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Culture Smart / Cultuur Bewust
USA - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Don't just see the sights―get to know the people.
Who can afford not to understand the USA? Underneath the gleaming smile of American popular culture lies a rich and complex society that brims with contrasts and contradictions. It is a culture of rugged individualism, of go-getters, of high-tech high achievers. At the same time it is a deeply religious country with a quiet devotion to church and charitable works.
This new edition of Culture Smart! USA reveals a society in transition. In an increasingly polarized political and cultural climate, and with an ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, the rise of social media has given more Americans a voice. As Americans wake up to a changing world where their global economic dominance is no longer assured, attitudes and behaviors are being challenged and reassessed across the land.
Culture Smart! USA takes you on a tour of the core influences and ideals that have shaped this great country and have driven the behavior and attitudes found on Main Street and in the workplace. It looks at Americans at work, at home, and at play, and provides the visitor with an up-to-date cultural road map of this dynamic, multifaceted society.
Have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
Who can afford not to understand the USA? Underneath the gleaming smile of American popular culture lies a rich and complex society that brims with contrasts and contradictions. It is a culture of rugged individualism, of go-getters, of high-tech high achievers. At the same time it is a deeply religious country with a quiet devotion to church and charitable works.
This new edition of Culture Smart! USA reveals a society in transition. In an increasingly polarized political and cultural climate, and with an ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, the rise of social media has given more Americans a voice. As Americans wake up to a changing world where their global economic dominance is no longer assured, attitudes and behaviors are being challenged and reassessed across the land.
Culture Smart! USA takes you on a tour of the core influences and ideals that have shaped this great country and have driven the behavior and attitudes found on Main Street and in the workplace. It looks at Americans at work, at home, and at play, and provides the visitor with an up-to-date cultural road map of this dynamic, multifaceted society.
Have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
17 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 21, 2025
I'm mildly obsessed with foreigners' image of the United States so I thought this would be an interesting read. I believe it is geared toward English-speakers who come to the US to do business and/or for long-term visits or relocation (ie, it's not a standard tourist-focused travel book). Well, my initial dismay at the inaccuracies in the opening map (more on that shortly) morphed into a kind of spiteful glee as I made a game out of documenting an astounding number of errors throughout the book, each more inexcusable than the last. I could only conclude that this book was written with AI (and then not copyedited or fact-checked); there is really no other possible excuse or explanation. If this is a glimpse of our AI-powered future, we are doomed.
Herewith, my unintentionally hilarious findings, in the order they appear in the book:
Page 7 - What's with this map? Omaha and Billings, but not Milwaukee, Orlando, Phoenix, Louisville, or Kansas City? St. Louis has apparently moved from the border of Missouri and Illinois to the border of Illinois and Indiana, and Las Vegas can now be found in the great state of Arizona. Most of the other city dots are nowhere near their actual locations.
Page 18 - The caption for a photo of Central Park states that it is "spread over 1,317 square miles" which, for reference, would be only slightly less than the entire state of Rhode Island. (This is likely due to the European convention of using a comma instead of a period for decimals, but the rest of the book uses the American style.)
Page 34 - Time to rewrite the history books! Apparently George W. Bush was elected to the Presidency in 1970!
Page 42 - Abraham Lincoln is described as an "antislavery crusader". I bow to no man in my admiration for our 16th president, but this is an inaccurate reflection of his views.
Page 43-44 - "Louis Sullivan's steel-framed 'skyscrapers' carved out Manhattan's legendary skyline". Sullivan only designed one building in New York City. He designed more than 100 in Chicago.
Page 54-55 - Let's just say that this is a rather selective and tendentious overview of the US response to COVID.
Page 67 - John F. Kennedy might have been elected to the Presidency in 1960, but I'm afraid he delivered that famous "Ask not" inaugural speech in 1961.
Page 78 - The proper term for the traditional Latin American girls' 15th birthday celebrations is Quinceañeras, not Quinceañeros. Because, you see, the honorees are girls. And prom night does not "celebrate high school graduation at [age] eighteen". High school graduation is what does that.
Page 87 - Cinco de Mayo is not "Mexico's Independence Day".
Page 106 - No one calls four-year undergraduate institutions "junior colleges".
Page 117 - The assertion that "The [shopping] mall is the epicenter of suburban life" is at least 25 years out of date.
Page 121 - "[Basketball] is the only American sport to have been exported successfully around the world." Uh, well, I guess if you don't count baseball and volleyball (which actually has more participants worldwide than basketball).
Page 137 - "James Brown and Chuck Berry were popularized by Elvis Presley." This doesn't sound quite right. I have the impression they were all more or less self-popularizing.
Page 142 - This one's kind of ironic: the book states that PBS has "nothing to do with the US government" which was manifestly untrue when this book was published last year but is now accidentally correct.
Page 145 - The last name of magnificent explorer, co-leader of the Corps of Discovery, and all-around hoss William Clark (of "Lewis &" fame) is misspelled.
Page 171 - "Second place is the first loser" is a quote from Dale Earnhardt, not Vince Lombardi.
Page 191 - Time and Newsweek magazines are recommended "for real news junkies". This one actually made me LOL. Do Time and Newsweek even exist anymore??
Those are all the mistakes I found, and that is all the mockery I can muster. I am planning to send a (possibly less snarky, but possibly not) version of this to the publisher, just to see if anyone actually cares.
Herewith, my unintentionally hilarious findings, in the order they appear in the book:
Page 7 - What's with this map? Omaha and Billings, but not Milwaukee, Orlando, Phoenix, Louisville, or Kansas City? St. Louis has apparently moved from the border of Missouri and Illinois to the border of Illinois and Indiana, and Las Vegas can now be found in the great state of Arizona. Most of the other city dots are nowhere near their actual locations.
Page 18 - The caption for a photo of Central Park states that it is "spread over 1,317 square miles" which, for reference, would be only slightly less than the entire state of Rhode Island. (This is likely due to the European convention of using a comma instead of a period for decimals, but the rest of the book uses the American style.)
Page 34 - Time to rewrite the history books! Apparently George W. Bush was elected to the Presidency in 1970!
Page 42 - Abraham Lincoln is described as an "antislavery crusader". I bow to no man in my admiration for our 16th president, but this is an inaccurate reflection of his views.
Page 43-44 - "Louis Sullivan's steel-framed 'skyscrapers' carved out Manhattan's legendary skyline". Sullivan only designed one building in New York City. He designed more than 100 in Chicago.
Page 54-55 - Let's just say that this is a rather selective and tendentious overview of the US response to COVID.
Page 67 - John F. Kennedy might have been elected to the Presidency in 1960, but I'm afraid he delivered that famous "Ask not" inaugural speech in 1961.
Page 78 - The proper term for the traditional Latin American girls' 15th birthday celebrations is Quinceañeras, not Quinceañeros. Because, you see, the honorees are girls. And prom night does not "celebrate high school graduation at [age] eighteen". High school graduation is what does that.
Page 87 - Cinco de Mayo is not "Mexico's Independence Day".
Page 106 - No one calls four-year undergraduate institutions "junior colleges".
Page 117 - The assertion that "The [shopping] mall is the epicenter of suburban life" is at least 25 years out of date.
Page 121 - "[Basketball] is the only American sport to have been exported successfully around the world." Uh, well, I guess if you don't count baseball and volleyball (which actually has more participants worldwide than basketball).
Page 137 - "James Brown and Chuck Berry were popularized by Elvis Presley." This doesn't sound quite right. I have the impression they were all more or less self-popularizing.
Page 142 - This one's kind of ironic: the book states that PBS has "nothing to do with the US government" which was manifestly untrue when this book was published last year but is now accidentally correct.
Page 145 - The last name of magnificent explorer, co-leader of the Corps of Discovery, and all-around hoss William Clark (of "Lewis &" fame) is misspelled.
Page 171 - "Second place is the first loser" is a quote from Dale Earnhardt, not Vince Lombardi.
Page 191 - Time and Newsweek magazines are recommended "for real news junkies". This one actually made me LOL. Do Time and Newsweek even exist anymore??
Those are all the mistakes I found, and that is all the mockery I can muster. I am planning to send a (possibly less snarky, but possibly not) version of this to the publisher, just to see if anyone actually cares.
September 9, 2013
Language/writing style sabotage my understanding of content. Lot's of sentences content typical English/Brittish expressions (and point of view) that does not make sense to an ESL... I usually read books in English and this book made me feel "lost" and in need of the thicker dictionary quite often. I suggest the author write in the interest of people not having a degree in English... so please don't loose sight of the reader in the effort on being snappy, Brittish and educated...?
Now I felt I would have needed to read a book about English culture first...
I am well aware after having relocated to four different countries that the languages are full of references to the culture and history of the country. This parts are not accessible to a foreigner, even if a general understanding of the language is good. It takes a lifetime to learn the deeper meaning of these expressions and certain words. I presume the book is meant for the expats in general and not just for British explorers?
- if so: do a better job; think of the reader.(not just content and style)
Now I felt I would have needed to read a book about English culture first...
I am well aware after having relocated to four different countries that the languages are full of references to the culture and history of the country. This parts are not accessible to a foreigner, even if a general understanding of the language is good. It takes a lifetime to learn the deeper meaning of these expressions and certain words. I presume the book is meant for the expats in general and not just for British explorers?
- if so: do a better job; think of the reader.(not just content and style)
May 1, 2015
Good book about American culture!
November 18, 2015
Sometimes it is just interesting to see yourself through someone else's eyes.
September 23, 2018
973 TEA 2013
It is a Culture Smart!: series. Before I went to Japan, I read Japan, it is terse. It is only 168 pages, I think it is very good for immigrants who can compare their life with culture described in this book to see the difference. I have read 2/3 of it, till on page 108.
My own timeline summary:
----Pre-Colonial: Before 1600
----Colonial America: 1600–1799
Captain John Smith explorer and founder of Jamestown (1607)
Seven Year's War French and Indian War (1754-1763), lead to huge debts on British, lead to increase Tax
The Boston Tea Party (1773)
American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
First written Constitution (1787)
First President of the US is George Washington (1789-1797, 13 states)
Bill of Right (1791)
Louisiana Purchase from France (1803)
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves (1807)
Indian Removal Act (1830, Trail of Tears)
Homestead Act (1862, clash with Great Plains tribes)
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter (1861 - 1865, Battle of Gettysburg 1863)
----A New Nation: 1800–1849
----Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850–1899
Alaska Purchase from Russia(1867)
Transcontinental Railroad(1869)
Spanish–American War (1898)
Hawaii annex (1898)
----Progressive Era and World Wars: 1900–1949
Panama Canal (1914)
Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Prohibition (1920)
The Great Depression (1929 to 1939), 1920s Economy bloom, Henry Ford Model T mass consumption, speculation 投机
New Deal (1933–1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Dust Bowl (1930 – 1936)
World War I (Jul 28, 1914 – Nov 11, 1918 )
----Mid-Century and Cold War: 1950–1999
World War II ( Sep 1, 1939 – Sep 2, 1945, 199 British declare war, 1941 Pearl Harbor, 1945 May Europe War end)
Cold War (1947 – 1991)
Marshall Plan (1947, rebuilt Western Europe, end of military isolationism, outline by President Monroe 1923 )
NATO (1949)
The Korean War (Jun 25, 1950 – Jul 27, 1953)
Vietnam War ( Nov 1, 1955 – Apr 30, 1975)
Civil Rights Act (1960) 1960s counterculture feminist gay lesbian
President J Kennedy assassinated (1963) Martin Luther King, Jr. "I have a dream" speech
Martin Luther King Assassinated (April 4, 1968)
Moon landing of the Apollo 11 (1969)
Watergate scandal (Start date: June 17, 1972 Nixon resigned 1974)
Jimmy Carter (1976-80) Camp David Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement
Reagon (1980-88) conservative, interventionist policy, deficit-inducing tax cuts
The Gulf War (Aug 2, 1990 – Feb 28, 1991)
----New Millennium: 2000–
September 11 attacks (September 11, 2001)
Hurricane Katrina deadly Category 5 hurricane from central Florida to Texas,(August 23, 2005 – August 31, 2005)
Osama bin Laden was killed at ( May 2, 2011)
Right-wing Tea Party : American conservative movement within the Republican Party. reducing government spending, and for lower taxes.
Left-wing Occupy Wall Street (September 17, 2011)
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017), 44th, first African-American
1. Population: 315 million, 0.315 billion
2. Electricity: 110 volts , 60 Hertz
3. Religion: Protestant (include South Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopalian) 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.9%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, Hindu 0.4%, other nor none 19.5%.
4. Media : ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW
5. TV/Video For digital, ATSC System; analogue: NTSC
6. Time Zone,
Eastern: GMT minus 5 hours
Central:GMT minus 6 hours
Mountain: GMT minus 7 hours
Pacific: GMT minus 8 hours
Alaska: GMT minus 9 hours
Hawaii: GMT minus 10 hours
Chapter 1 Land and People
Region:
New England: Maine, Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
The Middle Atlantic: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland.
Both are part of Northeastern United States
The middle west: Midwestern United States, interior region called heartland; from New York to Chicago called "The Rust Belt", Detroit called Motor City or Motown.
The west, Western United States:
The southwest: Southwestern United States
The south:Southern United States, aka Dixie, Dixieland
Hawaii: black sand beach; Painted Desert, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, White Sand Monument.
"The Melting Pot" is a play by Israel Zangwill changed to "salad bowl"
The Executive: maximum 2 terms, cabinets of 15 executive departments appointed y the President, require senate approval.
The Legislative ( bicameral state congress): 100-member senate (6 years terms), 435-member House of Representatives (2-year terms)
The Judiciary: Supreme Court of 9 judges, appointed for life by the President.
The Federal Electorate System: 538-member Electoral College. Each state has a number of Electoral College votes, proportionate to the size of population. In most state, the candidate who receives the most votes is award the state's entire allocation of Electoral-College votes. Only Maine and Nebraska divide their votes proportionally. The presidency is awarded to the candidate who receives at least 270 of the nation's 538 electoral-college votes. No president in history has even persuaded more than 62 percent of voting public to choose him!
Democrats: a stronger role for government, higher taxes on highest income, the party of the people.
Republican: conservative, pro free enterprise, favors state rights, low taxation, small government, strong military.
The democrats states are labelled as blue state, Republican as red. Blues states are in the west coast, around Great Lakes, and D.C to Main at east coast.
The liberal-versus-conservative spectrum is broad, but overall, it is well to the right, say, European politics. (Ian Hislop, editor of Britain's satirical Private Eye magazine, says America has "a conservative party and a very conservative party).
Divisive issues, gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, even contraception.
Chapter two Values and Attitudes
p46 In his 1995 book American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword Seymour Martin Lipset Observed that America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. Unlike the societies where nationality is related to accident of birth, becoming an American is more of a conscious act, an ideological commitment to a set of vales and a way of life.
Individualism (no state-mandate religion, no rigid class structure, no powerful centralized government): conformist Japanese warn "the nail that sticks up get hammered down". Americans believe that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease.". The American notion of "group" or "team" affiliation is different from that of collectivist counties. While fully committed to teams' goal, individuals will also use group membership to advance a personal agenda.
Self-Reliance: American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
liberty, morality, hard-work, equality. (equality opportunity, not equal conditions, not egalitarianism)
pursuit happiness
reject notion of government interference to iron out social and economic inequities. Rather than investing in a European-style welfare system, America "levels the playing field" and promotes mobility by making its educational system flexible and accessible to all.
All men are born equal
God help those who help themselves.
Affirmative action: allocate a designated number of places to minority group.
Chapter 3 Customs and Traditions
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. -- under God added in 1954 as anti-communist gesture.
Rite of passage
Christian First Communion
Jewish Bar Mitzvah for boys, Bat Mitzvah for girls
Hispanic Quinceañera 15th birthday for girls
Sweet Sixteen
Prom Night: high school graduation at 18
"In God We Trust” is the official motto, “E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one)” has long been acknowledged as a de facto national motto.
Chapter 5 Americans at home
subdivision: housing developments featuring identical homes on well-manicured adjoining plot.
Macmansion (cheap, big house)
row house townhouse, brownstone ( townhouse clad in this material )
Fixer Upper 待修廉价房 a house in need of repairs (used chiefly in connection with the purchase of such a house).
Everything is here is oversized. The beds are king-sized, TV giant screens, burgers whoppers, appliance industrial size. Popcorn supersized, closet walk-in.
p86 Everyone has a right to be heard. This means that parents can be interrupted or a teacher's statement challenged. Such behavior would be deemed disrespectful in a hierarchical society. To individualistic Americans it is a simple matter of expressing an opinion, being an active learner and exercising their rights. Authority figures do not merit automatic deference, but should earn respect through their action. Teachers should not be placed on a pedestal, but rather be partners in learning. Parents should be able to answer the question "but why?" rationally. Both the educational system and home life install value of independence, self-reliance and self-expression. ... Rather than rote learning, the emphasis ... through research, analysis, and problem-solving skills. A percentage of grade is based on class participation, rewarding students for speaking and "making their mark."
Elementary school
Kindergarten - 5
Middle school 6-8
High school 9(freshman), 10(sophomore), 11 (Junior), 12 (senior)
summer break is 10 - 12 weeks.
undergraduate degree ( a bachelor or 2-year associate degree)
graduate degree (master 2 or 3 years, 8 for a doctorate)
4,495 higher education institution, half are private.
2 week annual holiday
American work 300 hours a year than the average European
plastic meltdown: credit-card debt
Chapter 6 Time out
Basketball
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and NBA (National Basketball Association founded in 1949), basketball in NCAA and NBA are slight difference.
cookout: barbecue 野炊
cook-off: annual chefs contest from Texas, South Carolina, Kentucky to assert the supremacy in the Barbecue war. 烹饪比赛
doggie bag: leftover container 打包袋
à la mode: a scoop of ice cream added to pie.
PBJ: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. usually grape jelly.
Hero: A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub, hoagie, hero, filled roll, grinder, wedge, spukie, poorboy, po'boy or Italian sandwich.
Soda: carbonated drink, such as Coke, 7-up
Club Soda: a carbonated water, as in seltzer 苏打水；一种矿泉水
Sunny-side up: regular fried egg.
Once over easy: an egg that is fried on both sides.
Americans generally cut their food with the knife in the right hand, then switch the knife with fork. The knife is placed on the plate, and the bite-sized food is eaten with fork in the right hand.
15% tip.
Bartender -- BAR
Straight up: without water or ice
On the rocks: with ice
With a twist: with a piece of lemon
Salt or not salt around the rim: state your preference when ordering a margarita.
Some confused facts:
• Presidents:
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Teddy 1901 to 1909, 26th
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Sr. FDR 1933 –1945 FDR 32nd, died on 4th terms, only one serve more than two terms. fifth cousin, his wife Eleanor Teddy's niece.
Adames (father son)
Harrison (grandfather, grandson)
Bushes (father son)
George Bush 1988-92 /George W. Bush 2000-2008
• 9/11
9/11 American write with the month preceding the day, September 11, 2001, not 11th September 2001, abbreviated to 9/11/01 ( in UK, means ninth of November) pronounced as nine-eleven
telephone number for emergency is 911, pronounced as nine-one-one
It is a Culture Smart!: series. Before I went to Japan, I read Japan, it is terse. It is only 168 pages, I think it is very good for immigrants who can compare their life with culture described in this book to see the difference. I have read 2/3 of it, till on page 108.
My own timeline summary:
----Pre-Colonial: Before 1600
----Colonial America: 1600–1799
Captain John Smith explorer and founder of Jamestown (1607)
Seven Year's War French and Indian War (1754-1763), lead to huge debts on British, lead to increase Tax
The Boston Tea Party (1773)
American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
First written Constitution (1787)
First President of the US is George Washington (1789-1797, 13 states)
Bill of Right (1791)
Louisiana Purchase from France (1803)
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves (1807)
Indian Removal Act (1830, Trail of Tears)
Homestead Act (1862, clash with Great Plains tribes)
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter (1861 - 1865, Battle of Gettysburg 1863)
----A New Nation: 1800–1849
----Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850–1899
Alaska Purchase from Russia(1867)
Transcontinental Railroad(1869)
Spanish–American War (1898)
Hawaii annex (1898)
----Progressive Era and World Wars: 1900–1949
Panama Canal (1914)
Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Prohibition (1920)
The Great Depression (1929 to 1939), 1920s Economy bloom, Henry Ford Model T mass consumption, speculation 投机
New Deal (1933–1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Dust Bowl (1930 – 1936)
World War I (Jul 28, 1914 – Nov 11, 1918 )
----Mid-Century and Cold War: 1950–1999
World War II ( Sep 1, 1939 – Sep 2, 1945, 199 British declare war, 1941 Pearl Harbor, 1945 May Europe War end)
Cold War (1947 – 1991)
Marshall Plan (1947, rebuilt Western Europe, end of military isolationism, outline by President Monroe 1923 )
NATO (1949)
The Korean War (Jun 25, 1950 – Jul 27, 1953)
Vietnam War ( Nov 1, 1955 – Apr 30, 1975)
Civil Rights Act (1960) 1960s counterculture feminist gay lesbian
President J Kennedy assassinated (1963) Martin Luther King, Jr. "I have a dream" speech
Martin Luther King Assassinated (April 4, 1968)
Moon landing of the Apollo 11 (1969)
Watergate scandal (Start date: June 17, 1972 Nixon resigned 1974)
Jimmy Carter (1976-80) Camp David Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement
Reagon (1980-88) conservative, interventionist policy, deficit-inducing tax cuts
The Gulf War (Aug 2, 1990 – Feb 28, 1991)
----New Millennium: 2000–
September 11 attacks (September 11, 2001)
Hurricane Katrina deadly Category 5 hurricane from central Florida to Texas,(August 23, 2005 – August 31, 2005)
Osama bin Laden was killed at ( May 2, 2011)
Right-wing Tea Party : American conservative movement within the Republican Party. reducing government spending, and for lower taxes.
Left-wing Occupy Wall Street (September 17, 2011)
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017), 44th, first African-American
1. Population: 315 million, 0.315 billion
2. Electricity: 110 volts , 60 Hertz
3. Religion: Protestant (include South Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopalian) 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.9%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, Hindu 0.4%, other nor none 19.5%.
4. Media : ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW
5. TV/Video For digital, ATSC System; analogue: NTSC
6. Time Zone,
Eastern: GMT minus 5 hours
Central:GMT minus 6 hours
Mountain: GMT minus 7 hours
Pacific: GMT minus 8 hours
Alaska: GMT minus 9 hours
Hawaii: GMT minus 10 hours
Chapter 1 Land and People
Region:
New England: Maine, Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
The Middle Atlantic: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland.
Both are part of Northeastern United States
The middle west: Midwestern United States, interior region called heartland; from New York to Chicago called "The Rust Belt", Detroit called Motor City or Motown.
The west, Western United States:
The southwest: Southwestern United States
The south:Southern United States, aka Dixie, Dixieland
Hawaii: black sand beach; Painted Desert, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, White Sand Monument.
"The Melting Pot" is a play by Israel Zangwill changed to "salad bowl"
The Executive: maximum 2 terms, cabinets of 15 executive departments appointed y the President, require senate approval.
The Legislative ( bicameral state congress): 100-member senate (6 years terms), 435-member House of Representatives (2-year terms)
The Judiciary: Supreme Court of 9 judges, appointed for life by the President.
The Federal Electorate System: 538-member Electoral College. Each state has a number of Electoral College votes, proportionate to the size of population. In most state, the candidate who receives the most votes is award the state's entire allocation of Electoral-College votes. Only Maine and Nebraska divide their votes proportionally. The presidency is awarded to the candidate who receives at least 270 of the nation's 538 electoral-college votes. No president in history has even persuaded more than 62 percent of voting public to choose him!
Democrats: a stronger role for government, higher taxes on highest income, the party of the people.
Republican: conservative, pro free enterprise, favors state rights, low taxation, small government, strong military.
The democrats states are labelled as blue state, Republican as red. Blues states are in the west coast, around Great Lakes, and D.C to Main at east coast.
The liberal-versus-conservative spectrum is broad, but overall, it is well to the right, say, European politics. (Ian Hislop, editor of Britain's satirical Private Eye magazine, says America has "a conservative party and a very conservative party).
Divisive issues, gun control, abortion, same-sex marriage, even contraception.
Chapter two Values and Attitudes
p46 In his 1995 book American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword Seymour Martin Lipset Observed that America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. Unlike the societies where nationality is related to accident of birth, becoming an American is more of a conscious act, an ideological commitment to a set of vales and a way of life.
Individualism (no state-mandate religion, no rigid class structure, no powerful centralized government): conformist Japanese warn "the nail that sticks up get hammered down". Americans believe that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease.". The American notion of "group" or "team" affiliation is different from that of collectivist counties. While fully committed to teams' goal, individuals will also use group membership to advance a personal agenda.
Self-Reliance: American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
liberty, morality, hard-work, equality. (equality opportunity, not equal conditions, not egalitarianism)
pursuit happiness
reject notion of government interference to iron out social and economic inequities. Rather than investing in a European-style welfare system, America "levels the playing field" and promotes mobility by making its educational system flexible and accessible to all.
All men are born equal
God help those who help themselves.
Affirmative action: allocate a designated number of places to minority group.
Chapter 3 Customs and Traditions
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. -- under God added in 1954 as anti-communist gesture.
Rite of passage
Christian First Communion
Jewish Bar Mitzvah for boys, Bat Mitzvah for girls
Hispanic Quinceañera 15th birthday for girls
Sweet Sixteen
Prom Night: high school graduation at 18
"In God We Trust” is the official motto, “E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one)” has long been acknowledged as a de facto national motto.
Chapter 5 Americans at home
subdivision: housing developments featuring identical homes on well-manicured adjoining plot.
Macmansion (cheap, big house)
row house townhouse, brownstone ( townhouse clad in this material )
Fixer Upper 待修廉价房 a house in need of repairs (used chiefly in connection with the purchase of such a house).
Everything is here is oversized. The beds are king-sized, TV giant screens, burgers whoppers, appliance industrial size. Popcorn supersized, closet walk-in.
p86 Everyone has a right to be heard. This means that parents can be interrupted or a teacher's statement challenged. Such behavior would be deemed disrespectful in a hierarchical society. To individualistic Americans it is a simple matter of expressing an opinion, being an active learner and exercising their rights. Authority figures do not merit automatic deference, but should earn respect through their action. Teachers should not be placed on a pedestal, but rather be partners in learning. Parents should be able to answer the question "but why?" rationally. Both the educational system and home life install value of independence, self-reliance and self-expression. ... Rather than rote learning, the emphasis ... through research, analysis, and problem-solving skills. A percentage of grade is based on class participation, rewarding students for speaking and "making their mark."
Elementary school
Kindergarten - 5
Middle school 6-8
High school 9(freshman), 10(sophomore), 11 (Junior), 12 (senior)
summer break is 10 - 12 weeks.
undergraduate degree ( a bachelor or 2-year associate degree)
graduate degree (master 2 or 3 years, 8 for a doctorate)
4,495 higher education institution, half are private.
2 week annual holiday
American work 300 hours a year than the average European
plastic meltdown: credit-card debt
Chapter 6 Time out
Basketball
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and NBA (National Basketball Association founded in 1949), basketball in NCAA and NBA are slight difference.
cookout: barbecue 野炊
cook-off: annual chefs contest from Texas, South Carolina, Kentucky to assert the supremacy in the Barbecue war. 烹饪比赛
doggie bag: leftover container 打包袋
à la mode: a scoop of ice cream added to pie.
PBJ: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. usually grape jelly.
Hero: A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub, hoagie, hero, filled roll, grinder, wedge, spukie, poorboy, po'boy or Italian sandwich.
Soda: carbonated drink, such as Coke, 7-up
Club Soda: a carbonated water, as in seltzer 苏打水；一种矿泉水
Sunny-side up: regular fried egg.
Once over easy: an egg that is fried on both sides.
Americans generally cut their food with the knife in the right hand, then switch the knife with fork. The knife is placed on the plate, and the bite-sized food is eaten with fork in the right hand.
15% tip.
Bartender -- BAR
Straight up: without water or ice
On the rocks: with ice
With a twist: with a piece of lemon
Salt or not salt around the rim: state your preference when ordering a margarita.
Some confused facts:
• Presidents:
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Teddy 1901 to 1909, 26th
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Sr. FDR 1933 –1945 FDR 32nd, died on 4th terms, only one serve more than two terms. fifth cousin, his wife Eleanor Teddy's niece.
Adames (father son)
Harrison (grandfather, grandson)
Bushes (father son)
George Bush 1988-92 /George W. Bush 2000-2008
• 9/11
9/11 American write with the month preceding the day, September 11, 2001, not 11th September 2001, abbreviated to 9/11/01 ( in UK, means ninth of November) pronounced as nine-eleven
telephone number for emergency is 911, pronounced as nine-one-one
October 21, 2021
I think the section on "Growing up in America" is lacking.
For example: A person of my age was not raised to challenge adults/teachers. And spankings could and would happen. "USE MY WORDS?" Would have never been said when I was a child. Also people of my generation would never speak to their parents the way many young adults do today.
The way the chapter was written makes it sound like all Americans were raised like kids are being raised today which is definitely not the case. AT ALL.
For example: A person of my age was not raised to challenge adults/teachers. And spankings could and would happen. "USE MY WORDS?" Would have never been said when I was a child. Also people of my generation would never speak to their parents the way many young adults do today.
The way the chapter was written makes it sound like all Americans were raised like kids are being raised today which is definitely not the case. AT ALL.
February 11, 2024
Really excellent read about the short basics of the U.S.A. !!
Some parts I laughed at thinking “haha yep that’s so true”.
Other parts made me think we’ve got a long way to go but we’ve come so far and the U.S.A. really is a super country.
I learned some things myself and it’s a great little book for anyone coming to the U.S. wanting to know a little more about the culture, livelihood, and little pro tips for getting around.
Some parts I laughed at thinking “haha yep that’s so true”.
Other parts made me think we’ve got a long way to go but we’ve come so far and the U.S.A. really is a super country.
I learned some things myself and it’s a great little book for anyone coming to the U.S. wanting to know a little more about the culture, livelihood, and little pro tips for getting around.
April 19, 2023
As an American I was curious to read about how US culture is described to others. The portrayals are fair and accurate.
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