The United States has often been called “a nation of immigrants”. There are two good reasons for this. First, the country was settled, built, and developed by generations of immigrants and their children. Secondly, even today America continues to take in more immigrants than any other country in the world. Nonetheless, it would be very misleading to view America simply as a collection of different immigrant groups and ethnic and religious loyalties. In fact, 94 per cent of Americans today were born in the United States. As a result, those tens of millions of Americans who proudly acknowledge their ethnic roots are still “more American” than they are Irish, Italian or Puerto Rican. What they have in common is more significant than what makes them, as Americans, different from one another.
What do Americans value?
Because America is a society which values competition so highly, success is very important, not only because of material rewards, but also because of recognition of some sort. Achievement, not class is the standard by which men are judged. They like everything that is big and old. The erect big buildings and buy old things: houses, paintings, etc.
What do Americans spend their time on?
First of all, Americans spend a lot of time at work and commuting to work. They spend more time and money in reading paper, magazines and books, traveling, going to movies or watching TV than any other people on the world. They don’t walk a lot but keep fit by participating in sports. They also watch or attend sports events.
They are always in a hurry, yet they spend a lot of time relaxing. The American way of life includes large amounts of time spent driving children around: to school, sports events, etc.
