I recently moved to the USA, from the middle east. My English is pretty good, and I don’t have a lot of trouble communicating with people at work or in stores. I also don’t know anyone here at all, outside of work. All my family is still back in Gaza, and I’ve been here over a year now, and still feel cut off from American people and culture.

How do you make friends and socialize here? How do I learn more about America and Americans culture? I know a bit about history, but not much about anything else.
I don’t drink or go to bars, for religious reasons. I have joined a couple of clubs based on hobbies, but still feel disconnected. I’m not sure how you socialize or meet new people here, in my family everyone came around your house all the times of the day, and here it seems like neighbors just stick to themselves. I don’t want to bug people or anoy them if that is not the customs here.

Also, what are your favorite parts of American culture and history? So far I have enjoyed Nascar and monster trucks very much, and studying mathematics.

  • @bastion@feddit.nl
    0•9 months ago

    It is, indeed, a systemic issue, and no, you shouldn’t ignore it. He’s not saying you should, and neither am I.

    However, it’s a systemic issue that’s in your own mind and behaviors, as well.

    Learning how to live well, sustainably, be happy with what you have, and utilize your own power well is how you change the whole. That’s not saying ‘pretend the suffering doesn’t exist and think positively’. It’s saying that facing the feelings that have been induced in you, and learnjng how to stop being on tilt and start living your own life is how you make effective systemic change - or at the very least, effective personal change.

      • @bastion@feddit.nl
        2•9 months ago

        Yep, sure is. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the world who hasn’t been mind-fucked or heart-fucked by capitalism or communism, or their roots (‘enlightened self-interest’ and socialism).

        But, though it’s in my mind and heart, so are the insights I’ve come to about its existence, and about people, love, and power.

        So, you can do as you like, of course. I’ll be continuing to grow, and continuing to learn how to back my power with love, amd my love with power.