One aspect of U.S. culture that is prominent is individualism. People in the U.S. value being able to do things themselves without having to rely upon or bother other people around them. For example, everyone wants to own a car so that they can get to their location needed without having to share a communal transit with others such as the bus, train, metro, etc. Americans often view themselves as self-sufficient in order to prove their success in the community and in life. We value it so much that it has been rooted in us since the Bill of Rights which is about protecting individual rights from government power. Another example is the parenting style, here, parents expect their kids to move out once they hit the age of eighteen. Teenagers are expected to provide for themselves once they are deemed mature enough and are taught self-reliant characteristics such as driving and getting a job as soon as possible. In addition, uniqueness is a big characteristic that revolves around individualism. From childhood, we are taught that we are different from one another and that our different characteristics make us special. We learned to compete against one another in order to prove ourselves that we are better than our peers.
Growing up in Vietnamese culture is very different when compared to the U.S. In Asian culture, people are more dependent on one another and treat their neighbors like family. Everyone in the neighborhood knows each other’s history and treats others’ problems as if they were their own. Eating behaviors are also different as we tend to eat together and share food items amongst those outside of our family. Looking at U.S. culture from the Asian perspective was very hard to understand at first. I think individualism is positive up to a certain extent. It’s good that we value upward mobility and achieving more for ourselves but at the same time, it isolates us from one another. We have less empathy for people in society because we only focus on ourselves. It makes it hard for us to understand backgrounds and cultures outside of our own. We have smaller social circles and aren’t as enthusiastic to help one another. Individualism also puts too much pressure on us to be successful so that we aren’t less than our friends, family members, and acquaintances. We care too much in regard to our jobs, wealth, and success.
Someone from the outside may view this as selfishness and egocentric especially if they really value community and acts of kind services. Doing this reflection and exercise has helped me learn that all cultures are different from one another but that doesn’t mean that they are wrong – it is just how the people in the community function and have grown in. I want to keep an open mind when I arrive at my study-abroad location and not judge them so quickly as I have grown up in an environment that is completely different from theirs. I hope to embrace and adjust/learn to their new cultures and respect them.