American things that every American knows?(movies, books, people, food)?

I moved to States from Europe in 8th grade, and while I've been here for 8-9 years now and speak English better than my first language, I still feel a little misinformed when my friends talk about some things

Since a person learns a lot in their first years, I missed that in US so untill recently I had no idea who was.. Cat in the Hat? and other Dr Seuss books. Or that you eat turkey with gravy. So I want to go over things that people learn here since young age. Tell me anything that you would expect another American to know- authors, actors, sayings, movies, amendments, presidents, food, traditions, anything that comes to mind. Thanks!!American things that every American knows?(movies, books, people, food)?What people might expect you to know may vary. Really.

It can vary from state to state, from the Northern US vs. the Southern US, or the East coast vs. the West coast.



Literature:

Louisa May Alcott is an important novelist for her book, "Little Women".

Edger Allen Poe was a famous author and poet.

Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson were all famous poets.

Maya Angelou is a famous African American poet of our time.

Mark Twain is a famous novelist for his books. (i.e. "Huckelberry Finn")

Herman Mellville wrote "Moby Dick" a famous allegory.

Dr. Seuss was important for most people about 30 and younger.



Food:

Fried chicken, grits, mac %26amp; cheese, fried okra, gumbo, meatloaf, cheese dip, apple pie, and peach cobbler are all big in the Southern US. We eat Turkey on Thanksgiving and usually Ham on Christmas. (I'm from the southern US, btw.)

Cheese steak and pizza are big on the northern east coast.

The best lobster comes from Maine and the best clams from Massachusetts.



T.V.

Reality TV was big here for a long time. Night-time soap operas are most prevalent now.

Kids shows in the 1980s and 1990s are still cool. *smurfs, thundercats, he-man, teenage mutant ninja turtles, strawberry shortcake, transformers, etc.*





Music/Movies

Micheal Jackson was the King of Pop.

*music*

Everyone knows (but may not like their music)-

Elvis, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Cher, Britany Spears, Beyonce , P-Diddy, Dr. Dre, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Snoop Dogg, Bob Dylan, MC Hammer, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Ludacris, Madonna, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Ozzy Osborne, Rihanna, Busta Rhymes, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, and that's just a few... and I didn't include well known bands...



*movies*

Most everyone has seen: *naming a few and some have sequels*

The Terminator, Aliens, Star Wars, Gone With the Wind, Its a Wonderful Life, Wizard of Oz, The Matrix, The Godfather, Sound of Music, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Titanic, Speed, Men in Black, Pirates of the Caribbean, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Ghost, Harry Potter, Shrek, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Psycho, Jurrasic Park, Ice Age, and Wall-E.



There are too many movie stars to name...



Traditions:

All of our holidays are different and specific. Many people don't even know when some of them are or why we celebrate them. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, and Valentines Day are the most celebrated of all the holidays in America. The first 4, depending on your religion... are the most important of all of them.



Traditions are to each his or her own religions, but a few may be attributed to where they live or what state they are in.



Always remember that George Washington was the 1st president of the United States, there are 50 stars on the flag for each of the states and 13 stripes on the flag for the 13 original colonies.



Many catch phrases like "oh snap", "no she didn't", and "my bad" vary on where you live. Some are considered hilarious if you use them one place and stupid in another place.



Good luck and I hoped this helped.

Most of this is just what I remember over the years and my own opinions. :DAmerican things that every American knows?(movies, books, people, food)?Movie: Missisipi Burning (White Americans killing Black people for fun)

Books: Catcher in the Rye (White Americans writing about White Americans killing Black people for entertainment)

People: White people, renowned for lynching, shooting, %26amp; incarcerating Black people

Food: Soul Food, also known as food White Americans gave to Black slaves to make them strong so they could work the fields before killing them



Welcome to America b@tch, home of the free and land of the racistAmerican things that every American knows?(movies, books, people, food)?Lady Gaga