What Is "American Culture," Really?

To celebrate 250 years of America, we must remember what lies at the cornerstone of our country, which gave birth to our luxuries and liberties, lest we neglect to protect them.

Amid the rage-posting about ICE and immigration law, I found myself in an argument with an individual in my defense for removing illegal aliens from my country. I said that I "would like to preserve American culture for my family," to which this person responded, "'American' isn't a culture." This person was unknowingly confessing that American culture had become so intrinsically part of every aspect of her life that it was as invisible and vital to her as the air she breathed. And even more concerning, she was one of millions who believed this. Frankly, it makes sense; why defend or protect a nation that has no culture? As America's 250th birthday approaches, I thought it appropriate to explain to her, and to all those who share her sentiment, exactly what American culture is.

To believe that America has no culture, while benefiting from all that America has given you, is exclusively a statement of nescience.

Let's take the individual from above and apply their logic back. This person is Mexican by ethnicity, and if you were to use her own words to say "'Mexican' isn't a culture," she would be deeply offended, understandably. Though, despite her Mexican roots, she's become quite accustomed to the American lifestyle. This person doesn't speak Spanish (and has never had to), she uses an Apple iPhone, shops at all the dominating American businesses such as Amazon and Target, takes the family to Disney World, etc. To believe that America has no culture, while benefiting from all that America has given you, is exclusively a statement of nescience. Much like a 30-year-old who never moved out of their parents' home and complains about the house rules, all the while mooching off of their heating and electricity, many people stay in the United States, lamenting the very laws and customs that have given them the rights they take for granted. Being an American must be something remarkable, considering thousands of people commit crimes every day to access this coveted land. Our beautiful nation now houses millions of puerile adults who 'never moved out' and likely never will. They gleefully destroy the reputations of our great American heroes, among them Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee, and still they refuse to leave. Why do they stay if they hate America? And what is American culture, anyway?

There is a primary, acceptable answer, which will satisfy most inquirers. If we define culture by history, music, art, architecture, etc., then the answer is simple, but the list is long. American history is the Revolutionary War, the 'Roaring 20s,' the Emancipation Proclamation. American government is the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the 19th Amendment, and the Declaration of Independence. American music is Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson. American art is Norman Rockwell, Ansel Adams, and the Lincoln Memorial. American innovation is Apollo 11, Wilbur and Orville Wright, and the first of many inventions, such as the telephone, the lightbulb, and the internet. It is homecoming football games, cheerleaders, quarterbacks, and touchdowns. It is the NFL, the NBA, the MLB, the SEC. It is The Godfather, Casablanca, Star Wars, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's Breaking Bad, Friends, and Seinfeld. It's county fairs, the fourth of July, barbecues, and s'mores. It's Yellowstone, the Rockies, and New England. It's apple pie, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. In the words of Olivia Dean, "the more you look, the more you find, it's all around you all the time." American culture gave you the screen on which you read these words.

When people say "there is no such thing as 'American culture'," what they fail to realize is that American culture so perfectly cradles their world that though it's indistinguishable to them, they depend on it to be there when they wake up and when they go to sleep.

However, if we define culture by philosophy, principle, and faith, American culture is more complex. We must first recognize that America is not born out of nothing; America is from somewhere. More specifically, from Someone. Our God-fearing founding fathers came from England, and their pursuit of true freedom and zeal for Christianity came from English culture, and English culture also came from somewhere, again, from Someone. If we trace these roots back to their origin, we find Jesus Christ. We find His Crucifixion, His Resurrection, and His Ascension to be the seed that planted the fruitful branch of our modern society. Saints Constantine and Helen made faith in Christ triumphant throughout the Roman Empire in the third century, which covered millions of square miles and reached Europe, Africa, and Asia. The idea that 'all men are created equal' was not found in pagan civilizations throughout history. That concept was introduced to humanity by Jesus, and thanks to the Roman, English, and Spanish conquerors and colonizers who spread Christianity, we actually value human life today, which cannot be said for societies of the past.

Some wish to defend the ancient pagan societies and claim that they are to be credited with many modern advantages, and that they are worth preserving. In fairness, I can attest that there are some impressive feats of these civilizations; for example, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Tenochtitlan in the 16th century, they marveled at the Aztecs' architecture and their dams. The Mayans were thought to have been able to predict solar eclipses. The Navajo had such an impressive code-communication system that the Marines recruited them to aid in the victory of the Allies in WWII. Despite these accomplishments, when Christian explorers and crusaders made it to these parts of the globe, native tribes were still performing child sacrifices on thousands of infants and toddlers, ripping the hearts out of living people, and in certain parts of Africa they hadn't yet invented the wheel.

When people say "there is no such thing as 'American culture'," what they fail to realize is that American culture so perfectly cradles their world that though it's indistinguishable to them, they depend on it to be there when they wake up and when they go to sleep. They are blissfully unaware of how people in other parts of the modern world struggle daily. Religious autonomy, access to uncensored news and information, police and medical assistance that arrives within minutes, the ability to broadcast grievances about the government without consequence… this is normal to them; expected. Though those with true cultural awareness know that these are gifts of privilege, and are unique to America. These liberties are incredibly abnormal almost anywhere else.

Many don't know about China's social credit score system, in which a citizen holds a social credit score determined by their behavior. A 'bad score' can result in a fine, denial from universities, and job loss. One's score can be lowered by public drunkenness, openly criticizing the state, and even jaywalking. In Canada, the universal healthcare system holds a median wait time of 27 weeks for medically necessary procedures. Recently, a woman in Canada died after waiting for assistance for over 11 hours in the emergency room. Another man waited an entire day for the ambulance to arrive after breaking his hip. Even in France, infant vaccinations are not up to parental discretion, but are required by law, despite France having one of the highest SIDS rates in Europe. And these are modern countries; unimaginable horrors are still happening according to the 'cultures' and practices of other parts of the world, such as the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic jihadists, the child sex trafficking and narco-terrorism in the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), and the silencing and mass-slaughtering of the Iranian people by their own government.

It's in our homes, it's in our schools, it's the films we watch and the music we love.

American culture is rugged, proud, and resolute. It's in our homes, it's in our schools, it's the films we watch and the music we love. However, these material things are to an end; our most important cultural distinction is that America was founded to honor and glorify Christ Jesus, and that is still her purpose as a country. This timeless statement from the Declaration of Independence, "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," is our country's founders' testament that the focus of their mission was to grant unrequited liberation to God's people, as God does for us. And we owe a great deal of thanks to the colonizers and conquerors who braved unknown lands and territories to spread the Gospel, to teach the eternal value of human life, and to bring to fruition the culture we know and love today.

American culture is the freedom to read these very words, and that freedom is a luxury. And it is, most importantly, an arrow pointing to the One who grants us true freedom, Christ Jesus.