Here is a self-assessment question to people who were born outside America, yet with American citizenship status. "How can I tell that I've integrated well with mainstream American society and culture?"
Granted, the answer to this question can be very subjective depending on whom you are asking and what criteria are being used. To me, I think the yardstick to measure the culture acclimatization is quite simple and straightforward: If you'd participate or host annual New Year's party and Super Bowl party exuberantly and religiously, then you are, otherwise your true American identity is questionable.
I can almost hear you guys' screaming/cursing. " Objection, absolutely nonsense!" What is going to New Year's Party in Times Square or going to Super Bowl stadium to do my with American citizenship status ? " Well I hear you, I forget to tell you that I am a very biased guy, and you don't have to buy my argument, at all. Further, you or people you knew have participated neither of these activities are still pretty well in the mainstream, I guess. But, I hope that my nonsense can, at least, let you see how much New Year's party and Super Bowl party mean to me. :)
Each and every year, the Super Bowl enraptures Americans, young and old, males and females. This year will be no different. Let me put this feverish all-American event in numbers to show what we are talking about. This year, based upon some major trade organization's survey: over 120 million Americans will glue to their TV sets, watching the game in New Orleans (makes it the most watched TV program in American history) ; 15% of Americans are planing to host a party; about 30% will go to one. Furthermore, Americans will spend an average of $70 on snacks for the game up from $60 in 2012; more than 7 millions of die-hard fans will purchase newer TV sets up from 5 mils last year.
If you are not thrilled by the above figures, allow me to add a bit of "spice" to impress you, the average price of a 30 seconds TV commercial aired during the game has shot up from 3.5 mils to 3.8 mils per pop. In addition, Americans are expected to devour more than 1.23 billion chicken wings over this Super Bowl weekend. Do I say anything about the ticket prices for physically sitting at Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 3rd.? If you don't know, I can give you a ballpark range: it's roughly between $2,000 and $13,000, officially. Privately I'd be better not say anything to upset you guys. So through the numbers I threw in, you should get a glimpse of the picture I am trying to paint - how Americans and its economy, culture and psyches are intertwined deeply with this extremely popular sports and the homologous national block parties ? :)
Some of my net lady friends may still lament and moan about how boring, violent and stupid the American football games are, but to so many football fans including me out there this native sports is a pure art form of precision,speed, strength and suspense not to mention to require incredible amount of strategies and explosive athleticism.
For those people who absolutely dislike Super Bowl, there is still one plausible reason for you to watch the game - those funny commercials which in certain cases, might outshine the games. Speaking of Super Bowl commercials, I put one clip to let you judge if they are hilarious and entertaining.
Supposing "curiosity killed the cat", some of you may ask me what is my point to write this hoopla. My point is that in my mind (which, by the way, is biased one as you have already found out by this point.), it does not matter that you came to this country with nothing years ago, and now you have successfully built a prestige career, owned seven luxurious estates within the most sought zip codes in America and sent all of your kids to HYP of the ivy league ... Nevertheless, if you don't like Super Bowl and the party, then you may be not a true American as you have long believed because American football like the roasted turkey on the Thanksgiving feast table and the out-of-oven aromatic apple pie is the native and true spirits that define American from the rest of the world.
Just in case that my words would offend anyone, please forgive me for my hollow and narrow mind. Plus you are who you are, and you don't have to follow anyone's nonsense. To make you fee feel better, let me share a personal story with you. One Friday evening, I was having dinner with my gf in Chinatown, I noticed that the waitress served our table spoken the same dialect of the city I was born, naturally, I was kind pleased to communicate with her in the dialect. But when my gf asked her for the ingredients of the dishes in English, To my surprise, she turned to me, pleading, "Jiang zhong wen, hao ba?"
Later she told me that she lives inside of Chinatown, buys Chinese groceries in Chinese stores, watches Chinese movies and TV shows from a Chinese cable cable company, reads her news and and fun stuffs in Wenxuecity.... In other words, she is perfect contented with anything that she wants or consumes in Chinatown without any issue. That is what I call Living-happily-after-in- Shanghai-on-Hudson-River life style.
If she can do it, why not anyone else, I am assuming you get my point. :))
Note:
1) I have nothing to do with the company in the commercials. Further, I think that using talking baby to sell a sophisticated service may be brilliant idea, yet whether or not it can deliver the goods would be another story.
2)I don't own any baby. In fact, I believe, babies could be "aliens" sent from the out space to "ruin" the relationships. :) According to one of my married friends, after the baby arrived, his intimacy life was complete out of the window, worse, his used-to-be lovely wife has tragically turned into an "illogical person".
3) This commercials in the clip could be on something that expose our species' common flaws such as egocentric, reckless, fibbing, and skirt-chasing behaviors in an self-ridiculous way. which is very funny in my humble opinion.
