U.S.Culture

** Diversity ** "The United States does not have an official language, but English is spoken by about 82% of the population as a native language. " pg.1 "The variety of English spoken in the United States is known as American English; together with Canadian English it makes up the group of dialects known as North American English. " pg. 1 "America is ultimately a nation of immigrants and as a result is a cultural mish-mash in every sense of the word. " pg. 1 "Not only is the country populated by people from foreign countries but all Americans in one way or another trace their ancestry back to another culture, whether Irish, German, Italian or Scottish." (melting pot) pg. 1 **Meet and greet** " People tend to not wait to be introduced, will begin to speak with strangers as they stand in a queue, sit next to each other at an event, etc." pg. 1 **Time** "In America, time is a very important commodity. " pg. 1 "People 'save' time and 'spend' time as if it were money in the bank." pg. 1 " Americans ascribe personality characteristics and values based on how people use time." pg. 1 " For example, people who are on-time are considered to be good people, reliable people who others can count on. " pg. 1 **Family** **"**The family unit is generally considered the nuclear family, and is typically small (with exceptions among certain ethnic groups)." pg. 1 " Extended family relatives live in their own homes, often at great distances from their children. " pg.1 " Individualism is prized, and this is reflected in the family unit." pg.1 "People are proud of their individual accomplishments, initiative and success, and may, or may not, share those sources of pride with their elders." pg. 1 "Greetings are casual" pg. 1 "A handshake, a smile, and a 'hello' are all that is needed.
 * American Culture ." Online posting. //USA- language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette// . //Kwintessential// . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sep. 2010. []. **