Language
Growing up I learned Spanish, Portuguese, and English as my primary languages. Around where I live there are several languages being spoken with Spanish and Portuguese being the most spoken next to English. Language is really important to me as it is also a huge part of culture.
Food
Though I am not culturally an American I mostly eat American food as it is everywhere. We only tend to eat special cultural foods for events and holidays. Still food is important as it makes you feel more connected to your culture.
Education
In America we have a K through 12 education system that is publicly funded. This is very important to my identity because it shaped who I was growing up. I want to a Charter school which is basically a nicer public school, but because of this I had classmates from a bunch of surrounding towns.
Religion
Growing up I was raised as a Catholic. This meant going to mass every Sunday and even going to Sunday school. My family was also pretty involved in church as we were part of programs to take care of the homeless and also teach summer bible school.
Music
America is the home of pop music but for me I mostly listen to rap music. Music is important to me because it can always be playing, taking a boring job and making it better.
Sports
Sports are an important part of entertainment in America, and it draws millions of people. While I didn’t play many sports growing up, I live in New England. New England is home to many successful teams leading to a sense of pride for my teams.
Government
A large part of America and me is its unique style of government. We have the constitution which gives important rights like freedom of speech which other countries lack.
Immigrants
One of the parts that makes America America is the fact that it is a cultural melting pot. Where I live especially there are several immigrants making it a large part of my life. At my school there were several of my classmates who were born in other countries or first generation.
Money
Money is very important in any society. In the US it is hard to do anything without currency. Money is also one of the most important things in a person’s life since they can’t live a very good life without it.
Fashion/ Dress
Being from New England we experience the full force of the seasons, because of this I have clothes for each season, but when going out I am typically in jeans and tee shirts. When it gets colder I wear hoodies frequently.
Cities
I live close to both Boston and Providence allowing me to go to either quite easily. I went to Providence frequently to watch theatre shows. Boston is full of history and life making it a great place to visit.
Leaders
In America the current President is Joe Biden. This is very relevant as the news is dominated with stories about the president and what they are doing. The President is extremely important as they are more than just the leader of America but also a global one.
Egypt
Language
In Egypt the main language spoken is Arabic. The ancient Egyptian language evolved into the Coptic language. While it is not spoken regularly it is used for liturgical ceremonies in the church.
Food
Many Egyptians eat many things but their dishes typically have rice, beans, and grains. They also eat many vegetables since they grow well in the fertile Nile region. While they do have access to meats like chicken and lamb most of Egyptians’ diets are vegetarian due to religious reasons and the high cost of meats. Ancient Egyptians ate many of the same things as their main source of food comes from the Nile.
Education
In Egypt education is only mandatory from 4-14 years old. Egypt also has a free education system but the private one is much better than the state run option. Since I would be required to go for nine years this would still be a large part of my life. In ancient Egypt school typically started around the age of 7, with mostly boys going to school. There were some girls of wealthy families that went to school but this was not common.
Religion
The dominate faith is Islam in Egypt. They make up 90% of the total religion there. The second most popular is Coptic Christianity at 9%. Since this present is so low I would probably be Muslim. The ancient Egyptian religion was far more complicated as it had several gods and a pharaoh who they believed to hold divine power. Since the pharaoh was so intertwined with religion they would have the people build many monuments to the gods like the Luxor temple and Abu Simbel.
Music
Egypt’s music is very important in the region. Egypt’s music can be traced back to the Neolithic period. At this time it was used in religious practices mostly. Religious music is still extremely important to this day for Egypt’s music scene.
Sports
Egypt, like most countries outside of America, has a love for soccer. They also love tennis and squash. Egyptians watch soccer on an almost daily basis as it is by far the most popular sport. While America might have more major sports teams Egyptians seem to care more about soccer. In Ancient Egypt many of the sports were survival skill related with sports like hunting, rowing, and fishing.
Immigrants
Egypt has had a growing number of refugees and immigrants. Most of them are originally from Arabian countries. They also have several from African nations. Most of these people are running to the better economic opportunities Egypt has to offer. While they didn’t have migration the way we would typically think of it, Ancient Egypt had plenty of foreigners. People like the Hyksos who were foreign invaders who would stay and eventually the cultures would mix.
Government
In the Egyptian system of government the president is elected for six years. They also have a parliament. They have two houses, the house of representatives and the consultative council. In Egypt they have several political parties with over twenty active parties with seats in parliament. In Ancient Egypt the people were ruled by the Pharaoh and they had complete control since they were the connection between them and the gods.
Money
The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound. It takes about 16 Egyptian pounds to equal one U.S. dollar. The inflation rate in Egypt used to be really high at about 20% but as of last year it has dropped down to 5%. If it continues like this the Egyptian pound will be worth more. Since Egypt has been around for so long they have had quite a few systems of currency. Like many societies they had a barter system but this was replaced with the exchange of metal. Coined metal would come later on during the Ptolemaic kingdom where they made one universal currency.
Fashion
In Egypt they were mostly the same stuff that we in America wear. Granted it is really hot there so they have to focus on staying cool while also trying to not have the sun hit them directly. At night it gets extremely cold making them have a need for heavier clothes during this time. In Ancient Egypt during the old kingdom men would wear loincloths while women would wear a sheath dress. Egyptian took pride in their appearance and would stay very clean.
Cities
In Egypt there are several cultural cities like Cairo, Luxor, and Alexandria. They have been around for thousands of years. Cairo is one of the most important in Africa as it is the capital of Egypt. During the ancient Egyptian time the cities like Memphis and Thebes were the most important, Memphis was located in a geographic location that allowed it to be easily defended and give good access to trade.
Leaders
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the current president of Egypt. His job is very similar to the U.S. ‘s president. He is the commander of the armed forces. The Egyptian president lives in Heliopolis Palace in Cairo Egypt. In Ancient Egypt they had several famous leaders like Ramses and Tutankhamun.