, at the bookstore and thought,... well, that's a book I DON'T want to read.As important as I think it is to learn US history (particularly if you live in the States), there are some very American attitudes, habits, perspectives that I do not want my US-born child(ren) to adopt. Here's a short list:
- The US is the center of the universe. It is the greatest country in the world. Nobody else lives in a free society. You're lucky to be born here.
- Anything American -- food, clothes, TV, politicians, policies, education, lifestyle, is "superior."
- The rest of the world is inferior, behind, third-world, has nothing to offer. We are here to civilize them and to teach them our better way of doing life.
- Traveling outside of the US is not safe, unless it's on a cruise ship where we can dock at the very American ports where it's "safe."
- My highest aspiration is to be "normal" and blend in with everyone and live a life that is a checklist of acceptable behavior. No risks. Just a nice comfortable life with a good job, 401k, house, white picket fence, job and 2.5 kids. Otherwise known as the American dream.
- It's all about me and how much I can accumulate in my lifetime. My taxes will pay for government services to take care of the poor. I gotta take care of me and mine.
- I love stuff. I love gadgets and I have to have the latest and greatest. I work hard and I deserve it.
- I'm not being disrespectful! I'm just exercising my freedom of speech.
- You're violating MY RIGHTS and I'M TAKING YOU TO COURT.
- I am sooooooo cool. I must see every movie on opening night. I watch ET and Access Hollywood religiously. I have all the DVD collection of XYZ show/movie. I must have that new handbag. And "Mom! I need a new outfit for the party this weekend!"
- I want to be a celebrity. Even for just 5 minutes through a YouTube clip that gets distributed worldwide.
- Oh wait. I am a celebrity in my own mind.
- Anyone with less education (or a different education), with an accent, with a different way of life, who dresses funny and doesn't watch the latest, hottest show/movie, or has the latest iPod with the #1 song downloaded, is and will be treated as a second-class citizen.
- Our economy suffers because companies ship jobs overseas...but I sure love my bargain-basement prices!
- I'll stick to the foods I know and the brands I like, thanks.
- Everyone else is responsible for my aches and pains, my troubles, my problems. It's somebody else's fault. Always.
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2 comments:
I'll have to look for that book, bc I'm curious as to how you "raise" an American when being American is more of a state of mind, a free-thinking world view. We're like a counter-culture culture, where everyone can be themselves (to a degree). And you don't have to be American born to appreciate or identify with that approach to life. I know a German couple that lives stateside and, interestingly enough, the German-born husband says he feels more comfortable here than in this native country while his American-born wife is just the opposite - she's more in love w her adopted country, Deutschland. But with any culture, there's good and bad and hypocrisy. I think it's easy to beat up on American culture. You could say that we have set ourselves up for criticism by being so highminded about democracy and liberty etc etc. And so often we fall short of our own high ideals. We also take a hit simply bc in a lot of ways we are the best, as conceited as that sounds. When I was in London for a study abroad program, I remember a guest speaker saying how it angered students in an advertising class that American TV ads got so much praise. But the instructor pointed out the differemces in the look and feel of the ads and noted that the quality simply was better in the U.S. ads. Knowing that we excel in so many areas does give us a big head, but it doesnt take away the fact that we dominate on so many levels. I can see why we have haters in and outside this country bc of our big headedness and ignorance about other countries' contributions. It's true we are materialistic, we are celebrity mongers, we are fast food freaks, we are all those things you said. And yet I can see so many things that still make us lovable as a people. I embrace the dysfunction of my fellow Americans. It shows we really aren't as Super Human as we are perceived. I want my child to embrace it to, imperfections and all. My country irks me only but so much, and then I'm back loving her all over again. I go back and forth too sometimes, loving and hating certain whacked out aspects of American culture. But I don't want to be too hard on us, I just want to keep persective. I want my child to be able to filter out what's good and bad about this nation, and still find lots to enjoy about living here. It would be just as unhealthy for us as parents to go instill a overly negative attitude about America in our children.
Amen and Amen.
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