American and Philippine culture: comparison and contrasts

¶ … global society is made up of many different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and languages. All of these differences are makes our world so vastly unique, yet it is also these same differences which unite us into one nation. In order to properly understand and learn from one another, it is often important to note some of these differences and similarities amongst cultures. The United States of America, in particular, is known as a melting pot with immigrants from all of the over the world. In 2008, there were approximately 1.7 million Filipino immigrants in the U.S. (Terrazas and Batalova). This made them the second largest immigrant group in the U.S. after Mexican immigrants (Terrazas and Batalova). With such a large emigrant population, it is crucial to distinguish some of the cultural similarities and differences of these U.S. emigrants, especially Filipino's. Both cultures are similar with regards to the relationships they maintain with their families, friends as well as strangers. Nevertheless, there are also significant differences to be noted.

One of the most apparent cultural differences between Americans and Filipinos is the degree of closeness they between family members. Filipinos generally tend to have very close ties with their families. It is not uncommon for parents or grandparents to reside with their own children and their spouses, while in America family ties are much more distant and parents and grandparents typically do not live with one another. Americans tend to provide assistance for an elderly family member with regards to their housing or care by either hiring in-home care or arranging accommodations in an assisted living facility or a community for retirees.

These close family ties amongst Filipinos also directly correlate with a second very important cultural difference to be noted -- respect toward elderly. The American culture is typically much less formal and does not have the same expectations regarding respect towards your elders. Generally, Americans have been taught to properly address their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and not merely call them by their first names. On the other hand, the American culture does not hold the same standard for strangers or people whom they do not know, while Filipinos will still address strangers more formally even if they are not related to one another instead of using their first names. Filipinos place a great deal of importance on showing respect to anyone who is older regardless of their relation. In the Filipino culture, unlike the American culture, in-laws are also not addressed by their first names. The American culture is much less formal and more accepting of using a person's first name. In fact, it is often seen as a sign of acceptance to use an elder's first name rather than a more formal greeting or salutation.

The Filipino culture is also much more conservative when greeting friends. Typically, greetings are limited to shaking hands or a simple pat on the shoulder. Western cultures, on the other hand, are much more liberal and extend greetings to both friends and strangers with closer interactions such as a hug or kiss. Asian cultures consider these sorts of gestures as much more informal and do not display such affections out of respect.