Do you think America destroys people's cultures?

[Temprano26]

Do you find that immigrants are different in the US than in their own country somehow? Most of us have been abroad which has of course led to our central philosophy that we are happier there. Do you find America poisons people who otherwise would have been nicer? Is this a hard thing to understand for people who have never been outside the US?

Costa Rica was not perfect but most people there could look me in the eye, smile and engage in conversation. I heard it was a third-world country but that never occurred to me because of the high quality of life people had. People were ridiculously happy with their lives. In the US, I see people with these angry attitudes like they have been deprived of something when they are anything but deprived.

When I came back I was depressed by everyone's isolated mentalities. I took a Spanish class and tried to talk to the Mexican girl next to me but she couldn't even look in my direction. I saw a complete lack of interest in other human beings because everyone is all about business. Also, I don't care if I am a gringo, I can see why people hate them. They think Costa Rica is Puerto Rico and they think Costa Ricans speak Portuguese. I joined a Latino organization at the campus just so I wasn't lonely and I was the only white guy there which made me more interesting. Sadly, all the women had Hispanic boyfriends because nobody wants to date anyone outside of their race. One girl had a Mexican boyfriend but she was still interested in me because white guys that speak Spanish are such a rarity. Most white people have a reputation as being culturally ignorant but not me.

And then this family of Americanized Mexicans wondered why I wanted to go back to Costa Rica. Nobody understands how lonely the US really is and how hard it is to make friends with anyone.

[Temprano26]

I haven't been fond of the US either but let us clarify that the US is bad for dating/social life/spiritual reasons. It does have perks economically. I don't see people starving to death. Far from it. We have an obesity epidemic. And everybody has a car which separates them from everyone else.

I would rather be in the USA than in Pakistan for example but that isn't saying much. However if it came to the USA vs Costa Rica or Panama or other beautiful countries I'd go for the latter.

[Temprano26]

As for gay men, I don't care. Frankly I found gay bars to be more open and friendly to me and all I can care is how do people treat people.

[Bao3niang]

Costa Rica is a third world country? I thought it had an HDI of like 0.7+, which is considered medium high human development.

[Winston]

I think yes and no.

America destroys the authenticity, social connection, romance and passion in a culture.

But if something in the culture can be used to make money or for commercial purposes, then it can be retained in America.

For example, foreign food, art, antiques, arts and crafts, etc. are cultural products that can be sold for profit in the US. So if something cultural can be sold, it can be made use of in America's all business culture.

In America, fun and wild times are something teenagers have, such as in the movie "American Graffiti". But once you become an adult, life is ALL BUSINESS. Communication and conversation is ALL BUSINESS too. You are not supposed to be wild, playful and free. You are supposed to live to work, make money and consume. You are a machine after high school, and you have no soul. That is what makes you normal in America. If you refuse to accept this, then you will have problems and an identity crisis and become a misfit.

Same with immigrants. If you come to America as an immigrant, you are supposed to contribute to the economy, not have fun or social connection or romance or find yourself. America is for working and business. Not for living life to the fullest.

You can only bring your culture here if it's to sell something and make a profit. You can open a Chinese restaurant if you are Chinese, for example, and sell Chinese food.

But if your culture is authentic, deep, romantic, soulful or passionate, it won't have much of a place in America unless you put up a fake image to sell something.

You can bring your own family values from abroad to America too. But young people change and conform and may lose their family values that they had in their ancestral country.

Hope that makes sense. Culture is a broad term so it helps to be specific here.

I think though that America does try to destroy one's soul, authenticity, child-like attitude, creativity, spirituality, passion and natural wholeness. People who come here become less authentic, less relaxed, and more uptight and paranoid for some reason.

They also become socially disconnected as well, unless they have a clique of friends. But if they have a clique, then they become cliquish. America is cliquish and people huddle in cliques.

Yes immigrants are nicer in their own countries. Especially in Russia. Americans are friendlier also when they are abroad. The environment makes a big difference in people.

To FinallyLeaving:

Please. There's no need for such religious condemnation of gays. I'm not pro-gay either. But you don't need to vilify them like that. Let them do what they want, as long as they aren't bothering you. I don't mind gays as long as they don't impose their lifestyle on me.

What I hate is that the media makes gay rights a hot topic issues when many other issues, such as loneliness and isolation in America, are far more important.

[ElReyBoludo]

I joined a Latino organization at the campus just so I wasn't lonely and I was the only white guy there which made me more interesting. Sadly, all the women had Hispanic boyfriends because nobody wants to date anyone outside of their race.

Hispanic is a cultural background; to think of it as a "race" is a US thing. There are Hispanic people of just about every racial, ethnic and national background possible. I have a Venezuelan friend of all Chinese descent. Here, she would be tormented endlessly about being "not Latina" because she's Asian. I don't say this stuff to nitpick or to sound smart- I'm throwing it out here for you as a positive to help you- you don't have to feel like being of European genetic ancestry automatically locks you out of Latin culture and makes you "of a different race"; you're not, necessarily...just a different culture, and that's not the same. The Spanish language originated among "white people", and it'd be similarly crazy to call Asian Americans "British people" because they speak English, wouldn't it?

The reason why you get that kind of dismissive bullshit over being "white", as opposed to "brown", is because strong US political interests have capitalized on the educational ignorance, resentment and anger of the immigrants coming from that region today. Progressive politicians and academics are using the old black civil-rights language and tactics to racialize the various Hispanic immigrant groups, promising them the moon in order to stump for votes, and to keep themselves in power. Demographics alone make the Latino "community" their winning ticket to votes, tenure, book sales, church pews full of bodies, radio listeners, etc., etc. They are being whipped into a frenzy by good old-fashioned populism.

If I had been with you at that Latino students' club at your school, those ignorant, ghetto, tenth-generation-US-born, "brown pride" types, most of whom don't even speak Spanish fluently themselves (because "their people" have been here since 1916 ), would've looked at both of us, and written us off derisively as two "Anglo "white boys".

...even though my background is Argentine. And even though I'm fully bilingual. Actually, once overheard some ignorant "Nuyorican" clown call us "white Italians who aren't really Latinos". I didn't even have the heart to get offended. Ever hear somebody say something so abysmally dumb, that all that you can do is to cringe on their behalf?

If you want to be a part of the Hispanic culture, do it. As for anyone who gives you shit for it..."Zapatero a tus zapatos."

Study, learn, practice and make warm and happy connections with people. The people in those countries themselves, that is. Don't sweat their obnoxious, messed-up cousins from Illinois.

[Temprano26]

Yes, Winston, I often love to eat Indian food and they are some of the nicest most humble people I ever met. I used to eat Mexican food but in Texas it is all greasy and fattening. My tastes have changed over time. Not even the rice in Mexican restaurants is as good as in Costa Rica.

As for gay rights, gay marriage is just a shallow political issue to gain votes. It appeals to the lowest in people. This is why people hate Christians in America because they are full of hate and divisiveness. And the media won't talk about loneliness because they are too busy covering that missing plane in Malaysia.

[johny_quest]

Well of course they destroy cultures. I mean, nuking asian cities and then rebuilding them to resemble america. What else would you call that?

[Luc Furr]

Isn't it, people rejecting their old ways in preference of America's ways and not America destroying anything? Aren't immigrants choosing $ and wealth over culture, friends, family, homeland when going to America, then they do it again and again when they chase the American dream of having the stuff of the "good" life.