It takes courage and flexibility to leave your homeland and come to a new country. The American people have been noted for their willingness to take risks and try new things, for their independence and optimism. If Americans whose families have been here longer tend to take their material comfort and political freedoms for granted, immigrants are at hand to remind them how important those privileges are. Immigrants also enrich American communities by bringing aspects of their native cultures with them. Many black Americans now celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa, a festival drawn from African rituals.
Ethnic restaurants abound in many American cities.
A Portrait of the U.S.A. and other Department of State IIP-publications about the United States . The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily state or reflect those of the of the United States Government.