MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ESSAY

PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Supervisor : NGUYEN KHANH DU, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP : 8 Class : DHAV5

Course : BRITISH AND AMERICAN CULTURE

Ho Chi Minh City, March 2012

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ESSAY

PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Supervisor : NGUYEN KHANH DU, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP : 8 1. Nguyn Th Ngc Dung 2. M Th Tuyt Dung 3. Ha Nguyn Vi an 4. Trn Th Ngn H 5. Song Vnh H Class : DHAV5 09207921 09166561 09203671 09210331 09203401

Course : BRITISH AND AMERICAN CULTURE

Ho Chi Minh City, March 2012

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP: 8

CONTENTS
Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 2 5 6 8 8 13 15 17 21 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 32

II. INFLUENCES OF GEOGRAPHY FACTOR III. DEMOCRACY POLICY IV. EDUCATION V. WAYS OF LIFE 5.1. Food and cuisine 5.2. Dress 5.3. Sport and recreation 5.4. Celebrations and Holidays VI. THE ARTS 6.1. 6.2. 6.3. 6.4. 6.5. Visual art Literature Movie Performing art Mass media

VII. SOCIOLOGIST ISSUES 7.1. 7.2. 7.3. Housing Living arrangements Naming convention

VIII. CONCLUSION APPENDICES REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

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LIST OF GRAPHS, CHARTS, TABLES

Map 2.1.

Map of the 13 American Colonies in 1775 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cuisine Chart 4.1.

The United States always has high graduation rate of Higher Education

Source: http://www.american.com/archive/2010/april/how-bad-are-our-

graduation-rates

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GROUP: 8

Chart 5.1.

Bar graph from the Oxford Health alliance

Source:http://www.oxha.org/knowledge/backgrounders/overweight_and_o

besity.gif/view
Graph 5.2.

Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults BMI: Body Mass Index

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.HTML

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GROUP: 8

Graph 5.3.

The data come from USDA figures; fast food expenditures were not tracked before 1929

Source: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/05/fast-food-weight-

gain-and-insulin.html

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

Chart 5.4.

Most popular sports among American Adults

Annotation
NFL: National Football League MLB: Major League Baseball NBA: National Basketball Association PGA Producers Guild of America NASCAR: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing NHL: National Hockey League UFC: Ultimate Fighting Championship Source: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-10-

21/sports/30305278_1_high-school-sports-popular-sports-american-adults

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

Chart 5.5.

Average hours spent per day in leisure and sports activities, by youngest and oldest populations

Source: http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

I. INTRODUCTION
America that is a vast land has rich natural conditions, geographical favorable location. In the 17th century, this huge land of Indians was invaded by the European and the history of America began. Like other European colonies, it was influenced by European culture. Despite of this, immigrants who come from many regions all over the world (Africa, Asia, South America.) contributed to American development. All of these groups exchanged varied tastes in music, dress, entertainment, and cuisine. Therefore, American culture is rich, complex and unique. It possesses an unusual mixture of patterns. Due to the complexity of American society, it makes a uniquely casual personal style and we can identify easily Americans everywhere. They also really like taking part in cultural activities. A large number of Americans attend museums, operas and ballets. They listen to jazz and folk music, rock and roll, country and classical music; they participate in many kinds of sport such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer. Moreover, they enjoy food from other regions all over the world for example Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Brazilian, Indian, Italian, Cuban, Mexican and German. Besides that, they also remain and develop their own foods such as California cuisine, Southwestern, Creole and Southern cooking. All of the above features are just general idea about Americans. Today, our group chooses the topic American people with strong desire which is studying and understanding about American people under all of cultural sides (food, fashion, recreation and ceremonies).

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II. INFLUENCES OF GEOGRAPHY FACTOR

2.1. Map of the 13 American Colonies in 1775

From the early, the United State is an unknown number of colonies on the coast of the Atlantic, the United States has experienced a period of great historic transformation to become a country that the political analyst - Ben Wattenberg had called nation of world-class, with a population of nearly 300 million people, representing most nationalities and ethnic groups on earth. United States has always been a leader in the modernization and progress, are essential steps to promote ethnic and other societies in a world increasingly interdependent and interact. The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, with its large size and geographic variety; many people on all over the
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3 world have immigrated to this country. Through the 19th century, the United States displaced native tribes, acquired the Louisiana territory from France, Florida from Spain, part of the Oregon Country from the United Kingdom, Alta California and New Mexico from Mexico, and Alaska from Russia, and occupied the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. For those reasons, the U.S areas are plains and large acres, Americans tried to expand the available land and were used to the nomad life. American is mainly live in temperate climate or tropical climate areas like Alaska, Hawaii so the Homestead Act of 1862 promised up to 65 hectares (160 acres) of free land to anyone with enough fortitude and vision to live on or cultivate the land. As a result, many settlements in the West contained vast areas of sparsely settled land, where neighbors lived great distances from one another.

In Nevada, the different government agencies control almost 90% of the total land. Although in other places have lower rates. This land, along with Alaska, is the area where almost no one thought of living. Moreover, the federal program of land distribution to encourage land use for agriculture was not appropriate, because the land here is almost nothing really promising for agriculture. Census Bureau United States has announced an end to border settlements in 1890, Western lands that most areas have not yet occupied. Moreover, at that time the interest groups, such as sawn timber, mining, also began to promote greater ownership of private land, the federal government also re-evaluate the previous program in land that was conducted almost free distribution.

In the 19th century, Americans used their land to grow crops, which helped create the dynamic agricultural economy that defined American society. Immigrants found land to settle and raised their cattle, southerners considered to expand their slave economy into Western lands. But the disputes between the agrarian South and industrial North over the expansion of the institution of slavery and states
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4 rights provoked the Civil War of the 1860s. The North's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. By the 1870s, Americas national economy was the world's largest. Because the United States had so much land, the children became less dependent on inheriting the family estate. Many widely spread settlements were created space for newer religious sects, hospitals, universities and schools. However, before the late 19th century, when the last bloody battles between U.S. troops and Native Americans completed the white conquest of the West, the idea of possessing land was deeply etched into American cultural patterns and national consciousness. A considerable part of the overall system of U.S. national parks located in the hinterland to the west, including popular parks such as Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Canyon. But the national park is only a fraction of the total land area. The largest portion of public land under the control of the Department of Land Management, a division of the Ministry of the Interior United States, and is used for some purpose, which is most important for grazing. This is also the main agency who builds irrigation systems with hydroelectric dams in the region.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the gold mining group has become the second largest settlement in Nevada. The discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada has led to the establishment of Virginia City, a city of 20,000 population development in the 1870s, before almost disappeared by the decline of high quality ore. With many rich and abundant conditions of natural and resources, the USA has become the land attracts people around the world. They gathered together and made the United States increasingly grow.

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III. DEMOCRACY POLICY

The early England have come to the United States to settle their new society because they were tired of taxation without representation and wanted a more fair system where the people had more say in the rule of the country. In the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, the Freedom and Equal rules was claimed in the early of its beginning: We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Constitution of the United States has given democratic freedom of belief, opinion, meeting, publishing and other fields to American. However, Constitution also emphasized peoples democratic freedom was within the framework of law. In the other words, people must respect the civil freedom and keep the social stableness. For instance, in1983, President Reagan promulgated an order which petitioned all civil services who related to secret documents for receiving Lie Test. However, people were critically opposed to this order because they thought it violated constitutional liberties. Mr. Shultz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared that he would resign from office than accept Lie Test. In 1984, The National Assembly of America approved an amended Constitutional which defined students at public school must Spend one minute every day to pray God. People were strongly opposed to this. The Supreme Courts tribunal president Stevens said the Government has no Right to approve this amended Constitutional, because everyone has their own Right to have belief or no belief

Liberty and equality viewpoint not only set up the orientation of value and basic social standard but also have big effect on Americas life. Democracy and E Pluribus Unum motto were considered and obeyed. Therefore American people are more often defined by their diverse cultures and democratically inclusive

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6 features. The influences of democracy are represented on their ways of life, education and other fields.

IV. EDUCATION
Americans have shown a great concern for education since early colonial times. Within 30 years of the founding of the first settlement in Massachusetts (1620), all towns were required to hire a schoolmaster. In 1787 the Continental Congress asked every new township to reserve one plot of land for public schools. There are many kinds of teaching program which have given Americans possible chances to choose one of them. For example, 80% of U.S. college students attend public universities, while about 12% of children are enrolled in parochial or nonsectarian private schools. However, just over 2% of children are homeschooled (home schooling). Education system divided into three stages: Elementary school: includes kindergarten through the sixth grade (or eighth grade in some places). Middle school/ junior high school: from grades seven through nine. Secondary school/high school: comprises grades nine (or grade ten in some places) through twelve. [See more Diagram 1] From Hawaii to Delaware, from Alaska to Louisiana, each of the 50 states has its own laws regulating education. From state to state, some laws are similar while others are not, but all states require young people to attend school. The age limit varies, however. Most states require attendance up to age 16, some up to 18. Thus, every child in America receives at least 11 years of education. American government has ensured equality in education field. The United States has many competitive private and public institutions of higher education. 13 or 15 American colleges and universities are ranked among the top 20 in the world (according to prominent international rankings). There are also local community
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7 colleges with generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lower tuition. Of Americans twenty-five and older can take further education. As a result, there are 84.6% graduated from high school, 52.6% attended some college, 27.2% earned a bachelor's degree, 9.6% earned graduate degrees. The basic literacy rate of the United States is approximately 99%.

4.1. The United States always has high graduation rate of Higher Education

Moreover, the United Nations assigns the United States an Education Index of 0.97 (12th in the world). USA has around 160 Universities and more than 2000 Colleges that offer Bachelor's Degree. Educators around the world always note diversity as one of the main characters of American educational system. College study guides allow you to choose subjects you are most interested in whenever you like. It is that particular feature that makes American Higher Education such an attractive option for students from abroad. Cost of education is the second distinguishing factor in many US Colleges and Universities. Despite fact that education in USA is expensive, oftentimes one can find cheaper alternatives or a fairly inexpensive College. [See more Chart 1 & Table 1]
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V. WAYS OF LIFE 5.1. Food and cuisine

The United State is a land of various and delicious eating from many regions and countries all over the world. However, its cultural and culinary mix makes it impossible to characterize them separately. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the various styles continued extending well and developing a rich diversity in food preparation along with immigrant waves from many foreign nations.

Historically, the United States was a widespread land endowed with plentiful of resources for a healthy diet. In the 18th and 19th centuries, fertile soil and enormous space were an appropriate condition to cultivate grains, vegetables and to raise livestock. Since, in this period, unlike people of other countries, Americans did not know about famine. By the late 19th century, American food was still increasing and its surplus could feed the world. Americas food products were always available during both the World War time and 20th century. Despite of the abundant of ingredients for cuisine, Americans did not pay close attention to the diversity and quality of food they ate until the 20th century.

Early Native Americans utilized a number of cooking methods in early American Cuisine, that have been blended with early European cooking methods to form the basis of American Cuisine. Basic foodstuffs such as wheat, pork, beef, poultry and dairy products were used for making dishes. Besides, foods like lobster, potatoes, corn, codfish, molasses, pumpkin and other squashes, peanuts, cabbage, sweet potatoes were used. The United States' regional cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity and style with each region having its own distinctive cuisine. For instance, Midwestern cuisine covers everything from barbecue to the Chicagostyle hot dog. The Northwest relies on local seafood, while in the South, Mexican flavors are extremely common. In Louisiana, the subtleties of Cajun food come

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9 from patient, long simmering of carefully chosen ingredients and spicy which represents the variation of Southern dishes.

In the late 19th century, immigrants from Europe and Asia brought in even more diversities into the American diet. American cooking is the fusion of multiple ethnic or regional approaches into completely new cooking styles. Asian cooking has played a particularly large role in American fusion cuisine. Similarly, while some dishes that are typically considered American have their origins in other countries. Hot dogs and hamburgers are both based on traditional German dishes, brought over to America by German immigrants to the United States, but in their modern popular form they can be reasonably considered American dishes.

By the early 20th century, the American government and other citizens paid more attention on the food safety issue. American food became safer throughout the Pure Food and Drug Acts legislation. They started to package their foods in various kinds of material. Pre-packaged American meals tend to be high in carbohydrates, fat, sodium. However, they also tend to be vitamin fortified. Examples of pre-packed American meals include various type dishes such as soups, noodles, breakfast cereals, instant puddings.

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10

5.1. Bar graph from the Oxford Health alliance

The United States are famous for high-tech food production and processing. People used machines, fertilizers, hybridization and other modern technologies to increase crop yields and customer selection. Moreover, their advanced technology made the price of foods cheaper. By 1950s, refrigerator was created to store foods. Now food stocks were kept longer and providing the American kitchen with prepared ingredients. However, plenty wholesome food combined with 20th century lifestyle and work habits which are too hurried brought its own unpleasant results such as overeating and overweight. Obesity has become an alarming issue in the United States in recent decades.

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11

5.2. Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults

[See more Table 2] Americas food did exert strong influence on the rest of the world by its new cuisine. Notable features of American dishes are convenience and rapid consumption represented in fast foods such as pizzas, hamburgers, French fries and soft drinks. Fast foods have become a symbol of America culture and service industry through the global expansion of restaurant chains such as McDonalds, T.G.I Fridays, KFC, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc. Nowadays, fast foods can be found all over the world from Europe to Soviet Union or Communist China.

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GROUP: 8

12

Burger and fries

By the late 20th century, American began appreciating fresh ingredients and livelier flavors. American cooks and chefs have substantially altered these dishes over the years, to the degree that the dishes now enjoyed the world over are considered to be American. Notable American restaurant chefs include Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Alice Waters. Mass media have brought a variety of food styles to every Americans kitchen.

5.3. The data come from USDA figures; fast food expenditures were not tracked before 1929
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13

From the very beginning to modern life, Americans have developed their cuisine from monotonous diet to diverse diet. They enjoy food from a wide range of foreign cuisines; however they have also developed their own regional foods. This characteristic not only reflects democracy and region factor on their eating habit but is an expression of complex culture. Varied cuisine is also a great creation of Americans.

5.2. Dress
While most of the countries all over the world have traditional costumes, America does not own distinctive folk attire but the clothing of the Native American peoples. American fashion is derived from the Europeans when they began colonizing this country in the 17th century. However, the United Statess fashion modified European one. Americans have tended to wear the same type and immigrants who come from many regions changed rapidly their homelands clothes. The distinctive point of American fashion is casualness. Fashion sources depend on what people on the streets are wearing. It is not so formal like Europe (the fashion hierarchy). Although American tastes continue to be influenced by European styles, it still comes from popular sources such as the school, the street, television and movies. As the result, in the last quarter of the 20th century, American designers focused on the clothing of the young people, workers. We can say that blue jeans are the main contribution to American culture of global fashion. In 1872,

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14 Levi Strauss received an offer from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno Nevada. In order to improve the durability of the pants that he made for his clients, Mr. Davis had been adding metal rivets to the highly stressed seams. The idea was successful and he wished to patent it. Lacking the money to do so, he turned to Levi for financial backing. In 1873, they patented the idea as durable clothing for miners. The history of clothing started changing. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, blue jeans (also known as dungarees) was populous workers of all kinds such as cowboys, farmers, loggers and railroad workerIn the 1970s not only almost Americans wore blue jeans but also more and more young people all over the world took it. Because of blue jeans the popularity, a lot of designers started creating more varied styles and changed slightly their fit. Jeans also began expressing the informality of Americans. Although originated from low status, blue jeans became the latest fad in American fashion. Informality is so strong that many workplaces have to adopt the idea of casual Friday. That is a day when all of workers are encouraged to dress formally. Nowadays many high-tech industries, schools, colleges and universities have carried out it, not just Friday. The fashion industry grew rapidly in the second half of the 20th century and became a major source of competition for French fashion. Moreover, informality is always respected, remained and developed in American society. As a result of this, there are many famous labels of United States designers such as Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, and Ralph Lauren. They have also made a contribution to American look which is based on the tradition of the old west and in part on the clean the eagerness of sport with suburban style.

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GROUP: 8

15

5.3. Sport and recreation

In general, sports play an important role in American life. Not only are they enjoyed extreme popularity but more important they are vehicles for transmitting such values as justice, fair play, and teamwork. It seems that Americans of all classes, races, sexes and ages take part in sport activities. Various games including some that may be viewed as earlier forms of lacrosse and field hockey were played by Native American people. Baseball, basketball and football arose from games that were brought to America by the first settlers that arrived from Europe in the 17th century. These games became American typical sports. These games were re-fashioned and elaborated in the course of the 19th century and are now the most popular sports in the United States. Ice hockey was also major played in the United States which attracted many spectators and participants like the above typical sports.

5.4. Most popular sports among American Adults

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16 By the time that sports spread throughout professional competitions, college campuses and daily life. University sports programs are offered at the intercollegiate (organized competition) and the intramural (club-like, less competitive) levels. Title IX, the U.S. Government legislation signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972 that guaranteed equal rights for girls and women in every aspect of education, including athletics. Women's sports have changed dramatically on so many levels in recent decades. The rate of girls and women who participate in traditional sport including soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, and rugby is increasing.

Fenway Park in Boston is the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball

The development of mass media also contributed to broadcast American sports. So sports now are not merely entertaining activities, but an enormous business. America spectators watched sports both on television and directly in the stadium with enthusiasm. Commercial sports seem always busy with considerable events such as the Super Bowl, National Basketball Association championship, the Olympic Games or more. [See more Chart 2]
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17

5.5. Average hours spent per day in leisure and sports activities, by youngest and oldest populations

During the 20th century and today, sports became more and more popular. Recent decades have given birth to a wide variety of extreme sports such as boarding, mountain biking, sport climbing, bungee jumping, hang gliding, wind surfing. As American spend more leisure time on joining various types of sports- jogging, bicycling, swimming, skiing, tennis. They are also influenced by sporty trend of fashion, equipment and vehicle. Sports became one of the most visible expressions of the vast extension of democracy of America. American enthusiasm for sports which aided by the mass media has contributed to sports and creation development.

5.4. Celebrations and Holidays

The United States is a nation of immigrants, so a lot of celebration and holidays are held throughout the year in this country. Although every nation has its holidays, they also celebrate holidays specific to the United States that commemorate historical events or encourage a common national memory. In fact, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest Monday
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18 by then-President Richard Nixon in 1971, many national holidays had become three-day weekends, which many people used as mini vacations. Except for the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, most commemorative federal holidays, including Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Presidents Day, are celebrated on Mondays so that Americans can enjoy a long weekend. Because many Americans tend to create vacations out of these holiday weekends rather than celebrate a particular event, some people believe the original significance of many of these occasions has been eroded.

The Christmas tree has been a tradition at the U.S. Capitol since 1964. It was lit from dusk until 11 p.m. each evening through the end of December.

Christmas is one of the major festivals in the United States. It is the most important religious holy day for Christians, who attend special church services to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is not only a religious holy day, but became one of the first federal holidays in 1870. The United States begin to take on aspects of the modern holiday celebration, such as exchanging gifts, cooking and eating traditional foods, and putting up often-elaborate Christmas decorations. The holiday has grown in popularity and significance ever since. People decorating houses and yards with lights, putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending

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19 greeting cards. These common Christmas practices are observed by people who are not religious or who are not Christian. In this way, Christmas traditions have become has become popular not only in America but also in all over the world.

Dressed in Halloween costumes Raquel Orelowitz, 8 years old, left, and her friend Eda Vitto, trick-or-treat in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, a few blocks the site of the September 11th terrorist attacks [AP Images]

Halloween is another festival that originated in America. Since the 800's, November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints' Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called All Hallowmas. The evening before became known as All Halloween, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs. Halloween is organized at the last day of October and has a special significance for children, who dress in funny or ghostly costumes and knock on neighborhood doors shouting "Trick or Treat!" Pirates and princesses, ghosts and witches all hold bags open to catch the candy or other goodies that the neighbors drop in. Over long time, Halloween becomes

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GROUP: 8

20 popular in many countries, such as in Vietnam, every October 31st, people still dress in ghostly costumes and join the parties. Independence Day is regarded as the birthday of the United States as a free and independent nation. At that time, the people of the 13 British colonies located along the eastern coast of what is now the United States were involved in a war over what they considered unjust treatment by the king and parliament in Britain, they were fighting not only just for better treatment but also for their freedom from England's rule. Americans have commemorated their independence with fireworks and patriotic music.

Displays of fireworks, such as these over the Washington Monument, take place across the United States on Independence Day.

According to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb.12. Americans also memorialize Martin Luther King, Jr. - a black clergyman who is ranked among the greatest of
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21 black Americans because of his crusade to win full civil rights for his people. The world was shocked when Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. Ever since, special memorial services have marked his birthday on January 15. By vote of Congress, the third Monday of every January, beginning in 1986, is now a federal holiday in Dr. King's honor. Holidays honoring wars have also lost much of their original significance. Memorial Day, first called Decoration Day and celebrated on May 30, was established to honor those who died during the American Civil War (1861-1865), then subsequently those who died in all American wars. Similarly, Veterans Day was first named Armistice Day and marked the end of World War I (1914-1918). During the 1950s the name of the holiday was changed in the United States, and its significance expanded to honor armed forces personnel who served in any American war. Over time, many celebrations and holidays have grown continuously and may change the original meaning, but it's still a part of entertainment not just Americans but have been shared with many countries in all over the world.

VI. THE ARTS 6.1. Visual art

The visual arts include not only traditional forms like paintings, drawings or sculpture but also modern photography. By the time, these kinds of art have many great changes. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American art was affected by European art. For instance, in the mid-19th century the Hudson River School is an important movement that followed Europes naturalism tradition. In 1913, the Armory program at New York City was an exhibition of contemporary art in Europe has caused the movement towards the public. American art started to flourish during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Notable artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Marsden Hartley, and the others experimented with new genres, describing highly personal feelings and abstract expressions. Subjects of American art are various such as struggling farmers and workers,
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22 multicultural and rural life, re-created the history and lives of African Americans and emotional states. There are many notable artists consisted of Pablo Picasso, Hans Hofmann, Joseph Cornell, etc. who gave way to other innovations of American art. Although photography has just appeared since 1888, along with the developed of Kodak camera by George Eastman; United States has long been a leader in the field of modern art photography with some photographers such as Alfred Steiglitz, Edward Steichen, Ansel Adams, and many others. Americans and their cultural have become the endless sources of inspiration for artistes.

6.2. Literature
Since World War II American literature has been much more diverse than before by exploiting important and strong inspiration from European traditions such as Native American folktales and slave narratives. From the 1940s to the 1960s the writing of American Jew developed strongly with many voices. Some Jewish writers had appeared before World War II and contributed to expanding American literature but after the war, a great number of talented Jewish writers came out like a special phenomenon such as Herman Wouk, Norman Mailer, Saul Bellow (awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1976), Bernard MalamudThrough their works, they use their Jewish background to ask about human rights in modern American society.

Some African American writers have struggled to express painful behaviors in recent decades. It began since James Baldwin wrote about his dark and hurt life when he was self-imposed exile in Paris. After that, there are many novelists continuing with the African American past especially Toni Morrison. She was appreciated as the writer having major works. Morrison became the first African American writer receiving Nobel Prize in literature. Besides that, there are also Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican Americans representing their experiences about American culture for instance N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko facing up
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23 with problems of poverty, life and mixture between people coming from many regions all over the world.

Not only after the war, Southern writers also showed American culture which is embodied in famous literature such as Gone With the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell, William Faulkner with series of novels The Sound and the Fury (1929), Light in August (1932) and Absalom, Absalom (1936). Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1949 by his contribution in American literature. Other American writers (Thomas Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and E.L Doctorow) reflected the different features of consciousness in the chaos of the modern society. Vladimir Nabokov may be the greatest modernist novelist in the United States except for Faulkner. He first wrote in Russian, then in French and after settling America he began to write in English. Nabokov described that he could develop any situation through a series of novels especially Lolita (1955) which is a novel about sexual obsession. In short, American literature has gotten many remarkable achievements. Modernism had its most profound effect on other forms of literature especially in poetry and in a new kind of personal journalism that gradually erased the sharp distinctions between news reporting, personal reminiscence and fiction writing.

6.3. Movie
From the early 20th century, the film technologies in the United States are largely centered at Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The director D.W. Griffith is the center of the development of specifications and film montage, the film Citizen Kane (1941) which was directed as Orson Welless always been voted as the greatest film of all time. Some people such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe have become the famous actor and actress while cum movie promotes the production products. The major studio of Hollywood is where the major production of commercially successful films in the world like Star Wars (1977),

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24 Titanic (1997), and the products of Hollywood today dominate in the film of the worlds industry.

6.4. Performing art

Performing arts in the United State have been a blend of traditional with popular art forms. The classical performing arts such as music, opera, dance and theater has gradually represented features of Americans and their culture. Lately, these arts were not strongly influenced by Europe; they included Americans innovations. By the 20th century, many innovative artists like George Gershwin, Aaron Copland successfully incorporated new forms into classical traditions. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there was a serious crossover between traditional and popular music forms. The traditional music genres such as blues and jazz which are known as classical music, has been re-created and put into the popular music. Now they are enjoyed all over the world. During the 1970s and 1980s, American composers such as John Adams and Philip Glass began composing modern operas. Especially, in the 1960s, rock music appeared and affected musical field. Then many kinds of modern music such rock 'n' roll, rap, or hip-hop became attractive to audiences. This updating made America a flourishing center for performing arts. Moreover, performances of all kinds have become popular and available across the country.

6.5. Mass media

Media is a means to promote the image of the country and also an abstract powerful which has diffused strongly U.S. influence in the world. Through media people can know ever thing happened all over the U.S like they have witnessed it before. That's the way that communication is brought to

every American home. Especially, with modern mass media equipment like Internet access, cable TV that the information achievement is easier than ever. The media has been bringing great benefits for the U.S. These are not only hundreds of billions of dollars of income each year but a spreading and promoting the national image all over the world. Mass media have also formed
Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP: 8

25 global image of the the United world, States. Those the fashion include the Hollywood

movie audiences around

magazine Vogue appears in

most newspaper fashion, the Google website, Facebook or MySpace.

VII. SOCIOLOGIST ISSUES 7.1. Housing

America is the vast space with an enormous amount of natural resources. Together with Native Americans more and more immigrants came to this country to settle their new life. They needed a large agricultural land to grow crop and raise cattle since the idea of possessing land was deeply etched into American cultural patterns and national consciousness. In the colonial times, cities were divided along racial and class lines. A common form of housing was the row house, which means a series of attached dwellings. The working classes and urban slaves resided in peripheral areas and the early suburbs, while the elites lived in the center city. In this period, there was no separation between the workplace and the home. As the country industrialized, home and workplace became distinct. During the 19th century, they stretched out their farm land into the western. However, the desire for residential privacy has remained a significant feature of American culture. Most of the United States citizens desired to own their own home which separate from other neighbors land. The noise and pollution of the industrialized cities combined with a transportation revolution made possible by cable cars and railroads. In a consequence, the suburb was transformed from the space for social outcasts and lower classes to a space for the elite. Despite the suburbanization in the 1980s, urban Americans began to reclaim the cities by restoring older apartment buildings and houses. This process called gentrification which turned cities into the new American frontier and the major financial centers such as New York and Los Angeles. Nowadays, some Americans live at homes in the suburbs or apartments in the gentrified space of cities. While some others who cannot afford the high real estate
Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP: 8

26 prices also stay in public housing, rental housing and others low cost homes. Their home seize may be not as big as it was (like ranch house and large lawns) but it construction is more modern and comfortable.

7.2. Living arrangements

Alternative models of family life are important in American life. In the past, nuclear family consisting of parents and their children was the typical family model of the U.S. This pattern reflected their biological relationships and gender roles. Men were breadwinners and women were housewife. Besides, extended family was the notable model of immigrant group such as African-America, Asian-America, etc. However, extended families are not common in the US. The US family is more mobile than in many other societies. In the current life, women have broken out the glass ceiling which prevented them from joining in modern society. Their status is higher in relation to men. They go out to make money and keep respected position in economic, social and many other fields. There is a role reversal which is not easy for some men. And the term wife-husband is not strange with us. Now single-parent families or families with adopted or even without children are popular type of living arrangements.

7.3. Naming convention

Naming convention is one of the cultural inheritances of the American. Americans trace their ancestry and inherit through both the maternal and paternal lines. Surnames are most commonly adopted through the paternal line, with children taking the father's name. Women usually adopt the husband's surname upon marriage. However, today, it is increasingly common for women to keep their own surnames and for the children to use both the father's and the mother's last names.

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

27

VIII. CONCLUSION
From early beginning of settlement up to be put into the orbit of development the United States with natural advantages as well as social changes has formed American characteristics. Because of diverse and complex culture, the United States was mentioned as Melting pot or Salad bowl but it is also unique. Moreover, human factors play an important role in the national prosperity and decadence. Americans have found out appropriate directions to develop culture, economy and society successfully.

Americans with their own personalities have made their country affluence. By internal human resource combines with favorable nature, after four centuries, America has become one of the most powerful countries in the world. American character is harmonized with national values and civilization of imported cultures to become a distinct style - American style. Although this essay cannot represent the whole role of human factor on Americas development, it gives out the background information to learn more about American people.

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

28 APPENDICES Diagram 1.

The American educational system Copyright AE Study Abroad - Accessing the World's Best Education. A BE Limited Company

Source: http://aestudyabroad.com/us-education-system/gat/

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29

Chart 1.

Education pays in higher earnings and lower unemployment rates

Note: Data are 2010 median weekly earnings for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Current Population Survey. Table 1. Unemployment rate in 2010 (Percent) 1.9% 2.4 4.0 5.4 7.0 9.2 10.3 14.9 8.2 Education attained Doctoral degree Professional degree Master's degree Bachelor's degree Associate degree Some college, no degree High-school graduate Less than a high school diploma All Workers Median weekly earnings in 2010 (Dollars)

1,550 1,610 1,272 1,038 767 712 626 444 782 Note: Data are 2010 median weekly earnings for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers.

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

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30

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.

Table 2. 2010 State Obesity Rates State % State % 28.2 Montana 23.0 Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland 29.6 28.4 29.4 31.3 31.0 26.8 27.1 Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon 26.9 22.4 25.0 23.8 25.1 23.9 27.8 27.2 29.2 30.4 26.8

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connectic ut Delaware

% 32.2 24.5 24.3 30.1 24.0 21.0 22.5 28.0

State Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

% 25.5 31.5 27.3 30.8 31.0 22.5 23.2 26.0 25.5 32.5 26.3 25.1

District of 22.2 Columbia 26.6 Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho 29.6 22.7 26.5

Massachus 23.0 -etts Michigan 30.9 Minnesota Mississipp i Missouri 24.8 34.0 30.5

Pennsylvania 28.6

The data shown in these maps were collected through the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), on the basis of self-reported weight and height.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.HTML

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8

31 Chart 2.

On an average day, individuals age 15 and over spent half of their leisure time watching TV (Data are from the 2010 survey)

Source: http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts

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32

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Vietnamese
1. Hoa K, Wikimedia. URL http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoa_K%E1%BB%B3 2. Tm lc lch s nc M, n phm ca Chng trnh Thng tin Quc t, B Ngoi giao Hoa K (2007). URL http://vietnamese.vietnam.usembassy.gov/doc_historyinbrief.html 3. Truyn thng: Sc mnh mm ca nc M, Nguyn Th Thng (2011). URL http://tuanvietnam.vietnamnet.vn/2011-01-27-truyen-thong-suc-manh-memcua-nuoc-my 4. Vi nt tnh cch ngi M, Nguyn Hi (2007). URL http://htx.dongtak.net/spip.php?article900

English
1. American Cuisine, Wikimedia URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cuisine 2. American Holidays, U.S. State Department IIP publications (2008) Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials URL http://usa.usembassy.de/holidays.htm 3. Culture of the United States, Wikimedia URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_United_States 4. Education, U.S. State Department IIP publications (2010) Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials URL http://usa.usembassy.de/society-education.htm 5. Ethinic Cuisine: United States, Nancy Freeman (2009) URL http://sallybernstein.com/food/cuisines/us/ 6. Food, Sidney Mintz, Anthropologistd URL http://sallybernstein.com/food/cuisines/us/ 7. In Congress, July 4, 1776, The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America (1776)
Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer GROUP: 8

33 URL http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/ 8. The History of Blue Jeans, Lynn Downey (2010) Lynn Downey, Levis & Co. official historian, has developed a terrific series of articles on this subject. URL http://www.jeans-and-accessories.com/history-of-blue-jeans.html

Supervisor: Nguyen Khanh Du, M.A., Senior Lecturer

GROUP: 8