Since we do not want anyone to assume that we are attempting to claim that our own particular values are common among Americans, we must find research in which respondents themselves articulate “American” values. Yet, we could not find work that indicated there are common cultural beliefs among Americans across racial and ethnic groups. Without such substantiating research, any contention that a certain value is part of a common cultural core is at best speculation and at worst a projection of one’s own cultural values.
