American values

America is home to people of every background, every color and every origin. According to US census information, on July 2008, there were an estimated 275 million people living in the United States. Of this population, an estimated 82% were White (also called Caucasian in English); 13% were Black or African American; Asians and Pacific Islanders accounted for 4%; and the American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population were about 1%. An estimated 12% of the population were of Hispanic origin (people of Hispanic origin may be of any race)

Note: In America the word “negr” is extremely offensive. Instead people tend to say “African-American” or “Black”.

Many Americans are taught to be self-reliant at an early age. For example, many high-school students work at part-time jobs in order to earn their own money which they might use to pay for personal expenses like go to the movies or cafes with friends, or even help contribute to their family’s income. Many parents encourage their children to work part-time jobs after school as they want their children to learn the value of work, money, and to understand that in “real world” things will not be given to them for free. Another example of this emphasis on self-reliance is the fact that approximately 74% of Americans 18 years of age and over live independently of their parents.

A large number of women in America hold full-time jobs outside the home. However, the current pay gap between men and women in the U.S. is 74 cents to every $1. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college-educated women in America earn an average of $18,000 less annually than college-educated men. Parenting is seen as the responsibility of both the mother and father, just as household chores are seen as the responsibility of everyone who lives in the house. In a recent poll, 65% of married men in America say they split their household chores equally with their spouses (but only 47% of married women polled agreed!)

America is home to people of many different faiths, religions and systems of belief. Some of the most common religious affiliations in America are Protestantism (56%), Catholicism (28%), and Judaism (2%). There are also sizable populations of Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, atheists, and many others. According to a recent survey, approximately 44% of Americans attend a place of worship at least once a week. According to a recent Gallup poll, almost 9 out of 10 Americans say that they believe in God or a higher power, but only 545 of those surveyed would label themselves as “religious” (with most preferring the more general term “spiritual”).

America is often referred to as the “melting pot” due to its unique blend of different cultures, nationalities and backgrounds. With the exception of American Indians, every person living in America is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant. America is currently home to people from almost every country of the world. Over 11% of American population is foreign born. Of these, approximately 51% are from Latin America, 27% from Asia, 16% from Europe, and 6% from the rest of the world. Of the foreign born population, 40% are naturalized citizens. As of 1990, 86, 2% of Americans spoke English as their home language, leaving 13,8% of the population with a primary language other than English. After English, the most commonly spoken language is Spanish with 10,5% of the population claiming it as their primary language of use. Many people are surprised to learn that America has no official language.

American patriotism is based more on belief in a certain set of ideals than on a geographical space. For most Americans, the essence of their country are the concepts of freedom, democracy and equality and the American flag symbolizes these values. Many visitors are surprised by how many American households own (and fly!) at least one American flag. The thirteen stripes of the flag represent the original thirteen colonies and the fifty stars represent the fifty states. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half staff. The simple act of folding the national flag requires a unique ritual with its own rules and regulations. The American National Anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) is a tribute to the American flag. In many American schools children begin their day by reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag.

Studies show that most Americans will change careers about four or five times over the course of their lives. Of residents born in the United states,68% currently reside in the same state where they were born. Reasons for moving include going away to college, starting a new job, lower cost of living, better weather, desire for a different lifestyle, etc.

The literacy rate in America (defined as the percent of people 15 and over who can read and write) is 97%. 81.6% of Americans have a high school education or higher and 25.1% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Attending a college or university in America can be very expensive. Many students must work and/or take out loans. It has been reported that 79% of all undergraduates in America work while taking classes. A majority of college students change their major (i.e. their primary area of study) at least once, and many change it several times. The National Center for Education Statistics has reported that about 20% of the bachelor’s degree awarded in America each year is in business-related fields such as accounting, marketing and business administration, making it the most popular field of study at American universities.

As more and more women attend university and build their careers, it is becoming more common for them to wait to start a family. Currently, the average age for women to get married in America is 25. The average age for men is 26.7. Approximately 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce. American couples have an average of 2.06 children, but larger families of 3 or more children are common. Many families in the suburbs live in private homes, but apartment living is common in larger cities.

Many observers have noted that Americans tend to value the needs and esteem the virtues of the individual over the collective. Indeed, it is true that many Americans enjoy privacy and occasionally prefer to be alone rather than in other people’s company. Leaving people by themselves and not asking many personal questions is often a sign of respect in America culture. Also, for a person to act competitively is considered normal and even desirable. Individual success is highly valued.

Charity and volunteer work are American traditions. The most common recipients of donations were religious groups, organizations that feed and clothe children, and charities that benefit the poor and homeless, health and research, education and disaster relief. The American Association of Fundraising Trust and Philanthropy estimated that in the year 2000, the total amount of giving in the US totaled $203.45 billion. Of this sum, foundations gave 25% and private citizens gave 75%. Charitable acts are not limited to the wealthy. Americans who cannot afford to donate money, often donate their time and skills by volunteering in soup kitchens, tutoring children after school, delivering food to the elderly and disabled, etc. Not only adults volunteer their time and money: according to a survey recently conducted, 55% of high school students participated in volunteer activities during the school year.