My articles of American cultures / histories
Unit Cuatro
The Anglo Saxons and the American Character
"Anglo-Saxon" Americans, those Americans of British ancestry, rarely think of themselves asan ethnic group. First, many of them are descendants of the original settlers. Second, they are widely distributed throughout the nation. Third, they range, as regards income, from the poor farmers and coal miners of the Appalachians in Tennessee to wealthy oil men in Texas to the skilled professional classes of New Englandk. Nevertheless, the "Anglo - Saxon " remain the largest single ethnic group in American, comprising about 45% of the population.
It would be a mistake to imagine as some foreigners do that Americans of other ethnic groups have imitated an "Anglo - Saxon " way of life or adopted "Anglo - Saxon" customs. In the middle of the 19th century, the people of the USA were still predominantly "Anglo - Saxon ", but even before the flood of non "Anglo - Saxon" immigrants, the Americans were already far more American than they were British.
Whatever their ethnic origins, the Americans of New England, the Midweat, the Far West, the South and Southwest all have special characteristics of their own region. Yet they also have certain things in common.
Most Americans have gret vigor and enthusiasm. They prefer to discipline themselves rather than be disciplined by others. They pride themselves on their independence, their right to make up their own minds. They are prepared to take the initiative, even when there is a risk in doing so. They have courage and do not give in easily. They will take any sort of job anywhere rather than be unemployed. They do not care to be looked after by the Government. The average American changes his or her job nine or ten times during his or her working live.
Americans have a warmth and friendliness which is less superficial than many foreigners thik. They are considered sentimental. When on ceremonial occasions they see a flag, or attend parades celebrating America's glorious past, tears may come to their eyes. Reunions with family or friends tend to be emotional too. They like to dress correctly, even if "correctly" means flamboyantly. They love to boast, though often with tongue in cheek. They can laugh at themselves and their country, and they can be very self - critical, while remaining alwaysintensely patrotic. They have a wide knowledge of everyday things, and a keen interest in their particular city and State. Foreigners sometimes complain, however, that they have little interest in or knowledge of the outside world.
The Americans have a passion for grandeur. Their skyscrapers, bridges and dams often have a splendor which matches in beauty and scale the country's natural wonders.
Is the sole aim of most Americans to make money and possess luxuries which could be call excessive ? The majority of American would certainly deny this, though most feel proud to amass wealth and possession through hard work. In the USA, about 90% of the population is well enough off to expect a brighter future. The USA still has one of the highest standards of living in the world, although, at the present time 10% are below what the Government considers to be the "poverty level." While these underpriviledged people receive help from Government, they have no high hopes for their future, It is from this "underclass," and those who take advantage of it, that most of the violence springs - the violence which is one of the least pleasant aspects of American society.
Americans are beginning to realize that this terrible problem of poverty is their problem, and not just the Government's. It has been said that the individual Americans is generous, but that the American nation is hard.
The USA is reputed to be a classless society. There is centainly not much social snobbery or job snobbery. The manual worker is usually quite at ease in any company. This is partly explained by the fact that people of all income groups go together to the same schools. Americans are far more race - conscious than they are class - conscious.
