Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, America and Her Culture

Swami Atmajnanananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and at present an Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Centre of Greater Washington D.C.

The subject of America and her culture is both an intriguing and a complex one. Historically, the founding of the country by Europeans in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries represented the beginning of a process of cultural layering, as various waves of invaders and immigrants came from Europe, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the world. Sadly, the modern founding of the country also represented the virtual demise of the indigenous culture, and was aided by the dehumanizing practice of slavery. At one time it was believed that all the divergent elements of American culture were like different ingredients in a large melting pot, combining to form a unique culture by assimilating the characteristics of each ethnic and racial group. It has turned out, however, to be more like a mosaic, with each group representing a single tile, arranged in a particular juxtaposition to the others. This mosaic model seems to be not only more accurate, but also more desirable, as each ethnic group contributes to the overall culture of the country, while at the same time retaining its own individuality and dignity.

So when we speak of the culture of America, we have to clearly understand what it is we are speaking about: Is it the proud Native American culture of spirituality and respect for the earth, which was virtually destroyed by foreign invaders? The predominant Anglo-Saxon, Protestant culture, which established itself here as a response to religious persecution at home? The African culture of the slaves, on whose backs the country was built, and who were forcibly stripped of any association with their own homeland, not even being allowed to keep their own names? The waves of poor and downtrodden families, fleeing Europe after wars and famines? Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America seeking freedom and opportunity? The recent influx of highly-educated Asians seeking a greater level of opportunity? In a sense it is all these individually, plus a whole which is far greater than the sum of its parts.

The fact of the matter is that there is no single American culture. With the exception of the small remaining groups of Native Americans, who have been forced off their ancestral land and stripped of much of their culture, the United States is basically a country of immigrants, representing every possible religious, racial and ethnic group. If by culture we mean a particular food, dress, form of art, music, etc., we will have a difficult time pinpointing a distinctively American culture. It is sometimes said that the only truly American art form is jazz, born of a combination of southern Gospel music, blues and other forms. Yet even this truly American form of music owes a great deal to the syncopated rhythms of Africa and Latin America. As for food, if one wants truly authentic 'American' food, one must go to a Chinese, Italian or Mexican restaurant.

Is the search for an American culture then a futile one? Perhaps, if we have a very restricted concept of culture. However, if we think rather in terms of an American spirit, we can begin to see some qualities emerge that seem essential to the American experience. Sometimes our best way of identifying the distinctive features of a country or people is to look at the experiences of the outsider, seeing the country with fresh and unbiased eyes. In this respect, we can turn to the experiences of Swami Vivekananda, who first came to the United States in 1893, for Swamiji was not only a spiritual giant of rare accomplishments, but also a keen judge of human nature and a faithful student of history. Swamiji had the uncanny knack of seeing both the best and worst of a place without allowing his judgments to blur his objectivity. His evaluations thus represent a window through which to view the distinctive nature of the American spirit as he himself understood it.

During his first visit to the U.S., Swamiji was extremely impressed with various aspects of late nineteenth-century American culture: the freedom to rise above one's circumstances, 'Yankee ingenuity', the elevated position of women, the democratic and pioneering spirit of its people. Of course, much of his enthusiasm was the result of his keen awareness of the absence of many of these qualities in his own beloved homeland, suffering under the throes of colonialism as well as centuries of caste and priestly privilege. It is true that Swami Vivekananda also saw the negative side to American life, especially on his second trip to the West, where, for example, hereditary caste is replaced by a new type of caste based on wealth. But Swamiji was an eternal optimist and always believed in judging a society by its very best, not its worst, just as, he said, we judge the value of an apple tree not by one or two rotten apples, but by the best that it can produce.

The spirit of freedom, tolerance and equality that became such an important element of the American experience was the gift not of the imperialistic European adventurers, seeking wealth and fame, but of the persecuted sects of England and Europe that came to America in search of religious freedom. The same belief in the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which inspired the Quakers, Pilgrims and other religious groups to come to America ultimately led the founding fathers of the country to declare independence from England. This independent and democratic streak became one of the defining features of the country and one which Swamiji wished to see developed in his own motherland.

Having left the security of their own homes in Europe and England, the early pioneers were naturally filled with a spirit of adventure and optimism. Coupled with a belief in their own God-given right to conquer their new land and bring light to the native peoples, this spirit led the new settlers to boldly cross the length and breadth of the country, forming cities, towns and villages wherever they went. While Swamiji decried the arrogance and fanaticism of religious beliefs that condemn those who disagree with them, he nevertheless had the greatest respect for the boldness of the pioneer spirit of America which he observed even then.

Subsequent waves of immigrants came to America toward the end of the nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth, many with nothing to call their own but the clothes on their backs. These were poor Irish escaping the grinding poverty of the potato famine, survivors of the two world wars in Europe, political refugees from repressive regimes throughout Europe and Asia, and the poor of Latin America seeking economic opportunity. Today, of course, we can add to the list highly educated Indians providing much-needed computer skills to American technology. Even during Swamiji's day he was able to witness overnight success stories of poor and despised immigrants, barely able to speak the language of their new country, becoming prosperous and respected members of society.

Perhaps the one aspect of American cultural life which impressed Swamiji most and which, at the same time, most reminded him of the plight of his own country was the position of women in society. In a letter from the U.S. to his brother disciples, he wrote:

'Well, I am almost at my wit's end to see the women of this country! They take me to the shops and everywhere, as if I were a child. They do all sorts of work--I cannot do even a sixteenth part of what they do. They are like Lakshmi (the Goddess of Fortune) in beauty, and like Sarasvati (the Goddess of Learning) in virtues--they are the Divine Mother incarnate and worshipping them, one verily attains perfection in everything. Great God! Are we to be counted among men? If I can raise a thousand such Madonnas, Incarnations of the Divine Mother, in our country before I die, I shall die in peace. Then only will our countrymen become worthy of their name. . . .'

Swamiji well understood that the positive aspects of a country's cultural life were often offset by less desirable qualities. Thus, for example, the boldness of American women came, he felt, at the expense of the modesty so cherished in the Indian culture. Likewise, the energetic pioneering spirit brought with it a type of arrogance and feeling of divine right to subjugate others. The virtue of competitiveness that formed such an essential part of the American experience was not without it's share of greed. And the religious fervour which Swamiji found in many of the Christian denominations was often tainted with intolerance and fanaticism. Yet, despite all this, there was a certain innocence and lack of sophistication to the American people that charmed Swamiji, and he found them unusually open to new ideas and thoughts.

We see, then, that the culture of America is one of spirit, not of detail. Despite the multifaceted and textured nature of the culture, a mosaic with varieties of pieces representing all the cultures of the world, there is an overall world view which may be called distinctively American. It found expression in the Declaration of Independence of the forefathers of the nation; it manifested itself in Ellis Island as the poor, unwanted refugees of the world sought shelter here; and it continues to thrive in the current wave of immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Each ethnic group has made the fabric of American life richer, though each group has had to struggle for acceptance from the conservative elements of society. The mosaic that represents present American culture has its rough edges and its clashes. It is a melting pot that never managed to melt, leaving the individual cultural differences intact, while at the same time affecting the whole through its interaction with all the other parts. The result is what may appear to be a patchwork quilt. But it has its own distinctiveness by the very fact of its diverse elements as well as its overall unity.

As more and more waves of immigrants enter the United States, it will undergo greater and greater changes in its makeup. Already the percentage of people of colour, of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim faiths, and those whose native tongue is a language other than English has risen so dramatically in certain areas that they now represent the majority. But this ever-changing nature of its inhabitants and their cultures is itself one of the distinctive feature of American culture. In this respect, the more the look of the country changes, the more it is remaining true to its spirit: a land of opportunity for all who are willing to accept both the opportunities and challenges of American life.