Marketing Cultural Icons

Make a list of recent United States icons that were not mentioned in Chapter 11

The most recent U.S. icons that I have come to notice as a foreigner living overseas are:

Starbucks Coffee shops – they are prevalent everywhere I’ve been to in Asia, Southeast Asia, and particularly here in the Middle East. Aside from the obvious appeal of the coffee, there is the added incentive for everyone to hang out in coffee shops in Kuwait due to there being no clubs or bars as alternatives (alcohol is prohibited); the coffee shops have replaced those as nighttime meeting places and Starbucks has placed itself as the premier coffee hangout. On a given night and doubly so from Thursday to Saturday nights, Starbucks coffee shops will be crowded to capacity with people of all ages who just want something to do.

Rap and Hip Hop Music/lifestyle: In Asia, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere, American Hip/Hop music is revered by most everyone under 30 years old and in many countries, people have coopted it to their own culture as a means of artisitic and political expression. One example of this scene is in Pakistan - http://www.pakhiphop.com/2010/01/overseas-artist-featurednaar.html

From what I can tell, most of the foreign rappers tend to be young and rap mainly about whatever political and social issues are pertinent to their country. Really amazing once you consider the fact that Rap had only gained widespread popularity in the U.S. since around 1980.

Also make a list of icons from other countries that are sold in the United States.

Japanese Sushi seems to have become as mainstream an American food as hamburgers and hotdogs. Although thought of as originally from Japan, the food is actually originally from China but was quickly adapted by the Japanese as a sort of fast food dish served by street vendors.  Sushi had been around in the U.S. since the late 19^th, early 20^th century, however the 1980’s saw a boom in Sushi’s popularity in America due mainly to its exotic appeal to what were labeled Young Urban Professionals, or “Yuppies”, at the time. Over the years its popularity has since grown across several American social-economic and cultural demographics, young and old alike, to the point that where before only a handful of resteraunts served it, to nowadays where you can buy it already made from most U.S. supermarkets. Sushi has become such a part of American diets that there are now schools that teach how to make it.

Mexican food such as tacos, burritos, etc have also become staples of many American diets and is also another foreign originated food which although has had a longtime presence in the U.S., it’s popularity and assimilation as an American food has grown substantially over the past 40 years. Mexican food in its current form was first brought over by Mexican workers who probably shared with their American counterparts. Over the years the food has since become assimilated due to in large part to the substantial Hispanic population in the U.S., particularly in the Southwest and West Coast. Nowadays if you go to any random household in the country you will find more than few that celebrate “taco night” for dinner. 

Darnell Baker

Reference

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html

http://www.sushitrainer.com/AboutSushi/sushiinamerica.php

1. Subculture Study

Choose a subculture with which you are familiar, (this subculture could be your place of employment, an organization to which you belong, or any other subgroup you choose) and complete the Subculture Study Worksheet for this subculture. List your answers to the seven questions on the worksheet and post your conclusions. Respond to at least two of your fellow students' postings by Day 7. (You must create one initial post and at least two responses, for a minimum of three posts for this discussion.)