It sounds like a lot of what you are talking about is class distinctions. Ghetto culture in the big cities is probably very alike. I assume upper middle class people in different parts of the country share the same ethos around work and education. The fact that we are drawing distinctions around what somebody's Walmart experience is evidence that we are more alike than not. I don't think there is actually much cultural difference between New Yorkers and people in LA.unnamednewbie13 wrote:
Bad representation, definitely not homogeneous. It's a different kind of diversity, though this obviously pales a bit when compared to Europe or Asia as their own gigantic wholes.SuperJail Warden wrote:
I don't think the U.S. is actually all that diverse anyhow. The vast, VAST majority of people born and living here speak English, and watch media that is uniquely American. People from each of the four corners can travel to the others and live pretty much the same exact lifestyle with access to the same media and products.
Pumping your own gas used to be alien to Oregonians. It just wasn't something you were supposed to do, and actually illegal to do. New visitors from neighboring states weren't always clued into this and would get ambushed by the attendant when going to fill their own gas like they committed some huge cultural gaffe. You've probably seen stuff like this in NJ, now the last prideful bastion or something.
Even my own state has different vibes depending on where you're at. Five places could have a completely different walkthrough feel even if they all have a Walmart. The climate, coastal vs. inland, mountain vs. prairie, high desert vs. forest, local industries / what people generally do for a living, how close together they live, local wealth. Even the contents and quality of two same-brand grocery stores can wildly differ from location to location (there are people in Tacoma who cross a toll bridge to shop in Gig Harbor; I myself will stop at a few places around Olympia or in cow country for certain supplies).
Availability of foreign goods, between a chunk of miles I could either be in a place with clusters of (just to name a few) Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Filipino (Filipinx?), Indian, American Indian, or German/Scandinavian stuff on just one corridor within the state, run by, and worked in by people who came from those places, or from families who had.
Growing up in a foul neighborhood, might as well be living in a completely different universe than attending a good private school in yuppieville. Are you taught to avoid eye contact to avoid trouble with gangs, or maintain it with a firm handshake to better represent yourself? Body language, inflections, attitudes, differences even visible among siblings of a family who moved around a lot.
There are faux pas you can make from state to state just as in from country to country. West coast culture different than east coast differs from Chicago. Tons of specific, local quirks. We all note the latest exploits of Florida Man with rapt fascination and a certain fear. What is he going to do next? Wrestle a gator? Eat his neighbor's face? Both of those at the same time? Reality has no Bugs Bunny to safely separate the state from the rest of the country.
I acknowledge I live in an urban bubble while you seem to live among more rural types. It is easy to forget you aren't in the center of the universe when everyone in the country has to watch Spiderman and the Avengers save NYC from Loki and whatever else.
