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In today's age of worldwide mass media, the internet, and an increasing global economy it is hardly accurate to call any country "isolated." Yes the United States of America shares few geographic boarders with foreign nations. However, cross-cultural contact in America is rampant. The United States is a very large country in terms of landmass. Regional variations in culture are prevalent. Outside contact differs from place to place as well.

What probably contributes most to the United States' intolerance of other cultures is more likely contributable to our culture than anything else. It is certainly least dependent upon place. European countries may be more accepting of other's cultures. This may be because each country is very small and each shares boarders with another vastly different country. It may be equally as likely that the cause of this acceptance is cultural in nature.

The United States seems to have a mentality of "my way or the highway." Individuals coming to this country are expected to "shape up, or ship out," as it were. This is a trend that has been occurring since the before our nation began. Conflicts between immigrants of differing nationalities have been the story of our country. In most cases, a group will eventually adapt itself to the norms of American society after a few generations have elapsed. In other cases these groups will not and will seclude themselves from the rest of society forming "little Italy's" or "Chinatowns."

When English colonists landed on the Eastern shores of what is today the United States of America they expected the Native American's to act like Englishmen. They expected these individuals to adopt the norms and customs of the Europeans and not to play by their own rules. This is a mentality that still exists today.

When the United States sends its soldiers across the seas or sends its businesspeople to foreign lands, they expect the people that they encounter to act in a familiar way. While I think that closer proximity might lend itself to producing Americans that were more excepting I don't think that this would address the root of the problem.

In the area where I live there are many people of Hispanic descent. The "native" Americans do not typically accept these immigrant's cultural attributes as being "acceptable" American behavior. They expect these individuals to shed the ways of their ancestors and to adopt the American way of life. Americans tend to take these particular ideas with them when they travel

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