Pursuit of Happiness
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” - US Declaration of Independence
The main word that stands out in this declaration is pursuit. Our right is not to be
happy but to pursue happiness. Americans are always pursuing and striving for
something, whether that is a job, a car, friends, or a certain physical appearance. White
American culture is always driven yet never satisfied. The pursuit of happiness is
something that white Americans strive for in every area of life yet rarely obtain. The way
we communicate, our relationships, our values, and even our physical appearance are all
areas wrapped up into our need to pursue.
Millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of an American’s life are spent trying to
change their physical appearance. Plastic surgery and diet solutions are major hits, yet
rarely is there satisfaction in these avenues. The drive to lose a few more pounds or build
more muscle consumes us until we are obsessed with this pursuit. Even if we happen to
reach that goal, we are not satisfied and continue toward a new goal.
In relationships, whites pursue independence. We want to be able to make it on
our own and not have to rely on anyone else. Our family structure, when compared to that
of Mexican Americans or African Americans, is spread out and independent of each
other. We rarely live on the same street, let alone the same house as our relatives. Family
gatherings are infrequent and usually occur during the holidays, if at all. In marriages, we
try to maintain an independent part of ourselves, which leads to such a high rate of
divorce among white Americans. Divorce among whites has increased almost two
percent faster than among blacks, and 44% of those white divorces occur within the first
five years of marriage. Our commitment level has diminished because of our need to
pursue independence. Commitment to a job or to a dating partner can be taken lightly
because we always try to find something else, something better. In most relationships we
like the chase but become disinterested when we finally get what we have been chasing.
The values of white culture are determined by what we long for. We will pursue
the things that we value with more effort and likewise the things we pursue affect what
we value. The pursuit of money may make us value education, yet the pursuit of a better
world or more diversity might cause us to place more value on travel.
As a culture, whites communicate primarily through verbal exchanges. Words are
overused and underappreciated. We tend to make eloquent speeches and are taught to
“use our words.” We strive to be heard and understood rather than to listen and
understand. The nonverbal communication of white Americans conveys a lot more
meaning than does our verbal communication. With words, people hear what they want
to hear, not necessarily what is truly being said. Through actions, you see the truth and
hear what is not said.
White Americans desire and value personal space, physically and emotionally,
and work hard to obtain it. We prefer to have a distance between ourselves and others.
We create this space physically by having separate cars, wide streets, our own rooms, big
offices, and a certain level of personal distance in face-to-face interactions. The
emotional space is created by shallow relationships and emphasized through our lack of
commitment. We keep people at bay so that we are not vulnerable and cannot be hurt.
This desire for separation almost contradicts our very being. As humans, we are
social creatures, yet culturally we are taught to pull away from others, even if it is just
enough to be safe. White culture teaches us to be independent and not to let others control
our actions, yet as humans we desperately want to fit in and be accepted. Whites will go
to great lengths to become part of a group, such as a fraternity or sorority, yet at the same
time hold up barriers so that there is still a separation.
White Americans feel that it is within their rights to have life, liberty, and to
pursue happiness, but we cannot seem to grasp what true happiness is. The pursuit never
ends, and we are never satisfied. White Americans were the ones to sail across the
Atlantic in pursuit of happiness. It was white Americans who continued exploring west to
find whatever lay in store for them. White Americans wrote the Declaration of
Independence, which included the pursuit of happiness within the first three inalienable
rights of an American. The culture of white America is pursuing what you want but do
not have.
This intrinsic value of chasing happiness that is embedded in white culture is a
good thing in terms of pushing ourselves. Without that pulling desire, America may not
exist. While we continually pursue happiness, we also continually better ourselves. We
are not satisfied with mediocrity but long and strive for something more than even we can
imagine. Through our endless pushing, we eventually pull our culture up to new amazing
levels that others never dreamed possible.
As a white American, I am a product of my culture because I am always searching
for the next thing or working on the next project instead of being satisfied. For example,
no matter where I am, I want to know what else is out there. I love to travel because I get
to see more of what the world has to offer. I am not content staying in one place or doing
one thing. I also am never satisfied with what I do. I always critique and push myself,
knowing that I can always do better or more. No matter how much I obtain or
accomplish, it is never enough. I like that being a white American has instilled some
motivating tendencies within me, yet sometimes I wish that my culture revolved more
around being happy with what you have instead of always needing more. Because
America is a melting pot of so many cultures, I feel it is a privilege to be white, yet be
influenced not only by the white culture but by all the different cultures that make up
America. Being born in a country containing such a vast variety of cultures allows me to
appreciate values in other cultures, as well as open my eyes to new things I can pursue—
thus confirming that I truly am a product of white culture.