Immigrants’ Cultures and Religions in the USA

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Society of any state is not homogenous. Traditionally, its structure depends on the culture and mentality of representatives of all nationalities and ethnic groups residing in the area. The combined influence of all these factors impacts the further development of a community and determines its attitude to new concepts and people adhering to them. Conservative societies could be described as rather hostile to outsiders and tending to suppress any manifestations of the unusual mentality.

However, the given pattern might result in stagnation and collapse of the society, which is not able to alter in accordance with the new conditions. Yet, there is another sort of culture that encourages numerous outsider customs and creates the environment beneficial for their development.

The combination of the unique factors impacting the development of the state and the structure of the population resulted in the creation of the US society, which could be characterized by the high level of tolerance. At the moment, the state shelters the representatives of a number of various nationalities who consider the USA to be their home (Butler, Wacker, & Balmer, 2011). Therefore, a significant percentage of people prefer to adhere to their native culture.

This fact evidences the absence of the serious barriers created to limit the usage and spread of the outsider culture. In this regard, the country is also characterized by religious pluralism and tolerant attitude towards numerous cults, beliefs, etc. It results from the unique peculiarities of the development of the USA and the role immigrants and their culture played in the formation of the state.

The question of outsiders and their culture has always been topical for the USA. The country was founded by immigrants from various European states who had different cultures and belonged to numerous religious communities. Puritans from the Mayflower created the basis for the further development of the culture. However, the presence of the Spanish, French, Dutch, etc. in the region contributed to the multicultural society greatly. Additionally, numerous slaves cults imported mainly from Africa, and pagan rituals of local tribes conditioned the diverse character of numerous communities.

Yet, there still had been cultures and religions considered as dominant as they were economically determined and reflected the value system of the largest property holders (Moore, 1982). The given environment gave rise to the phenomenon of the outsiders who adhered to the culture different from the dominant one. Besides, the values of the US society were not foisted upon the powerless newcomers.

In fact, there is a tendency to assume that American society is comprised of insiders who experienced the outsiderhood and managed to become part of the community (Moore, 1982). This assumption results from the peculiarities of the colonization and further evolution of the state. Broadly speaking, all settlers arrived in America were outsiders as they promoted their culture and religion. With the course of time, the interaction with local people and representatives of other religious communities resulted in the formation of a unique culture incorporating crucial concerns of numerous ethnic groups residing in the area.

The appearance of the dominant culture could be considered as the result of the long-term interaction between numerous local beliefs and the increase of the power of the privileged class that was able to promote the establishment of the most tolerant society.

Therefore, the acceptance of various religions could also be explained by the outstanding immigrants contribution to the formation and evolution of the USA. The first stages of the countrys development were characterized by the significant influx of refugees and people looking for new possibilities. The scale of the migration was so significant that it was hardly possible to resist the overwhelming influence of new cultures and religions.

Moreover, realizing the fact that the high level of satisfaction and motivation could help to increase the efficiency of workers, the government did not introduce any acts to limit the outsider culture or religion. The given approach gave rise to the extension of numerous cults and religions practiced by all members of the multi-ethnic society.

Therefore, the arrival of immigrants also promoted the development of occultism and its spread over the state. Americans had various feelings towards immigrants and their culture. Sometimes, they took an interest in new movements and customs, conditioning their further spread and growth (Religion for the new Millennium, n.d.). Furthermore, the establishment of various cults was promoted by the reconsideration of the attitude to discriminated minorities and their culture.

Having obtained the same rights, they were able to practice their religion and impact the environment. This fact became essential for the creation of the unique image of US society. Various researches state that nowadays, the USA is one of the most diverse countries that encourages many religions to flourish and become more popular (Butler, Wacker, & Balmer, 2011). The given statement evidences the role various religions play in the formation and extension of society.

It follows from these cogitations that the American culture could be considered as the result of the long-term interaction of immigrants practicing numerous religions and having absolutely different customs. The further existence of the state was possible only in terms of beneficial cooperation and mutual respect. The onward history proves the rightness of the chosen course as the immigrants contribution to the formation of the USA could hardly be overestimated.

Nevertheless, religious pluralism also gives rise to a number of concerns related to ethical questions. For instance, some cults accept sacrifices using animals in their rituals or promoting violent practices to prove peoples devotion to God. The nature of these practices might be unacceptable for other members of society. However, the US Constitution provides the freedom of religion for its citizens. It means that everyone is free to practice any religion he/she wants until it does not pose a threat to the health or well-being of another person. The given law perfectly demonstrates the nature and focus of the US society and the tolerance peculiar to it.

It follows from these cogitations that the nature of American society conditions its tolerant attitude towards numerous religions and cults. The peculiarities of the formation of the state and the influx of immigrants from various countries resulted in the shifts in the mentality of people living in the region and contributed to the evolution of the tolerant society. Founded by immigrants, the USA recognized the great benefit of the cooperation with the representatives of other ethnic groups and accepted it as part of the nationalities policy. At the moment, the USA is characterized by an outstanding religious pluralism that contributes to the further evolution of its society.

References

Butler, J., Wacker, G., & Balmer, R. (2011). Religion in American Life. New York: Oxford University Press.

Moore, L. (1982). Insiders and Outsiders in American Historical Narrative and American History. The American Historical Review, 87(2), 390-412. Web.

Religion for the new Millennium. (n.d.).

Click Here To Order Now!

Immigrants’ Cultures and Religions in the USA

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)