Lifestyle and Culture in the United States of America (USA)
The USA is enormous, it is the third-largest country in the world with a population of more than 300 million people. Americans come in all races and ethnicities, have different religions and speak many different languages from around the world.
The American people individually and as a collective, are very independent, self-sufficient and they like to stand out in everything they do.
Americans believe in freedom of choice; the country is the land of the free and as such it’s citizens have constitutional rights to their own choices. They have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of political affiliation, freedom of opinions and a long list of many freedoms.
The American people very much exercise every inch of their rights, while following the rule of law judiciously.
In the US there is a very strong food culture, that welcomes different cuisines from different continents, countries, and regions.These cuisines are eaten across the country and highly revered by the American people.
Also, in the US, discrimination or vocal statements against an individual based on gender, religion, sexual orientation or race is against the law and can be punishable as a hate crime.
Americans love personal space, oftentimes referred to as ‘elbow room’, so as a foreigner with a different culture when it comes to personal endearment, it is safer to maintain a formal distance when you first come in contact with them. In the US it is also not out of place to find Americans, maintaining decorum when in line or patiently queueing up for a service.
As a student in the US, you are expected to ask questions as the teachers would assume that their teaching is not good enough.
Students should also be respectful in the classroom and to their instructors and still maintain the appropriate classroom behavior. However, eye-service is frowned upon.
Americans are extremely informal and call most people by their first names or nicknames. Americans smile a lot and are very comfortable discussing personal issues with strangers.
The American people value time, as they say, time is money, so it is important to not be tardy to classes, interviews, appointments, and even parties.
Easter, Thanksgiving, July 4th, and Christmas are the most celebrated holidays in the USA.