Lebanese vs US Culture

Lebanese vs US Culture

            It is known that Lebanon and the US differ in a lot of things, from food and language to culture and lifestyle. The four main categories that they show contrast in are: Communication, Religion, Lifestyle, and Food.

From a communication aspect, the language in both cultures is central to all interaction whether within their own country or worldwide. The Lebanese speak Arabic and in the US they speak American, however these two languages (Arabic and English) are in the top 5 most spoken languages in the world either due to the great population both languages belong to or due to the ease of communication that they offer through these languages. English is the second language to most countries of the world which indicates it is a crucial element in communication and in education. Arabic has also been spreading more invasively then before and more non-Arabs are learning the Arabic language and its history.

Moving on to the religious aspect, the Lebanese culture is known for its religious identity that consists of Muslim and Christian citizens. In the Arab world, religion is a fundamental part of people’s lifestyle and it usually is the religion they grew up with. While in the American culture it is divided into two parts: Christians and non-Christians (Muslims – Jews –Buddhists – atheists). The US usually consists of religious and not so religious people, depending on the background each individual comes from, so religion is not a dependable and steady factor in all households.

Regarding the lifestyle aspect, Americans have a free-spirited and contemporary being that enables them to live life by the rules they put for themselves, for instance,  they normally go by the rule of living with their parents the age of 18 and then move on to live independently and take care of themselves alone. While the Lebanese are guided by the criteria their religion and tradition holds, thus they live with their parents till get married. This however has recently changed and they are trying to have a similar modern lifestyle as the west. Also, Americans are not as strict as Lebanese when it comes to parenting and family values. In the Arab culture family is a priority to almost all Arabs and they are typically closer to each other than American families. They see each other on a daily/ weekly basis not just on holidays and celebrations.

At last the food aspect, the US is popular for its fast food restaurants and all kinds of ready to eat meals since most people have lived on their own since 18 and look for fast and easy to make meals. Therefore, Americans have been labeled as the people of obesity in some point in time but this is slowly changing now a days. The Lebanese people are famous for there “Maza” which is a type of food made of kababs, hummus, fattoush … Yet in both countries international restaurants are spread in a wide variety, to have a taste of every country in the world.

With all that being said, both cultures are very similar with the way they think of themselves as a union and a nation. Yet, due to the political tension that was created between Arabs and Americans over the years, some Americans think of the Lebanese and most Arab countries as a source of terror and segregating them as third world countries who are inferior to them, which lead the Arabs to think of Americans as oppressors who haven’t given them the chance to show their true selves, resulting in a love hate relationship between them This can be fixed by having spreading more awareness and peace between the two cultures and arranging mutual festivities in collaboration with each other. This can be done through the embassies and with the help of Lebanese-American citizens who have objective and fair thinking about the two countries.