美国人有不同的肤色和民族。美国人信奉不同的宗教，有许多不同的生活方式。在地理区域之间，农村与城市之间以及社会阶层之间存在着重要差异。此外，来自世界各地的数百万移民为美国带来了自己的文化和价值，给美国生活增添了更多的多样性与特色。虽然美国人并不总是彼此同意，但他们被一个非常特别的东西联合在一起，那就是200多年前最初在美国宪法中所描述的价值观和理想。
也许高于一切的是，美国人认为自己是独立的个体。他们有强烈的家庭关系及对团体的强烈忠诚，但个人及个人权利是最重要的。如果这样的态度看起来好像很自私，它也让美国人真诚地尊重他人及坚持人人平等。
与这种尊重个人有关的是美国人独立与自力更生的特性。孩子们从小就被教导“要用自己的双脚站立”，这是一个表达独立的成语。诚实与坦率是美国人独立个性的另外两个方面，它们对美国人来说比个人荣誉或“面子”更重要。
美国人高度重视成就，这导致他们不断地相互竞争。你会发现友好及不太友好的竞争无处不在。美国人还痴迷于在体育、商业或甚至更平凡的事情上取得成就。另一方面，即使美国人经常是相互竞争的，他们也有良好的团队合作意识及与他人合作实现一个特定目标的意识。
美国人经常被指物质主义和以成功为趋导。一个人有多少钱，一桩商业交易赚多少利润，或一个人积累了多少物质财富往往是他们对成功的定义。这回到了美国的竞争性。然而，许多美国人不同意这样的成功定义；他们享受生活的简单快乐，既不过于野心勃勃，也不咄咄逼人。许多美国人在物质上成功的同时，仍然有时间去欣赏文化、精神和生活的人文层面。

公民权利
犯罪与司法 
多样性与移民
家庭生活与青年
人口及人口统计
宗教
社会福利
志愿服务与慈善
女性

Americans come in all different colors and nationalities. Americans practice different religions, and live many different lifestyles. Important differences exist between geographical regions, between rural and urban areas, and between social classes. In addition, the presence of millions of immigrants who came to the United States from all corners of the world with their own culture and values adds even more variety and flavor to American life. Although Americans do not always agree with each other, they are united by a very special thing: the values and ideals that were originally described in the U.S. Constitution over 200 years ago.
Probably above everything else, Americans consider themselves individuals. There are strong family ties and strong loyalties to groups, but individuality and individual rights are most important. If this seems like a selfish attitude, it also leads Americans to an honest respect for other individuals and an insistence on human equality.
Related to this respect for individuality are American traits of independence and self- reliance. From an early age, children are taught to “stand on their own two feet,” an idiom meaning to be independent. Honesty and frankness are two more aspects of American individuality, and they are more important to Americans than personal honor or “saving face.”
Americans place a high value on achievement and this leads them to constantly compete against each other. You will find friendly, and not-so-friendly, competition everywhere. Americans can also be obsessed with records of achievement in sports, in business, or even in more mundane things. On the other hand, even if Americans are often competitive, they also have a good sense of teamwork and of cooperating with others to achieve a specific goal.
Americans are often accused of being materialistic and driven to succeed. How much money a person has, how much profit a business deal makes, or how many material goods an individual accumulates is often their definition of success. This goes back to American competitiveness. Many Americans, however, do not agree with this definition of success; they enjoy life’s simple pleasures and are neither overly ambitious nor aggressive. Many Americans are materially successful and still have time to appreciate the cultural, spiritual, and human aspects of life.
Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Movement and the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (PDF 155 KB)
Free at Last: The U.S. Civil Rights Movement (published by Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 218 KB)
Justice for All: The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall (published by Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.65 MB)
Crime & Justice
Crime in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation)
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice)
Diversity & Immigration
The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture (PDF 1.11 MB)
Immigrants Joining the Mainstream (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 2.11 MB)
Muslim Life in America (published by Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.39 MB)
Now That I’m Here: What America’s Immigrants Have to Say About Life in the U.S. (a report by Public Agenda)
Portrait of the USA: One from Many (published by Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 71 KB)
Family Life & Youth
The American Family (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 474 KB)
American Teenagers (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.89 MB)
Growing Up Healthy (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.59 MB)
Population & Demographics
The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States (CRS Report) (PDF 161 KB)
Population Profile of the United States (U.S. Census Bureau)
Religion
Americans Struggle with Religion’s Role at Home and Abroad (a joint survey by the Pew Forum and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press) (PDF 306 KB)
A New Religious America (excerpt from the book A NEW RELIGIOUS AMERICA by Diana L. Eck) (PDF 149 KB)
Portrait of the USA: Separating Church and State (PDF 60 KB)
Religion on the Stump: Politics and Faith in America (The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life) (PDF 141 KB)
Religious Freedom as a Human Right (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 144 KB)
Social Welfare
The ADA: Your Employment Rights as an Individual With a Disability (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
Disability and Ability (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 5.44 MB)
Disibility Rights Movement Timeline (Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation)
The Future of Social Security (U.S. Social Security Administration) (PDF 883 KB)
Volunteerism & Philanthropy
Giving: U.S. Philanthropy (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 3.86 MB)
The United States: A Nation of Volunteers (Electronic Journal, Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 865 KB)
Volunteering in the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor) (PDF 146 KB)
Women
Making a Difference in the U.S.A.: Women in Politics (published by Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.44 MB)
Women of Influence (published by Bureau of International Information Program, U.S. Department of State) (PDF 1.61 MB)