more indoctrinated to our social mores` than what they are doing.

It seems a little selfish and self-centered to be given a free meal and then you brush the food off the plate, and replace it with what's wrapped up in your pocket. That is deemed in very poor taste.

So to a certain extent I think the transient population would receive less hostility if they were to engage more in American culture than not.

Answer 3

Ok,
First off let's not confuse culture with religion. Americans have many religions (Hindu being one of them). The Culture on the other hand is pretty unique. America has adopdetd countless other cultures to help create its own. Heck, even now America absobs other cultures and adds it to its own.

This country is based off the idea that any individual is welcome so long as he/she wants to help build a better society. The culture that they bring is looked at as a treasure, their religion is looked upon as a boon. When people practice the religion they were brought up with and spread the culture they lived with in this country, they make it that much stronger.

It is dangerous, and unamerican to say "Your culture sucks!" "Why don't you change your religion? you don't conform"

Now when you mention that people are running away from their country, it isn't their culture they are running away from. It is usually either economic or poilitical pressures that force people to leave their countries/homes. America allows foriegn cultures to thrive inside, and thus this is a major destination for many people who are suffering political or economic hardship.

So to answer your quesion: First America has no single culture or religion that it supports. America supports all cultures and religions. Second, these refugees you are referring to are not coming here to adopt a new culture, they are coming here to be free of poilitical and economic hardships, and feel they can practice their religion and culture without harassment. Third, they are already educated...more so than us a lot of the times, thus their traditions and religions would be an extremely useful asset the country, and we as Americans embrace this.

Answer 4

All the cultures in America now came from somewhere else because we all came from somewhere else. This America, home of the free. Freedom isn't free however. No matter what else can be said about our country once you get here you have rights and freedoms. Our country just had it's birthday and we may be all different in a million ways but we are all standing on American soil so we can stand next to each other and feel proud to be exactly who we are. These people came to make a better life, just like our ancestors. They bring to us new ways to do things as we bring that to them. Hopefully we all learn from each other. About praying to "symbols". When people pray they are praying to a spirit, humbling ourselves in a house of worship helps inspire our spirituality. The great thing about America is that if you don't want to do this you don't have to. You can worship anyway you like. We may not all see life the same way but we all have the right to see it that way in "America". Truly the land of hope and dreams.

Answer 5

You appear to have the "art holier than thou" attitude, you must think that God never lets anything happen to his followers, which means you haven't read much of Job. That is thier religion, and you are directly insulting the same God you worship, who has only a different name in many cases. Christianity is not a stable religion, look at how many differant secs of churches there are for Christianity. The Baptist "hate" the Catholics, the Catholics "hate" the penticost, but the fact of the matter is they would be considered fellow christians. Why so many differances of opinion on so many subjects in the bible? Because somewhere along the way someone said "This is what I think this means, and I am shareing my beliefs that I am steadfast in."

People hold onto thier religion, because no one wants the world to be as cold and cruel as it really is. And this post doesn't matter because this reality is a load of lies. Even just looking at your faith compared to the existance you actually live in, one or the other is a lie, and I have found it to be both. Maybe that's because I am eternially damned and just haven't died yet, so I'm in a living hell for my sins.

Answer 6

u r suffering on the Oedipus's complex. let me guess u r thinking Ur parents have no idea about life, and Ur girlfriend looks like Ur mother.

culture, tradition, are having roots, those are deep knowledge and experience. the progress, wouldn't be there, if we would forget everything we know, and start by zero.

Something that is good, does not need to be changed.

Modernization of 60 years back, is old and stupid today... means modern is something very unperfect, which has to be changed constantly, there is no end. Modernization is fiction of our mind, creation of our society.
Culture of 100 or 1000 years back, still works and still is real, is unchangeable, means there is perfection.

About the "bombed out" countries. People who comes to US, or western Europe. If they r not coming just for fun, or cuz they like the country, then usually they r seeking for better financial gain or stability, not for better culture. And those who is really coming from countries with military regime, or war ( usually started by one western power ;)... are searching for peace, means trying to escape the Modernization of their countries, to continue living according to their culture, and being free to practice their traditions.

About Idols. In the church i didn't met Jesus, only his Idol. Our imagination is working with pictures. To adjust with our life, an abstract image of God, we r making Idols. We symbolize God, or any other Spirit. It is our mind that is build this way, by God.
To symbolize such an abstract thing like material worth of anything, we made money. And that's the most worshiped Idol on this planet. Everyone believes in money.

I think i do not need to answer the question, why WE, from the "bombed out" countries, do not want to learn from YOU, "bombed out brain".

Answer 7

Who says that in the long run, America is better? And what Americans may see as progress, others could see as detrimental to society. Look at us, we are gluttonous, egocentric, isolated, hypocritical, ignorant, etc. Don't get me wrong, for everything that I can think of that is wrong with America, there's something else that I love more about it. But America isn't perfect. And modernization causes as many problems as it does solutions. Cars cause pollution, fast food causes obesity, television causes apathy... Every culture can learn from each other.

Answer 8

Theodore Roosevelt on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Answer 9

What have you learned from them?

What would you do and who would you associate with if you were to go to another country?

The vast majority of people in the world are Chinese -- roughly 2/3 of the entire world's population -- yet, have you learned anything from them? Have you even tried? Or have you stuck with the ways you were raised with here?

I know I'd rather stick with what I have right here in the good old U.S. of A., but I still enjoy fireworks (Chinese), pasta (Chinese), and even "Chinese" food in restaurants.

I even have fond memories of visits to Hong Kong when I was a teenager with my family, but I didn't assimilate much of their culture while I was there for a week at a time.

I agree that culture is a powerful phenomenon. It comes and grows from our gregariousness as human beings. We stay with those things that are most familiar to us, even if we are amongst strangers.

Good luck assimilating your surroundings -- even if they seem foreighn.

Lynn

Answer 10

What would they learn from us? How to be intolerant, arrogant jacka$$es?

Our success on this continent isn't because of our religious beliefs, it's because we screwed over the Native Americans. I guess we could teach Hindus how to screw over an entire continent of people...but somehow I think that would be bad--especially since WE are the ones who live here now.

Modernization in America is not an ideal, it is a disease rooted in greed.