I believe culture is the web of relationships, traditions, customs, and daily way of life for a group or community. The documentary God Grew Tired of Us really showed me parts of American culture I had never thought about before. We, as a whole, are very antisocial and our relationships with others can be quite shallow. If we see distress or situations we find uncomfortable we ignore them. The bonds that unite many cultures seem stronger when compared to their American counterparts.
Christmas as detailed by John, is a time of celebration of Christ and their devotion while Christmas here is more about gift giving and merriment.
The most impactful point that I found in the documentary is that American culture is lazy, as seen in our daily life compared to those of the Lost Boys. They come to America immediately looking to get jobs and become self sufficient which is part of their culture, while some Americans already here believe they are entitled to comfort without working.
The Sudanese culture is one where hard work comes hand in hand with reward.
They seem to have a rich culture focused on intra-personal relationships, where traditions revolve around entire communities and social groups. While American culture is also social, it isn’t as deeply connected as its Sudanese counterpart. American culture is one of wealth, status, and prestige. Traditions revolve around them, cultural stigmas stick to those who try and defy mainstream culture. American culture is centered on status, while Sudanese culture seems to be attuned to relationships and bonds.
Daniels quote, I feel shows again how Americans perceive culture. Those who some believe are less fortunate and possess less status are uncultured or uncivilized. This concept makes Americans nervous. This very idea can be seen in the documentary when the shop owners complain about the Lost Boys entering in large groups. This is a normal occurrence for the Lost Boys as they are a quite socially connected group, but to someone unfamiliar with them and their large number is can be concerning. This cultural difference affected both groups. The Lost Boys suffered a culture shock in America, and Americans unaccustomed to them relied on stigmas to judge them.
The Lost Boys might have had the misconception that things in America were easy to start in and that money flowed freely. As Panther said, in the beginning $200 was a lot of money to them but after living their for a while and having to pay bills he understood the dedication it took to achieve ones desires. I believe these misconceptions are a part of emigration largely due to Americans pride in their country and most not realizing the hard work required to start anew. This presents a challenge to new immigrants as the land of milk and honey they believed they were entering is truthfully one of hardwork and long hours to achieve the American Dream.
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