Historically, the United States has been considered a "melting pot" of cultures that draws inspiration from the traditions of visitors and makes something new out of them. As a result, it's no surprise that some of the most "American" customs and pastimes originated from other countries. Here are a few aspects of American culture that came from our neighbors.
1. Hamburgers
America primarily has the Germans to thank for our most iconic food item. Back in the days of the Industrial Revolution, German immigrants helped factory workers chow down by converting their native Hamburg steaks into a convenient sandwich form. Nowadays, burgers are a staple of any respectable neighborhood cookout.
2. Barbecue
Speaking of cookouts, barbecues have bonded many suburban families. However, this largely southern tradition originated from a Spanish concept. You ever go to Chipotle and wonder what the barbacoa option was supposed to be?
Well, the term "barbacoa" was used by the Spanish to describe the slow-cooking method used by the native Caribbeans. From there, it's easy to put the pieces together and recognize the term "barbecue" comes directly from barbacoa.
3. Blue Jeans
The premier brand of pants worn by every country singer's love interest, most Americans have heard of Levi Strauss, the creator of jeans. What they might not know is that Strauss was a German immigrant who partnered up with Arizona citizen Jacob Davis to create the timeless bottoms.
4. Fireworks
What would an American holiday be without a few explosions? The beautiful bursts of light that come out on every 4th of July can be credited to the Chinese. There are plenty of stories surrounding the true origin of the firework, but the general consensus is that they were first developed in China centuries before the United States existed.
5. St. Patrick's Day
This one might be pretty obvious, but this semi-holiday is a large celebration of traditional Irish culture. Despite not being recognized as an actual holiday, plenty of Americans still find the time to indulge in the copious drinking or the pinching of anyone who isn't wearing green (shoutout to elementary school).
6. Pizza
While New Yorkers and Chicago natives (Chicagoans?) go back and forth over who makes the best pizzas, Italians watch over in amusement. Pizza originates from Italy, where the flatbread, thin crust version reigned supreme. Americans may made some innovations over the years on the traditional recipe, it's always important to recognize the roots of our favorite takeout dish.
America has thrived off of integrating aspects of foreign cultures into our own. Plenty of outside countries have made massive contributions towards our current society, and we should continue to welcome outsiders with open minds and arms.
