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Serving Students at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College UNITED STATES Culture

Cultural Orientation

The United States of America was developed by influxes of immigration.  The ethnic mix is 83% white (generally of European descent, but also from the Middle East and Latin America), 12% African-American, 3% Asian and about 1% Native American. Today the biggest immigrant groups are from Latin countries.  The culture is based on equality of the individuals.

People in the United States are patriotic and proud of being American and pride themselves on individualism.  They assume responsibility for the quality of their lives.  Education can be a social ladder so much is possible with hard work.  The approach to work is analytical, bottom line. 

Americans live to work , enjoy competitiveness, and are materialistic.  Money is the main status measure and is the reward for achievement.  Performance is motivated by ambition and promotion is based on performance.  Appearance is secondary to performance and leisure is seen as a reward for hard work.

Executives seek responsibility and accept accountability; managers delegate responsibility and authority.  Truth is seen as the absolute value.  Workers are basically pragmatic and take an action oriented problem-solving approach.  Critical feedback is welcomed; the workers use the information to become more effective and efficient.  Work emphasis is on the practical and indepth knowledge in specialized areas is rewarded.

Family is usually second in priority to work.  Husband and wife may share household and parenting dutiles.  Work is kept separate from personal relationships.  Sensitivity is seen as a weakness; directness is preferred. 

It is not important to develop a personal relationship in order to establish a long and successful business relationship.  Business relationships are formed between companies rather than between people.  Americans do business where they get the best deal and the best service. 

It is always proper to ask questions if you do not understand something.  If Americans do not know the answer, they will admit they do not know and often will offer to find out the answer for you later.  Americans will assume you understand something if you do not tell them otherwise. 

"Please" and "thank you" are very important in the United States.  Say "please" and "thank you" to everyone for even the smallest kindness.  Americans say them regardless of rank or how much they are paying for something, and they expect others to do the same.  Say "Pardon me" or "Excuse me" if you touch someone or even get close to someone.  Americans also say this if they sneeze or cough or do not understand something someone has said.  Social conversation in the United States is light; people ask brief questions and expect brief answers.  If you feel uncomfortable with a question asked of you, simply smile and say, "In my country, we do not discuss that topic." 

Women are leaders in all aspects of American life from business to education to government. Never assume that a working woman is in a subordinate position.   American women are independent; do not assume that a woman needs more time or more help than a man doing the same job.   American women pride themselves on the number of responsibilities they take on.  Do not assume that a working woman is no longer the primary caretaker of her family and children.   When going to dinner or lunch, the person who invites pays, whether it is a man or a woman.  There is structured inequality in the roles people take, but personal equality is guaranteed by law. 

Do not touch a woman in a business setting except to shake her hand.  Hugging and kissing, even of people you know very well, is not done in the workplace.