Compare and Contrast of Cambodian and American Culture

Cambodia is the small country in South East Asian which has a foundation in an ancient culture. I have lived in this small country since I was born. I have followed and practiced Cambodian culture since I was small without knowing about others countries. Now I am studying in American and I am taking a Global Issues class which studies American culture. After taking this class, I understand much more about American culture. I have begun to understand some of the similarities and differences between Cambodian and American culture. I compare the cultures of both countries by focusing on religion, belief and tradition.

The first thing I will address is religion. Religion is part of the culture because it shows the people’s beliefs and practices related to god or gods. Cambodia is a Buddhist country, which 95% of population believing in the Buddhist faith. This differs from the United States, which is diverse in ethics and nationalities, and therefore also diverse in religion. Through diversity in religions, Americans also have a wide variety of customs.

Moreover, belief is also important in a comparison between Cambodian and American culture. As Cambodia’s official religion is Buddhism and the religion is closely connected with the government, many people’s lifestyles, practices and beliefs also follow Buddhism. Buddhist teachings tell people to be a good and really respectful to people around. In order to be a good and respected person in Cambodia, you have to be gentle, honest, without jealousy, as well as give each other chances and respect elders. In contrast, American people generally strive to be successful people and respected by following the individual freedom, equality of opportunity and diligence. Essentially, American people do not really believe in luck, but they trust the real reason, real activities and real result that they get from their work.  

Lastly, I will focus on the traditions of both countries. Despite having different religions and beliefs, there are still many traditions in common. Cambodia has a New Year’s day and the United States also has the New Year’s day. Although they celebrate New Year day on different date, they way that they practice is similar. For the Cambodian New Year, people always gather together with relatives, buy new clothes, and dress nicely. Similarly, American tradition for New Year’s is often gathering together with relatives and buying new clothes.

In conclusion, Cambodia and America have almost completely different cultures, however there are some similarities. It is not easy for me to live in America for the first time because the culture is difficult to get used to. People’s beliefs lead them to act in a very different way from Cambodians. I feel like an alien for the first time in that new country, but after a while I get used to some of the Americans beliefs and practices. This does not means that I completely throw away my own culture and follow a new culture, but rather that I just follow what I think is right.