Introduction to American Culture

What comes up to your mind when you think of the U.S.A?

United States Capitol Golden Gate Statue of Liberty

Initials: U.SHe originally appeared in political cartoons and is an unofficial symbol of the U.S government. Uncle Sam

The flag of the U.S.A

13 stripes (original 13 colonies)50 stars (50 states)

The flag of the U.S.A

The flag of the United States through the historyBefore the American Revolution of 13 colonies

During the Revolutionary War -Great Union Flag

First American flag by Betsy Ross

During the War of 1812 15 stars and 15 stripes (15 states) Star Spangled Banner Flag

American National AnthemThe Star-Spangled BannerThe lyrics come from Defence of Fort McHenry, a poem written in 1814 By the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships during the battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812

The Americas? The United States of America?The plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America

The singular form America is primarily used to refer to the United States of America

Area: 9,826,675 sq km, third largest in the world, only after Russia and Cannada (replaced China in 1997 after some areas of the waters were added)

Population: 313 million pp after China (1,336 million) and India (1,189 million)(CIA The World Factbook July 2011)

The USA vs. Vietnam(CIA The World Factbook)

American FactfileOfficial name: The United States of AmericaType of state: Federal RepublicCapital: Washington, DCAdministratilve divisions: 50 states and 1 district (District of Columbia)Dependent areas: American Samoa, Guam, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, and many other.National holiday: Independence Day (July 4, 1776)Largest state: AlaskaSmallest state: Rhode Island

Question:Is Hawaii a state of the USA?

The U.S.AWeek 1: A Multicultural Society

Walt Whitman:The United State is not merely a nation but a nation of nationsDo you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

America a multicultural countryIn other words, America is a nation of immigrants. There are two good reasons for this:

The country was settled, built and developed by generations of immigrants and their children.

Today America still continues to take in more immigrants than any other countries in the world.

Heterogeneous societies

Heterogeneous /hetrdinis/ consisting of many different kinds of people or things contain many different cultural traditions, ethnic sympathies, national origins, racial groups and religious affiliations.

We the PeopleThe native AmericansThe BritishAfrican AmericansImmigrants from Northern and Western EuropeImmigrants from Southern and Eastern EuropeHispanic AmericansAsian Americans

Question:Who was the first person to set foot on the Americas?

Native AmericansThey are Asian.They came across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska as early as 40 thousand years ago.They migrated east across North America and south through Central and South America.In the 15th century, Columbus arrived. Mistaken the land with East Indies, he called the Native Americans Indians.

Native AmericansIn the 15th century:10 million Native Americans in North America alone.Today: 1,5 million (due to American westward growth)1/3 of them live in reservations land that were set aside for them.Poverty and unemployment are major problems.

The BritishBeginning in 1600s the British settle the eastern part of North America. The culture, religions, language, government, etc. are dominant. foundation on which American was built.

African AmericansFrom 1620 1820, they are the largest group that was forced to America: about 8 million.They were made slaves, working on farms and plantations of the South. The Civil War in the 1860s, ended slavery and established equal rights for the black Americans. However, segregation was still pervasive in some states.The Civil Rights Movement triggered by Rosa Parks in 1955 and led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped get rid of some discrimination laws against the black American.

Points to ponder:1. Who participated in the American Civil War? Why?2. What happened?3. What advantages and disadvantages did each side have?4. What event led to some Southern states to secede?

Points to ponder:1. What is the Civil Rights Movement? What sequence of events led to it? 2. Who was its leader? How did he protest? 3. What were the results of the Movement and what happened to its leader?

Immigrants from Northern and Western EuropeBegan in the 1820sFor the first half of the century, most of them were from Northwestern Europe from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, and Norway.Their influence is still obvious in the Midwestern regions of America.

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern EuropeFrom 1870s to 1930sThey came mostly from Italy, Greece, Poland, and RussiaAbout 9 million people arrived in this period.

Reasons for immigration

Political and Religious Freedom Economic OpportunityNotion that in America, the streets were paved with goldLands were plentiful and fairly cheap. Jobs were abundant, wages high.Political refugees fear for their lives Forced Immigration (Slavery) Family Reunification

FACTS Due to potato rot which began in 1845, the potato crop in Ireland began to fail. From 1845 to 1850 there were famine conditions in Ireland. More than one million people died of starvation. One-fourth of the Irish population moved to the United States.

FACTSBecause of improved farming methods such as crop rotation-and therefore greater abundance of food-the population of Europe doubled between 1750 and 1850. These improvements reduced the need for farm workers many peasants were forced off land that they had lived on for generations

FACTSThe passage to the United States in sailing vessels took three months, on the average, at the beginning of the 1800s. The passage in steamships (which began to be used in the mid-nineteenth century) took ten days.

Who were the immigrants in this period?Italians Voluntary White Catholics and Roman Catholics

RussiansVoluntary White Jewish

Greeks Voluntary White Eastern Orthodox Eastern EuropeansVoluntary White Jewish & Christian

European ImmigrantsDominant culture: WASPs (White / Anglo-Saxon / Protestants and middle class)Polish immigrant assassinated the American president (McKinley)These newcomers were often described by what they were not:Not ProtestantNot English-speakingNot skilledNot educated

European ImmigrantsThese led to:Anti-Catholic feelings Anti-eastern European feelingsRestrictions on immigration gradually imposed

Hispanic - AmericansPeople of Spanish or Spanish American origin.Three especially large groups are Mexican-American (2/3 of the Hispanic population), Puerto Ricans, and Cuban-Americans. (Before 1952, Puerto Rico was a U.S territory. This is the fastest growing group in the U.S and will be the largest in 25 years.

Asian-AmericansIn the nineteenth century, laws limited Asian immigration. The Chinese and Japanese there met with widespread discrimination.Since the mid 1960s, with changes in immigration laws and with conflicts in South-east Asia, Asian have been the major group.Many Asians have settled in California, Hawaii, New York and Texas.

Immigration TimelineLook at the handout and find out:

1. What are major immigrant groups for each period listed?2. What are the highest and the lowest immigration point in the chart?3. Explain.

Points to ponder:Assimilated or Acculturated?

Assimilate: to become, or allow somebody to become, a part of a country or community rather than remaining in a separate group New arrivals find it hard to assimilate.

Acculturate: to learn to live successfully in a different culture; to help somebody to do thisThe course is designed to acculturate new staff.

Points to ponder: Melting PotSalad BowlPizzaWhat do you think best describes the United States?

Mosaic

QuizPut the flags in order of appearance in the American history:

AEDBC

What are the symbols of...The Statue of LibertyThe American eagleUncle Sam

The United States on the presidential flags and some coinsThe US governmentThe Declaration of IndependenceThe two major political partiesFreedom for immigrants to the USMatch the numbers to the correct letters

Review:The national symbols of American are?How many states are there in America?American National holiday is?What is the biggest American state? The smallest?How many prominent minority groups have immigrated into America?Reasons for their immigration?