I never realized how “American” I was until I had to do business in Brazil a number of year’s ago. After sitting through a nearly two hour lunch and then retreating for a ‘cafezhinho’ (shot glass sized cup of delicious, syrupy sweet, strong coffee) with still no mention of the business about which we had come to meet, I thought I would spontaneously combust. “I am so American” I thought.
Which is why it’s fun to see this breakdown of the “American Handshake” from a European perspective, including an analysis of the typical fashion accents (white tennis shoes, baggy jeans, etc.) common to Americans.
Why is it fun? Because inside America, this model American might be labeled by himself or other Americans as Hispanic American. Perhaps in the midst of all of our hyphenated identities inside the U.S., it would be good for all of us to go ‘outside’ to see our shared identities.
What’s typically American about you? Do you even know it?
(Thanks to Cindy King for Twitter link to video, @cindyking)
