The Depth of our Global Culture

America is without a doubt one of the most diverse and dynamic countries in the world. With the over 14 million immigrants entering the US, in 2011, America is being bombarded with music, food, books, and languages from all over the world. Though it’s exciting that we’re becoming more exposed to the world, I can’t help wondering the depth of all that diversity. When you walk outside New York City, a city with a demographic of 45% white, 25% Hispanic, 25% Black, and 5% Asian, you see signs that say “authentic Japanese cuisine” or “real Italian pizza”. You may have even heard your friends and family say something along the lines of “this place is legit” or “this is real food”. Where did this differentiation come from, the difference between “real” and “fake”?

Though America loves to accept new and eclectic styles, we still like to have an American twist to almost everything. Moreover, those who are promoting these products know it. As one of the biggest global economies in the world, the American market is a gold mine for those who understand and know how to influence Americans. Though we claim products to be ethnic, cultural, and exotic, there is still some form of Americanism attached to reel our American dollars in. For example, I recently ate dinner at a Chinese buffet back home in Philadelphia. Among the sweet buns, lo mein, and fried rice, there was buffalo chicken, French fries, and pizza. Though we like to think of ourselves as willing to try new things and accept new cultures, it’s evident that most of us find ourselves moving towards the familiar.

Maybe you’re one of the few who genuinely enjoys experiencing and immersing yourself in another culture’s food, language, and arts. Most people aren’t like that. They like to have some footing or ground in their original culture. I know that whenever I go out to a restaurant with the attempt to try new food, I always find myself tempted to try the safe foods that I already know and enjoy.

It seems like there is a cultural idea at work here in the US of A. One in which we think we’re experiencing culture when we’re actually not. This inclination towards an American point of has some serious backlashes. One of which is the idea that we’re experiencing a culture when we’re merely observed and understood (albeit vaguely) a fraction of what that culture consists of. For example, I’m sure those of you who come from different cultural backgrounds can relate to the following conversations:

“I love Japan! Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma are so cute” Okay.

“I love India! Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie” Uh huh.

“I love Koreans! K-pop is awesome!” Alright.

Because of the superficiality of our exposure to all these countries, you have to wonder how it affects our perception of these cultures and their people. When the 2008 blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire received widespread attention and critical acclaim, many Indians, both in America and abroad, raised objections to its somewhat unrealistic plot and depictions of life in India. There were claims that there were more realistic and overall better films on poverty and Indian slum life. A third complaint was that although it was a film about India, it represented a very narrow piece of India’s culture. With a film so widely distributed all over the world, there was a concern that people would incorrectly judge India as a country made up of slums instead of the growing economic force that it is.

Similar reactions have occurred for television shows and other forms of media. Most recently, the previously popular (but now cancelled) MTV show, Jersey Shore, had been placed under scrutiny for its depiction of Italian Americans and its use of the slang term “guido” to describe them. The definition of a “guido” consists of a person, usually Italian-American, who typically lives on the East Coast. Similarly to the concern posed by the Indian community, numerous members of the Italian community expressed disapproval of the portrayal of Italians as solely interested in sexual pursuits, alcohol, and wild behavior.

In the average day, we go through our lives with being exposed to hundreds of different cultures. From using a Korean Samsung Galaxy SIII, to eating from that Halal Food stand, to using furniture from the Swedish-based Ikea, we are living in a heterogeneous setting without even stepping on a plane and moving to another country. Although we’re being exposed to dozens of different countries and ethnicities daily, it’s important to keep in mind that many times, we’re only shown a small segment of its people and their lives. We cannot base our judgments and perceptions of an entire country of millions of people based on a movie, a television show, a type of food, or the actions of one person. Though there are claims that we are in a global environment, this is not actually true unless we take full advantage of all the information and experiences that are out there for us to enjoy.