I live in the USA, I want to share my impressions of how ordinary Americans live. How ordinary people live in America: lifestyle, features and history What people do in America

The life in the United States, which many see in American films, seems very attractive to many immigrants. The standard of living, opportunities and large territories with a varied climate suggest that it is in this country that life will improve. At first glance, it seems that this is a country where you can dream of living.

A country of opportunity and prosperity

Favorable conditions for work and life, a high level of economy and advanced technologies attract millions of visitors to America every year in search of a fabulous life. Many people remain in the country illegally. Their life is difficult and even dangerous, because illegal immigrants lose all social opportunities and benefits necessary for life.

While Americans and green card holders can live, taking advantage of all the opportunities from the category of social and civil rights. There is no social difference between native Americans and those who have received resident status, they are equal and have the same rights, as well as a civic duty.

In terms of living standards, the United States of America is the country with the highest rates. Conclusions about quality are made on the basis of facts about salaries of specialists, working conditions, social benefits and guarantees, medical care, life expectancy, quality of education, and so on. But, as in any state, in addition to positive ones, there are always negative aspects.

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Pros and cons of living in the USA

At first glance, from afar and in the first days of arrival, living in the States seems like an ideal option, especially after watching Hollywood films that show how Americans live and how their problems are easily solved. But it’s not that simple.

Life in the USA is not as easy and fabulous as it might seem at first glance. It is the immigrants who are the first to face the negative sides of this country. What is available to legal immigrants and indigenous people is not available to illegal immigrants.

The advantages of living in America include:

• There are free Community Colleges for immigrants.
• High quality medical care and social guarantees.
• Good ecological environment, except for large cities.
• Food is inexpensive and of high quality. Technology and electronics are also up to date.
• Visitors are treated kindly and tolerantly here. The service is also excellent, the streets are trying to maintain cleanliness and order. The roads are in excellent condition.
• The farther from the big cities, the lower the unemployment rate.
• American education is valued around the world.
• High wages. If the salary level is within $ 10 per hour, then the employer is obliged to provide the employee with housing and food at his own expense.

Among the disadvantages are the following:

• Higher education and qualifications are required. To find a good job, you will have to apply for paid services to special recruiting agencies. Their services are also actively used by employers themselves. Because of this, the process of professional integration for immigrants often takes a very long time.
• Due to the influx of migration, there is a high level of unemployment, as well as crime, especially among Hispanics and African Americans. It is not uncommon for schools to use firearms. The disadvantaged segment of the population is engaged in the sale and use of drugs.
• The high cost of medical care. For example, the payment for outpatient treatment can reach tens of thousands of dollars, for a simple consultation with a specialist you will have to pay two hundred dollars, and health insurance must be paid regularly - without it, the patient may not be admitted to the hospital.
• Very expensive real estate, which is not so easy to acquire, since you will have to take into account the wishes of those who live in the neighborhood.
• Buying your own car is a must, since public transport is often available only in large cities.
• The cost of education in educational institutions for middle-income families is also high. Parents often take loans for their children’s studies or save up from their birth, investing in advance. To be able to study at a prestigious institution of higher education, you need to be from a very wealthy family. In general, all Americans live on credit, repaying it for years on good terms that are available only to indigenous people and residents.
• High taxes, which are very difficult for a novice US resident to cope with.

Living standards in the USA

In order to assess the standard of living in a particular country, those factors are taken that satisfy in sufficient volume the different needs of the population. The higher the indicators for the quality of social security, the quality of housing and utilities, the more stable the salary and the more diverse the cultural environment and services, the higher the quality of life.

The United States of America is the fastest growing population. This is primarily due to the fact that life in the United States is associated with comfortable conditions and excellent medical care. But the main population growth is, of course, provided by immigration.

The unemployment rate is considered low, however, these rates are uneven. In New York, this figure is very high, since the gap between the wealthy and the poor is impressive. Higher education and experience play a critical role in employment.

The more prestigious the education and profession, the higher and more stable the income. Good people are valued here and don't have to worry about being fired suddenly. The highest income is for managers, lawyers, doctors and TV presenters. That is, for representatives of those professions that are associated with the social and entertainment sphere.

Salaries in America

In the United States, hourly wages are practiced. However, salaries may vary from state to state. Thus, the same position is paid differently, depending on the city. Therefore, many people move to work in big cities.

The state in every possible way welcomes and supports private business, and the consumer market is represented very widely, so everyone can find their niche in the business sphere. At the same time, even ordinary people in ordinary vacancies earn quite well.

Education

Prices for training in educational institutions are quite affordable, but the more prestigious the institution, the higher the cost. Education in higher educational institutions ranges from tens of thousands of dollars per year... To obtain a specialist diploma, training is enough, both in college and at the university.

Training in the USA is also open for foreigners, for them there are many programs, including exchange programs. Therefore, anyone who wants to stay in this country can live in America and get an education there.

Food

The food here is of excellent quality and at affordable prices. People with practically any income can afford to eat well and tasty. Eating out in restaurants, however, is much more expensive. The availability of products is due to the fact that the state strongly supports farms. There are lucrative government programs for people who want to devote their lives to working on the land and farming.

America is famous for its affordable and nutritious junk food. Because of this, many Americans are overweight.

Real estate in the USA

An indicator of prosperity and well-being for an American is the availability of his own home. The most popular are small private houses of one or two floors with an average cost of 100-200 thousand dollars. The price of housing depends on what material the house is built from, in which area it is located and on its total living space.

Families with an average income receive the desired square footage with the help of a consumer loan, the terms of which are favorable and the interest rates are not high (5-10%), and the terms are up to 30 years. Each client has an individual approach, which depends on the level of family income and the advance made.

A typical American home must have a living room, dining room, and garage. In especially prestigious variants, the house has a small cozy garden and a swimming pool.

Insurance and taxes in the USA

An important condition for a comfortable stay in the United States is insurance, which is very common in the country as a mandatory and recommended service. The insurance covers life and health, then movable and immovable property.

In large offices, the employer provides health insurance for its employees. Thus, the concern for employees is manifested. And especially prestigious corporations provide insurance not only for their employees, but also for their families. Smaller companies also take care of their employees by offering discounted insurance.

For the poor in the country, there is also completely free insurance. Children under 19 and people of retirement age after 65 fall into the category of social state security. Medicare is designed specifically for the elderly and includes physician consultations and outpatient care. Thus, in America they care about those who have lived for many years in the country, working conscientiously for the good of the state.

Taxation in the United States is very costly. In general, it takes 30-50% of the total family income. The largest spending comes from federal and state taxes, real estate and property taxes, and sales taxes.

Students of educational institutions, people of retirement age and residents with a minimum income level are not taxed. For some categories of citizens, special social programs are applied.

From all this, we can conclude that the state is trying with all its might to maintain a high standard of living and is worried about extending the life of its citizens.

Work in the USA

Leaving the United States for work in 2020 is not so difficult, but getting a good job will take a lot of care. There are many vacancies in simple work areas, but this work is considered low-skilled and low paid.

You can move for the purpose of work in different ways:

• Study and internship. Many Russian universities offer their students internship programs in the United States. Most often, these programs are implemented during the holidays - for the whole summer. It should be noted that participation in these projects is paid, but due to the fact that the student will be provided with housing and food, he will be able to justify the spending with the money earned during his life in the United States.
• Work Visa. This is the most common option.
• Visa for creative individuals and rare specialties (design, music, scientists).

For the first time, Russian emigrants in the United States choose vacancies that do not require special skills and education. This is the work of maids, service workers (dry cleaning, house cleaning), builders, workers in factories and plants, waiters and salespeople.

The life of Russians in the United States seems to be more satisfying and fun, since in terms of the standard of living of our countries, Russia is somewhat inferior to the opportunities that America promises. But how the life of an immigrant will develop in the future depends on himself.

Most of the inhabitants live in some kind of illusory world regarding how people live in the United States.

In fact, America's poverty rate has reached unprecedented heights. The middle class is gradually dying. Unemployment is at a fairly high level. Most Americans are very poor. Does this mean that the US economy is going through the hardest times? Let's try to answer this question relying solely on facts.

The facts of catastrophic poverty in America

1. 47 million Americans now live below the poverty line. This was reported by the US Census Bureau.
2. Nearly one in five children in the United States feeds on food stamps. Back in 2007, every 7 children lived on the “coupon system”.
3. There are about 1.5 million households in the United States with daily earnings that do not exceed $ 2.00. Since 1996, the number of these farms has only increased.
4. 46 million US citizens survive on food banks. At 6 in the morning, a live queue begins to form. After all, everyone wants to have time to get their rations before their number ends.
5. Over the past 6 years, the number of homeless American children has increased by 60%.
6. Over the past year, 1.6 million children in the United States stayed in overnight shelters.
7. New York police have found 80 special places where homeless people can spend the night. The rise of the homeless is now called an "epidemic" in America.
8. The overwhelming half of schoolchildren are so poor that they have no money in school canteens.
9. Approximately 65% ​​of children living in orphanages receive various financial assistance from the state.
10. Approximately 33% of children live in households with a median income below 60% of the median annual income in America.
11. The United States ranks 41st in the ranking of the wealthiest countries UNICEF. Previously, this country was in 36th place.
12. Since 2000, the number of the poorest districts has doubled.
13. 48.8% of 25-year-old Americans still live in the same home with their parents.
14. Less than $ 30,000 is earned annually by 51% of American workers.
15. 7.9 million of the working-age population do not officially work anywhere, 94.7 million of American citizens are unemployed for one reason or another. If we add up these two figures, we get 102.6 million. That is how many of the able-bodied population are currently unemployed.
16. Home owners are classified as "middle class" in America. Over the past 8 years, the number of homeowners has begun to decline significantly.
17. 70% of Americans believe that they simply have to go into debt (loans) in order to survive.
18. A quarter of America's population owns "negative capital." In other words, what they have in the house does not match the amount of money in their wallet.

Residents of the United States may insist that they live better than other countries and that they have an economic paradise. However, the fact that every day the number of American poor is becoming more and more makes you “take off your rose-colored glasses”, and it is very difficult to understand that life in America is actually very difficult.

I have been in the States for 2 months now, waiting for my own birth, and I believe that it is my turn to talk about the five main differences between Russia and the United States.

The first thing that immediately catches your eye

Is cleanliness on the street. I don’t know what they do: wash, clean, don’t litter ... but the condition of the roads and the dirt on them is very different. You can watch any of mineVLOGand see what I'm talking about. There are a lot of grass, trees, neat streets, everything is very, very beautiful. The same goes for houses. Since there is more private property, then, of course, people follow how their yard looks like, and try to decorate everything around them.

Second, of course, I cannot ignore the topic of motherhood. And here, in order:
1. In America, there is no concept of a decree, as in Russia, that is, a woman goes to work to the last (of course, if you are not a waiter or something like that, when the stomach simply interferes). After a woman gives birth, if a good employer, then you should go to work in three months. At the same time, at work, a room will be equipped or allocated for her where she can express milk. But as such, there is no long vacation.
2. There are absolutely no payments for children in America! No maternity capital, no payments for the birth of 1, 2, 10 children, no dairy kitchen, no benefits. This does not apply to the poor and single mothers. There are, of course, social assistance programs in such cases, but they are not related to children, but to the social status of a person.
3. There are no state kindergartens like ours. The child goes to a public institution inPre- schoolat the age of 5, and only then can you not pay for it. Before that, someone should be with your child, since you yourself are working. Nanny, for comparison, costs about $ 8. in hour. This is about 350 - 400 dollars per week. A half-day kindergarten also costs about 300 - 400 dollars. The amounts are not small at all. As the Americans say: "Two small children in a row is very, very expensive."

The third point is laws, fines and freedom. In America, it may seem that everyone here is cute, kind, everyone is smiling at you, but at the same time it is customary here to call the police, if, for example, your neighbor is drunk, or someone smokes pot on the next site or does something illegal. In America, there are gigantic fines for everything! If you really break the law, then you will pay for it. And the word "pay" is not exaggerated, but you will actually get a lot of money. And in general, any violations hit a lot on the pocket.

The fourth difference is people. What surprised me? Women and men in their 50s look completely different. A lot of men look athletic, fit, with good hairstyles, fashionable glasses, clothes, slim. Women, on the contrary, do not look very neat, in some kind of stretched clothes. I understand, of course, that this is a matter of convenience and comfort, they left their cottage, went to the store and they don't care what they think of them, but nevertheless, in Russia, people try to dress beautifully.

Fifth difference. Alcohol and attitudes towards it. Here people drink much less. There are many other things to do! There are no drunken, staggering people on the street who will smell like fumes. There is no such thing, and I have not seen a single drunk here. But a lot of people run, and they are all so cheerful and positive.

I will also tell you my other observations.

Attitude to work. For some reason, many Americans work half a day or several hours a day, they are very lazy. They have their own house, which they have taken out on credit, a car, their parents also have a house, and also cars, so they don't really strive for anything so much.

The question of old age. Pensioners here are in a different social position than ours. If you have done a good job in life, then you will feel good here even in retirement. I would also like to say that people check their health throughout their lives, because this is included in the insurance. They constantly go to the hospital, get tested, control cholesterol levels, change their diet, and so on. And in fact, I have never seen such a fat American here, which is usually shown to us on TV, ala "they are all fat in America." We have, it seemed to me, a lot more fat people. In addition, Americans drink vitamins, dietary supplements that improve health, they have salsa courses.

And finally, a little funny. Films don't lie) Here, Americans constantly walk their dogs, they throw newspapers wrapped in plastic paper, a yellow bus rides, which takes the children to school - that is, life is the same as in the films, not even invented without decorations.

Of course, there are a lot of differences, but as elsewhere there are minuses, and there are pluses.