America is truly a melting pot of the world’s ethnic groups. Roughly 80% of Americans are considered “white,” 13% are African American, and 4.5% are “Asian.” The rest are natives of Alaska, Hawaii, or another Pacific island. About 15% of the population come from Spanish-speaking countries. These people come from places like Spain, Mexico, and Central or South America. In fact, most people in America have immigrant backgrounds. A typical “white” person in America might be part British, part German, and even part Italian. To be “American,” then, is to be a mixture of ethnic groups.

The USA has traditionally been referred to as a typical case of a “melting pot.” Generations of immigrants have melted together. They have abandoned their cultures to get assimilated into mainstream society. Today, however, cultural diversity is considered a positive thing globally, and people of different cultures try to live in harmony in much of the world. This model of racial integration is called a “salad bowl.” In a bowl of salad, the lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots come together, but they do not lose their unique features.

To be in Vienna, Austria is to be inside music. It’s hard to be anywhere in Vienna without hearing music. The Vienna State Opera has performances every night. Old palaces hold balls with sometimes as many as ten live bands. The Vienna Boys Choir sings at the Hofburg Chapel, a 500-year tradition. And the street musicians are so good, you’ll want to pay them.

Vienna is the perfect setting for music. Tea rooms, horse-drawn carriages, and grand Imperial buildings everywhere. You expect Mozart himself to greet you around every corner. If you love a pretty melody, a trip to Vienna will be music to your ears.

When you go to the movies, do you stay in your seat until the end of the credit roll? Some people watch the whole thing; others don’t at all; and some do, depending on the movie. Personally, I like to watch movies until the very end, unless they are really boring. It’s because, after the credit roll, some movies show short sequels, often with images that have a huge impact. Also, the credit roll gives me a chance to appreciate the great number of people involved in making the film, and to bask in the afterglow of the film while listening to the music. Once, I went to see a movie in a certain country. As soon as the movie finished, all people except me left their seats and I was left alone. No one was watching the credit roll, so they turned off the music and pulled the curtains down. Though everyone has a choice in what they like to watch, I couldn’t help thinking, “There is no one in this country who appreciates the afterglow of a movie?”

Shoppers are discovering the joys of secondhand stores. Only people short on cash used to frequent such shops. Now ordinary shoppers are hunting for used bargains. And the shops sell not just clothing and kitchen supplies, but also audio equipment, musical instruments, and computers. What’s more, all products are tested by shop employees. If customers are not happy with an item, they have 30 days to return it. “We spent a lot on shelves, lighting, and layout to make our store look nicer than a typical secondhand store,” said the owner of Nine Lives, a secondhand store in New York. “The atmosphere and the quality of the products are like a real department store,” said one regular Nine Lives customer. No longer are shoppers afraid of the word “used.”

In Japan, if you do something wrong, your parents might lock you out of the house. You might have the experience of being told, “Get out of the house!” In the States, however, you are forbidden to leave the house. We call this “being grounded.” This cultural difference suggests a deeply embedded concept of what a “house” represents. Locking children out suggests that home is a place where they want to be, a place of safety and solace. The outside world is a dangerous place where children must face their punishment for breaking the rules. By contrast, forbidding a child to go outside suggests that being confined to the house is distressing. A difference in culture is a difference in perspective.