Cultural Differences In American Culture

Introduction

As we prepare for this newsletter, the world outside is busy with Christmas season. People are excited with the shopping for gifts, and then carefully put them under the Christmas tree. Those are the items that children (and even adults) have been waiting for throughout the year. The wife eagerly strolls in shopping malls, trying to equally buy presents for everyone in the family. The husband, in addition to decoration of Christmas tree, hangs up the Christmas lights outdoors. When night falls, lights are up, creating an atmosphere of peace reflecting down to the front yard with full of white snow. Inside the house, after dinner, the whole family sits around the fireplace, enjoys the moment when each light glitters above the wrapped gifts.

Perhaps, many people would consider this is a cultural difference. And perhaps, the theme of this special issue will tell us more or less about some of the cultural differences. Culture is defined as a set of values, beliefs, and appearances. However, while living and integrating into this country, we are acquainted with this healthy tradition, as we take America as our second homeland. No matter what our religion is, on December, it seems that people are very busy, around seasonal celebration “of gifts”. It may be a burden for adults, that after this Christmas period is over, they would have to prepare for the Lunar New Year, where “li xi” money is a must in the Vietnamese culture. But it is what it is. It is because we proudly carry two traditions. It is because not only we are the Vietnamese Americans, but we are also Anbangan-Vietnamese Americans. This makes it more challenging as we try to come up with our