Culture of the US 3

Culture of the United States 3

Source: Wikipedia
Annotations: Nguyễn Minh Tâm

LANGUAGE

The primary, although not official, language of the United States is English. According to the
2000 U.S. Census, more than 97% of Americans can speak English well, and for 81% of the
population, it is the only language spoken at home. There is no official language.

Other languages that are considered to be important to U.S. culture include:

• Spanish because of the proximity of and immigration from Mexico and other
Spanish-speaking countries of the Caribbean1 and Central and South America, as
well as the cultural crossover2 of the borderlands,
• the native Hawaiian3 language, and other native languages with large numbers of
speakers (such as Navajo)4
• Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog5 (Filipino language) due to
immigration from the countries where those languages are spoken, and
• French, in Louisiana (a former French colony, where Cajun6 French is spoken),
and in northern New England, home to many French Canadian immigrants in the
past and which is also influenced by neighboring Acadian-Canadian7 culture.

There are more than 300 languages besides English which can claim native speakers in the
United States—some of which are spoken by the indigenous8 peoples (about 150 living
languages) and others which were imported by immigrants. Creoles9 native to the United States

1
the Caribbean = [vùng biển Caribê] the islands and countries of the Caribbean Sea
collectively.
2
crossover = [sự tạp giao] exchange
3
Hawaii = a state of the United States comprising the Hawaiian Islands in the N Pacific: a U.S.
territory 1900-59; admitted to the Union 1959. 1,115,274; 6424 sq. mi. (16,638 sq. km). Cap.:
Honolulu. Abbr: HI, Haw.
4
Navajo = a member of an American Indian people of the U.S. Southwest, now centered on a
reservation in NE Arizona and adjacent areas of Utah and New Mexico; the Athabaskan language
of the Navajo.
5
Tagalog = a member of a people of the Philippines, living mainly in central and SW Luzon; the
Austronesian language of the Tagalogs.
6
Cajun /!jdHcY?m/ = a member of the traditionally Roman Catholic, French-speaking population
of rural S Louisiana, descended largely from French colonists expelled from Acadia in 1755-63;
the form of French spoken by the Cajuns.
7
Acadian = a native or inhabitant of Acadia; any of the French-speaking inhabitants of Acadia
expelled by the British 1755-63, and their descendants, esp. in the Maritime Provinces, N Maine,
and Louisiana.
Acadia = a region and former French colony on the N Atlantic coast of North America, including
the present Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and
part of Maine: ceded to the British 1713.
8
indigenous = [bản ñịa] originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country;
native
9
Creole = [người gốc Pháp sống ở châu Mỹ; thổ ngữ Pháp] a member of the French-speaking,
generally urban population of Louisiana that claims descent from the region's earliest French and
Spanish settlers.
Also, Creole of color, a member of any of several French-speaking communities of Louisiana of
mixed black and French or Spanish ancestry.
(usu. l.c.) a pidgin that has become the native language of a speech community.
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 Culture of the US 3
10
include Gullah and Cajun, both spoken in the Southeast. American Sign Language, used mainly
by the deaf, is also native to the country.

There are four major regional dialects11 in the United States—northeastern, south, inland north
and midlands.12 The Midlands accent13 (considered the "standard accent" in the United States,
and analogous in some respects to the received pronunciation14 elsewhere in the English-
speaking world) extends from what were once the "Middle Colonies"15 across the Midwest to the
Pacific states.

RELIGION

Cathedral16 of Our Lady of the Angels, the Roman Catholic seat of the Archdiocese17 of Los
Angeles

Historically, the United States' religious tradition has been dominated by Protestant18 Christianity,
but this tradition coexists in a public sphere where religious plurality19 and secularism20 are the
norm.21 For example, the United States Constitution22 enshrined individual freedom of religious

10
Gullah = a member of any of the communities of blacks that formerly comprised the principal
population of the Sea Islands and adjacent coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia; the
English-based creole spoken by the Gullahs.
11
dialect = [phương ngữ] a variety of a language distinguished from other varieties by features
of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary and by its use by a group of speakers set off from others
geographically or socially; a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs
from the standard language, esp. when considered as nonstandard.
12
midlands = [miền trung du] the central part; the midland counties.
13
accent = [giọng miền] a mode of pronunciation characteristic of or distinctive to the speech of
a particular person, group, or locality: a southern accent.
14
received pronunciation = [phát âm chuẩn] a pronunciation of British English derived from
the educated speech of S England, traditionally used in the public schools and at Oxford and
Cambridge universities and widely used in broadcasting. Abbr: RP.
15
Middle Colonies = The region known as the Middle Colonies, which eventually encompassed
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, was the only part of British North America
initially settled by non-English Europeans. Middle Colonies were a part of the original Thirteen
Colonies that would later become The United States of America. The region was originally New
Netherland, which was later divided into the western half of Connecticut (which today is part of
New England), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware. Today, these areas are
described as the Mid-Atlantic States.
16
cathedral = [thánh ñường] the principal church of a diocese [giáo khu], containing the
bishop's throne.
17
archdiocese /@9sR!c`H?rHr/ = the diocese of an archbishop. [ñịa phận cai quản của tổng giám
mục]
18
Protestant = [người theo ñạo Tin lành] any Western Christian not an adherent of the Roman
Catholic Church.
19
plurality = [có nhiều] the fact of being numerous.
20
secularism = [chủ nghĩa thế tục] secular spirit or tendency, esp. a system of political or social
philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship; the view that public education and
other matters of civil policy should be conducted without the influence of religious beliefs.
secular = [không thuộc tôn giáo] not relating to or concerned with religion
21
norm = [quy phạm; tiêu chuẩn; chuyện thường] a behavior pattern or trait considered to be
typical of a particular social group.
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 Culture of the US 3
practice, which courts have since interpreted to mean that the government is a secular
institution, an idea called "separation of church and state".

While the many Christian sects23 have the most adherents, many other faiths are also popular
and growing in numbers. No one religion holds sway24 over the entirety of the population.
"Culture wars" often have roots in religious differences, but religious violence is virtually
nonexistent and roundly condemned by religious as well as non-religious individuals. Americans
as a whole attend religious services more often than do their peers25 in most Northern European
countries. In fact, the U.S. is rare among industrialized nations in that most of its citizens
consider themselves religious. It is not, however, as religious as many of its neighbors in the New
World.

According to the 2001 American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS), 76.5% of United States
residents, or 159 million people, identify themselves as Christians;26 13.2% or 27.5 million
identify as non-religious or secular. Other faiths represented include the 1.3% (or 2.8 million) of
U.S. people who identify themselves as Jewish;27 0.5% (1 million) who identify themselves as
Muslim;28 0.5% (1 million) who identify themselves as Buddhists;29 0.5% (991,000) who identify
as agnostic;30 0.4% (902,000) who identify as atheist;31 0.4% (766,000) identify as Hindu;32 and
0.3% (629,000) who identify as Unitarian Universalist.33

22
constitution = [hiến pháp] the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation,
state, corporation, or the like, is governed; the document embodying these principles.
the Constitution =the fundamental or organic law of the U.S., framed in 1787 and put into
effect in 1789.
23
sect = [môn phái; giáo phái] a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith;
denomination; a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious
tradition.
24
sway = [thống trị; cai trị; ảnh hưởng] dominating power or influence; rule; dominion.
25
peer = [người ngang hàng/tương ñương] a person who is the equal of another in abilities,
qualifications, age, background, or social status; a person of the same legal status as another.
26
Christian = [người theo ñạo Cơ ñốc] a person who believes in Jesus Christ; an adherent of
Christianity.
27
Jewish = [người theo ñạo Do thái] an adherent of Judaism.
Judaism = [ñạo Do thái] the monotheistic religion of the Jews, based on the precepts of the Old
Testament and the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud.
28
Muslim = [tín ñồ Hồi giáo] an adherent of Islam.
Islam = [ñạo Hồi] the religion of the Muslims, as set forth in the Koran, that teaches that there
is only one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is His prophet.
29
Buddhism = [ñạo Phật] a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later
spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of SE Asia, holding that life is full of suffering
caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through Enlightenment that enables
one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject.
30
agnostic = [người theo thuyết bất khả tri] a person who holds that the existence of the
ultimate cause, as a god or God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and
unknowable.
31
atheist /!dHSh9Hrs/ = [người vô thần] a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a
supreme being or beings.
32
Hindu = [người theo ñạo Ấn] an adherent of Hinduism.
Hinduism = [Ấn ñộ giáo] the common religion of India, based upon the religion of the original
Aryan settlers as expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, etc.
33
Unitarian Universalist = [người theo tuyết nhất thể phổ ñộ] a member of a liberal religious
denomination (Unitarian Universalist Association) formed in 1961 by the merger of the Unitarians
and the Universalists.
Unitarian = [người theo thuyết nhất thể] a member of a liberal religious denomination founded
upon the doctrine that God is one being, and giving each congregation complete control over its
affairs; (l.c.) a person who maintains that God is one being, rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity;
an advocate of unity or centralization, as in government.
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 Culture of the US 3

According to the same study, the major Christian denominations34 (making up the vast majority
of faiths actively practiced in the United States) are (in order): Roman Catholic,35 Baptist,36
Methodist,37 Lutheran,38 Presbyterian,39 Pentecostal40 (aka Charismatic41 or Evangelical)42,
Episcopalian,43 Latter-Day Saints,44 Church of Christ,45 and Congregational.46

universalist = [người theo thuyết phổ biến] a person characterized by universalism, as in

knowledge, interests, or activities. (cap.) [người theo thuyết phổ ñộ] a member of a liberal
religious denomination advocating Universalism.
Universalism = [thuyết phổ ñộ] the doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of God
and the final salvation of all souls.
34
denomination = [giáo phái] a religious group, usu. including many local churches.
35
Roman Catholic = [tín ñồ Thiên chúa giáo La mã] a member of the Roman Catholic Church
(the Christian church of which the pope, or bishop of Rome, is the supreme head).
36
Baptist = [người theo giáo phái chỉ rửa tội cho người lớn] a member of a Christian
denomination that baptizes believers by immersion and that is usu. Calvinistic in doctrine.
John Calvin (Jean Chauvin or Caulvin), 1509-64, French theologian and reformer in Switzerland:
leader in the Protestant Reformation.
37
Methodist = [người theo Hội Giám lý] a member of a Protestant denomination that developed
out of John Wesley's religious revival and has an Arminian doctrine and, in the U.S., a modified
episcopal polity [hình thức chế ñộ giám mục quản lý nhà thờ].
Arminianism = [thuyết Arminius] the doctrinal teachings of Jacobus Arminius or his followers,
esp. that Christ died for all people and not only for the elect.
cf. Calvinism = [thuyết Calvin] the doctrines and teachings of John Calvin or his followers,
emphasizing predestination, the sovereignty of God, the supreme authority of the Scriptures, and
the irresistibility of grace.
John Wesley, 1703-91, English theologian and evangelist: founder of Methodism.
38
Lutheran = [người theo thuyết Luther] of or pertaining to Luther, adhering to his doctrines,
or belonging to one of the Protestant churches that bear his name.
Martin Luther, 1483-1546, German leader of the Protestant Reformation.
39
presbyterian = [thuộc giáo hội Trưởng lão] pertaining to or based on the principle of
ecclesiastical government by presbyters or presbyteries [hội ñồng trưởng lão]; (cap.) designating
or pertaining to various churches having this form of government and professing more or less
modified forms of Calvinism.
Presbyterianism = [hệ thống cai quản giáo hội của Giáo hội Trưởng lão] church government
by presbyters or elders, equal in rank and organized into graded administrative courts; [giáo ñiều
Giáo hội Trưởng lão] the doctrines of Presbyterian churches.
40
Pentecostal = [người theo trào lưu chính thống] noting or pertaining to any of various
Christian groups, usu. fundamentalist, that emphasize the activity of the Holy Spirit, stress
holiness of living, and express their religious feelings uninhibitedly, as by speaking in tongues.
Pentecost = [lễ Hạ trần] a Christian festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter,
commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles; Whitsunday.
41
charismatic = [có quyền lực/tài năng do Chúa ban cho] characterizing Christians of various
denominations who seek an ecstatic religious experience, sometimes including speaking in
tongues and instantaneous healing.
speak in tongues = [trâm] speak in speech, often incomprehensible, typically uttered during
moments of religious ecstasy.
42
evangelical = [người theo phái Phúc âm] pertaining to or in keeping with the Gospels and
their teachings; belonging to or designating the Christian churches that emphasize the authority
of the Scriptures, in opposition to the institutional authority of the church itself, and that stress
personal conversion through faith in Christ; designating Christians, esp. since the 1970s, who
hold to a conservative but not necessarily literal interpretation of the Bible.
43
Episcopalian = [người theo giáo hội Tân giáo] the Episcopal Church; a church in the U.S.
descended from the Church of England. Also called Protestant Episcopal Church.
44
Latter-Day Saint = [thánh ngày nay; danh xưng riêng của những người theo giáo phái
Mormon] a Mormon.
45
Church of Christ = [Dòng Chúa cứu thế?] conservative body of evangelical Protestants in the
United States. Its founders were originally members of what is now the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) who gradually withdrew from that body following the Civil War. They
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 Culture of the US 3

According to other studies, as reported by the Statistical Abstract of the United States,
Americans' self-reported religious affiliations are 56% Protestant, 27% Roman Catholic, 2%
Judaism,47 1% Orthodox Christianity,48 1% Mormon49 faith, 5% "other specific" religion, and 8%
"other" or "did not designate." Some 68% of Americans are members of a place of worship, and
44% attend that place of worship regularly.

WORK AND JOBS

An American highway in Atlanta, Georgia

Most people commute50 to work using automobiles rather than mass transit51 (the New York
Metropolitan Area is a notable exception); the effect of the automobile on the United States and
its prominence in American life cannot be overestimated. Most jobs are based on a 40-hour work
week; typically five days (Monday through Friday), eight hours per day. By law, after 40 hours,
employers must pay overtime52 which is 150% their normal wage,53 although many workers are
exempt, including almost all who work for a biweekly salary54 instead of an hourly wage. On
holidays, some companies pay double. The United States has minimum wage laws requiring a
minimum wage for many employees, though a number of employment sectors are excluded.
Minimum wage differs from state to state; some states have higher minimum wages than the
wage mandated by the federal government.

objected to the use of musical instruments in the church and to the introduction of new titles and
more power for the pastors. They were first listed as a group separate from the Disciples of
Christ in the U.S. census of religious bodies of 1906. Each church is entirely self-governing. The
Bible, especially the New Testament, is considered its complete and sufficient authority. They
have about 1.8 million members (1997) in the United States and Canada.
46
Congregational = [thuộc về giáo ñoàn] pertaining or adhering to a form of Protestant church
government in which each local church acts as a self-governing body.
47
Judaism = [ñạo Do thái] the monotheistic religion of the Jews, based on the precepts of the
Old Testament and the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud
[tập hợp những văn bản cổ về luật và truyền thống Do thái].
48
Orthodox Christianity = [Thiên chúa giáo Chính thống] the Christian faith as represented in
the creeds of the early church; the Eastern Church, esp. the Greek Orthodox Church; Orthodox
Judaism.
49
Mormon = a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church),
founded in the U.S. in 1830 by Joseph Smith.
50
commute = [ñi lại thường xuyên từ ngoại ô vào thành phố] to travel regularly over some
distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.
51
mass transit = [hệ thống chuyên chở công cộng] a system of large-scale public
transportation in a metropolitan area, typically comprising buses, subways, and elevated trains.
52
overtime = [(lương) ngoài giờ] working time before or after one's regularly scheduled
working hours; pay for such time.
53
wage = [tiền công; tiền lương] Often, wages, money that is paid or received for work or
services. Compare living wage: a wage on which it is possible to live at least according to
minimum customary standards, minimum wage: the lowest hourly wage that may be paid to
an employee, as fixed by law or by union contract.
54
salary = [tiền lương] a fixed compensation paid periodically to a person for regular work or
services.
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 Culture of the US 3
According to equal opportunity labor laws, employers are not allowed to discriminate based on
race, gender, religion, political convictions, family situation, marital or parental status. In
addition, applicants need not provide photos or personal information on these topics, however
drug tests and criminal background checks are sometimes required. Employees must pay federal
and state income tax55 to the government. In most cases, employees are not allowed to attend
work after drinking alcohol or to drink alcohol during work. Exceptions include some restaurant
jobs, bars and business meetings.

Vacations are usually two weeks, but unlike in most developed countries, there is no legal
minimum. Other company benefits56 may include sick days and/or personal days. The common
retirement age is roughly 65, with many retiring either earlier or later, depending on their
personal finances and their job satisfaction. Some Americans, especially professionals continue
part-work such as teaching community college classes after retirement. Others continue to work
past 65 due to their job satisfaction. US companies often offer benefits such as health and dental
insurance, and life insurance. In addition, the benefits can often include the employee's family as
well. A few companies provide various lessons for free, such as relaxation to improve their work
performance. However, most benefits are not mandated by law, and there is a large range of
wages, compensation57 and benefits in different types of jobs. Generally, the most physically
demanding jobs such as construction and farm labor are the least well compensated. Compared
to most European systems, work culture in the USA seems to be much harder for employees. For
example, there is less paid vacation, paid sick days, maternity leave58 and benefits for parents.

55
income tax = [thuế lợi tức] a tax levied on the annual incomes of individuals and
corporations.
56
benefit = [tiền trợ cấp/phúc lợi] a payment made to help someone or given by a benefit
society, insurance company,
57
compensation = [bù trừ; bồi thường] something given or received as an equivalent for
services, debt, loss, injury, etc.; indemnity; reparation; payment.
58
maternity leave = [phép hộ sản] time of permission to be absent from work when a woman
is at birth
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