If you live in the United States and think America has no culture, you aren’t paying attention.
On July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the birth of the U.S., millions of families gathered across the country dressed in red, white, and blue to watch fireworks, barbecue, and reflect on the liberties we uniquely have as citizens. This tradition was repeated across millions of households. Yet many of the public will argue that America has no culture.
I wore a shirt for the occasion that read “It’s only treason if you lose” framed around George Washington’s face not just because it was funny, but also because it served as a gut-wrenching reminder of the risks our founding fathers took by signing their names to the Declaration of Independence. It was treason to the British, in every sense of the word, and treason came with consequences, some of which came to be realized for many of the signers.
But 250 years later, as my husband grilled burgers and hotdogs behind me on the patio and my kids practiced cannonballs in the pool, one of our guests said, “We’re just white, we have no culture.”
I looked around the yard at my star-studded guests (also, not exclusively white) while fireworks sounded in the streets of our neighborhood and corrected her, “Being American is a culture,” I said.
Ironically, much of the world is discovering American culture at this very moment as they enjoy the World Cup matches. In the last several weeks, international visitors have posted videos online celebrating American culture, upending the lies their media and ours have told them about prevalent violence, racism, and entitlement. They’re visiting monuments and parks, experiencing our hospitality, learning our version of English and Gen Z slang, and eating comfort foods such as biscuits and gravy that yield entirely different meals with the same order in their country. TSA even had to issue a warning to travelers because of the amount of ranch dressing our international siblings were packing into their suitcases upon departure.
Merriam-Webster carries several definitions of culture as it relates to workplace or community, but my favorite, and most applicable, is this: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time (2026).
Our beliefs as Americans are strong and not specific to one skin tone. Our customs, for example, our holidays, greetings, the way we shake hands, even the way guests are served in restaurants, are defining. Our art is spread world wide, from music to movies, to Instagram snapshots of the murals in the streets of Austin, Seattle, or Miami. Even our buildings and single-family homes seem to amaze foreign visitors. But most of all, what much of the world is discovering now is that the “American way” is one of pride and commitment. That we are committed to individuality, success, freedom, resilience, and even disagreement. Through our First Amendment rights, we are committed to allowing people to disagree. That is the American way.
And it isn’t just barbecue (as my guest retorted). Chalking up U.S. culture to “just BBQ” is no less offensive than describing Mexican culture as “just tacos.” Even between states, I doubt anyone would argue Louisiana and California have the same tacos, or that Texas and North Carolina have the same barbecue — or that any of them have no culture.
The alternative argument is that America has no culture because its customs are “stolen” from other cultures. The concept of evolving traditions, however, is neither unique to the U.S. nor a confirmation of a lack of culture. One study from the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in Cambridge on the Evolution of The Diversity of Cultures points out, “In evolutionary terms, if culture is the way in which humans deploy their behaviour through socially learned means, then it could be said that there is only one culture.”
In other words, all cultures have been formed from other cultures. Throughout history, communities have adopted and then modified art, customs, food, or other culturally relevant behaviors introduced to them for a number of reasons, including global conflict, scarcity, time, or immigration. If being completely unique is a requirement for a cultural claim, then no one has culture.
It’s a dangerous negation. When we argue that the public has no culture, it creates complacency in defending it. That is, we won’t try to protect something that doesn’t exist. Denying U.S. culture destroys our country’s sense of nationalism, which is essential to preserving American identity and the rights so many other countries covet. Just as people bond over common enemies, citizens must feel united under a common identity to protect their nation.
WORLD CUP REVEALS HOW AMERICA WINS BACK THE WORLD
So next year, when you head out to buy your hot dogs and don your star-spangled glasses, remember you are upholding a tradition that is part of your culture. A culture that many people would give anything to become a part of, and one that our founding fathers risked their lives to establish.
It means something to be American, and the whole world knows it. It’s time we know it, too.
Jessi Cook is a writer, Air Force veteran, military spouse, and former NSA intelligence analyst of 19 years, where she specialized in crisis response and management. Her work has appeared in The Coachella Review, Military Families Magazine, and internal NSA publications.