What does "American" mean to you?

Here are some of the most interesting comments you guys collected when you completed the first class homework assignment:

"Competition and talents." (Yan)
"More freedom in China." (Mengji)
"Just a country." (Cindy)
"Everybody busy and eat fast food." (Joel)
"Challenges, diversity." (Grace)
"A country that overwhelmingly prefers creationism and conspiracy theories to any sound ..." (Peggy)
"For me, the America are the moral, the just." (David)
"I feel people have life attitude here. They live for life." (Park)
"Opportunity to make money." (Chan)
"America means a lot to me. American is paradise, where everyone can live the way they want to live. America is ... awesome." (Mariam)
"Hamburgers." (Alley)
"Very cultural country, many different country's people." (Hung)

Did reading these responses surprise you or change some of your ideas about American culture? Do you agree with these people's comments? Why or why not? Using the 'Comment' function on this post, please write at least 3-5 complete sentences describing what some of your early impressions of Americans and American culture were BEFORE you visited the U.S. for the first time. ... In other words, answer the question: What did "American" mean to YOU?

Welcome!

Welcome, everyone, to the American Culture Fall 2010 Class Blog!

I will use this site to post important information, announcements, and fun things related to our class.

You will use this site to post your Class Recaps and other homework tasks (as assigned), as well as to comment on information your classmates have posted.

Together, we will make this site a collection of our thoughts, feelings, questions, comments, musings, reflections, and rants about anything and everything related to American culture.

Please remember to check this blog regularly (at least once a day), and to stay tuned for important announcements about some of your first homework assignments.

Any questions? Please let me know!