Personal Narrative: My American Culture

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I came to a realization while visiting my family in Canada. I am on a treadmill. No, not a literal treadmill. The treadmill that American society puts us on. Let me explain.

I was raised by a Canadian mother in an American world. I have two passports, thus making me a Canadian and an American citizen. Although I’ve lived in Los Angeles the vast majority of my life, my American experience has not been entirely American. It’s been North-American, if you will.

Most Americans view Canada as “the fifty-first state,” or, if they don’t see it to that extent, they see Canadian culture as a culture very similar to American culture. However, as someone who has been immersed into both, I see two distinct cultures. As a child, I was given two cultures in one household: the American way from my father, and the Canadian way from my mother. The American way and the Canadian way contradict each other quite a bit. From my father, I was taught to be cutthroat. I was taught that no one will cut you slack, and if you want to make it anywhere, you have to be a shark. From my mother, I was taught compassion and kindness. I was also taught that there isn’t one path to success.

I suppose the harsh truth that my father told me is the effect of his growing up in a capitalist society. And my mother’s teachings are the effect of being raised in a …show more content…
The way capitalism treats college is very different than the way socialism treats college. Since I go to an American school and have American friends, it has been indoctrinated into me that college is necessary to become successful. Not only that, but to be truly successful, I must go to a top-notch college. I must also have perfect grades, take as many Honors, AP, or IB classes as possible, join many clubs, and have extracurricular activities. We must do all those things so we can get accepted to the top colleges and hopefully get a scholarship, too. This is the American
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