Berkley Center

“The United States has no culture.” Lengthy dinner table discussions with my host family in Buenos Aires have been quickly established as a daily routine. Each day presents ample opportunity to practice my Spanish and to gain perspective on some blunt opinions about the world. However, my initial reaction to my host mom’s proclamation was one of protest. I wanted to word vomit in defense and spouted off cultural examples in Washington, D.C. and New York City. My host mom, a well-traveled psychiatrist, agreed with my comment but continued to explain that she thought the small towns of America lacked true culture. I rapidly thought of the annual chowder fest and family-owned creameries in my small New England town, Thanksgiving, and fresh lobster from Maine. But then we discussed about what culture meant to her. Culture, to my host mom, is the classical music drifting from the park on Sundays, the spontaneous tango among strangers, and the maté drink that is shared among friends.

I certainly do not agree that the United States lacks a unique culture, but now I can better understand our difference of opinion. Music, an integral part of her idea of culture, did not seem to play such a blatant role in the small-town America she visited compared to her home country. It is conversations like these that help me move past the generalizations that label a country and, rather, explore the subtle influences of history and culture that shape different ways of thinking. Similar conversations are happening around the world this semester. I hope to gain perspective through others’ experiences and participate in a broader dialogue through JYAN.