The flag of America is one of the country's national symbols. It was adopted in the year 1777, right after the nation became independent of Britain. By then, the country consisted of 13 new states that were all British colonies. These states are represented by the 13 stripes on the flag. Furthermore, the flag has three colors: red, which symbolizes valor and bravery, white is associated with purity and innocence and blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Initially, the flag consisted of 13 stars representing each of the newly independent states, so the first flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars. According to Smith and Leepson (2024), Francis Hopkinson who happened to be the designer, created the stars in a circular form as a symbol of the 13 new states. Since there was no fixed layout of the flag, there were different layouts and patterns in circulation (Smith & Leepson, 2024).

The USA flag has undergone various changes after the first original one. As time progressed and new states joined the union, stars and stripes were added accordingly. This was the case during the Second flag act in May 1795, when Vermont and Kentucky joined the union as the two new states (Smith & Leepson, 2024). As a result, the lay out and pattern changed. This continued until the last state was joined the union, bringing the total number of stars to 50. In 1959 Hawai'i became the 50th and last state, giving us that 50-star flag that we still have today (American Battlefield Trust, 2024).

REFERENCES

American Battlefield Trust. (2024, March 12). Short history of the United States Flag. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/short-history-united-states-flag

Smith, W., & Leepson, M. (2024, April 14). Flag of the United States of America | History, Meaning, Facts, & Design. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-the-United-States-of-America

Just like any other country, America has a variety of holidays which are  well celebrated. Among these celebrations is Thanksgiving, a remarkable festive in the USA. The celebration falls every 4^th Thursday of November each year and started as a harvest event of the colonial Pilgrims' way back in 1621 (Silverman, 2024). It is said that these people, who were based in Plymouth, celebrated their first successful harvest with their native American neighbors, the Wampanoag (Silverman, 2024).

 In  American culture, thanksgiving is a special occasion where people celebrate their harvest, showing gratitude and appreciation. Americans took this day to gather and celebrate with family and friends, while watching football. Typical for this holiday is the reunion of family and friends, praying, eating, going to church and other customs related to this day. The main event of the holiday is the Thanksgiving dinner, which consists of native American dishes such as  roasted turkey, potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberries and pumpkin pie (American History, 2019). While celebrating and eating at the table, families express their gratitude for different achievements or things they have and can do.

Furthermore, this holiday sets the tone for the holiday season in the USA, as it is followed by Black Friday, the biggest shopping day  throughout the year in America. Over all, Thanksgiving is a lovely aspect of American culture that permits families and friends to unite, eat and give thanks.

REFERENCES

American History. (2019, September 18). Thanksgiving | American History. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://american-history.net/american-celebrations-overview/thanksgiving/

Silverman, D. J. (2024b, March 7). Thanksgiving Day | Meaning, history, & facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day

SPANGLISH

Throughout the years of American history the country has known a huge amount of immigrants. As a result, there are  various languages spoken in the country. One of these language is Spanish, the second most spoken idiom in the USA (Chamberlain, 2023). It is spoken in large numbers especially in states where a huge amount of Hispanic immigrants are residing, for instance California, Texas, Florida and New York. Pew research center reported that 70% of young people in the USA speak Spanglish (Chamberlain, 2023).

Spanglish, also known as Espanglish, defines as a concept consisting of a combination of English and Spanish in which Spanish is dominant. In general, the mixture contains words and grammatical elements of both languages, so it is not a distinct language on its own, rather a fusion language. This linguistic diffusion is used as a tool of communication, particularly in the bilingual communities to converse with family and friends (Chamberlain, 2023).

In recent years, this phenomenon has become extremely popular in the USA, as it is now reflected in the media, literature as well as music. Spanglish is not a recent invented dialect, its origin goes way back to the 19^th century when the Mexican American war took place and some regions of Mexico became part of America. As a result, the two languages began to mingle and created what we now know as Spanglish (Betances, 2020). Some examples of this fusion are; ‘’Pero like, how can you do that?" Translation: "But like, how can you do that?" (Chamberlain, 2023).

In short, Spanglish is not only a fusion of two languages but also of two cultures, since it involves the main language of two countries. This fusion brings the two cultures together, be it through literature, media or music (Turnure, 2023).

REFERENCES

Betances, N. (2020, March 27). The Origin & Art of SPANGLISH. http://scribe.usc.edu/the-origin-art-of-spanglish/

Chamberlain, M. (2023, September 14). How Spanglish is being embraced as a ‘lenguaje’ of its own. NBC Boston. https://www.nbcboston.com/celebrating-hispanic-heritage/how-spanglish-is-being-embraced-as-a-lenguaje-of-its-own/3135681/

Jenny Lorenzo. (2019, March 15). Spanglish con Yenny: Paquete [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA1uAMSdHKk

Turnure, J. (2023, October 1). Spanglish and beyond: The evolution of Spanish-influenced dialects in the US. EL PAÍS English. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-10-01/spanglish-and-beyond-the-evolution-of-spanish-influenced-dialects-in-the-us.html#

MAYA ANGELOU

Marguerite Annie Johnson, popularly known as Maya Angelou, was born on the 4^th of April 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America. She was an outstanding author, poet, actor, and civil rights activist. Besides, this multi-talented writer has a great impact on women rights, particulary black women in the United states (Balom, 2023).

Living in a country with a lot of challenges, Angelou had to experience racial discrimination, financial challenges and sexual abuse. Although she faced these adversities, she developed love for literature and writing. In 1969 she wrote “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, which is a reflection of her traumatic early life experiences. This work stood out as the first best-seller by a black woman in America (Turetsky, 2018). Portraying her story was a way of her healing journey but also a motivation for others to tell their own story regarding racism, abuse, poverty and teen pregnancy. In 1977 she played a role in Americas first successful black tv series called Kunta Kente (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2024). Besides she was honored as the first black women director in Hollywood (Turetsky, 2018). One of her most famous poem is ‘’Still I rise”.

Another aspect that made Angelou a phenomenal women was the huge impact she had on women by campaigning their rights while focusing on their struggles, triumphs and also their resilience. In addition she empowered women to overcome societal limitations, accept their strength and speak for themselves (Hannah, 2023). Maya was also a renowned civil rights activist who collaborated with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to address racial inequality in America. Her poem Still I rise depicts the ability of the black community to triumph segregation (Balom, 2023). The themes often present in her works are about economic, racial and sexual oppression as well as a reflection of different aspects of her life. All in all. Maya Angelous legacy was not only in literature she broke various barriers and left her footprints for all till today.

REFERENCES

Balom, J. (2023, February 13). The life and legacy of Maya Angelou: an iconic writer and activist. Black Knowledge. https://blackknowledge.com/articles/the-life-and-legacy-of-maya-angelou/

Hannah, T. (2023, October 24). What Impact Did Maya Angelou Have On The World - Poetry & Poets. Explore the Beauty of Poetry - Discover the Poet Within. https://www.poetrypoets.com/what-impact-did-maya-angelou-have-on-the-world/

Npr. (2014, May 28). Maya Angelou reads “Still I Rise.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2014/05/28/316728748/maya-angelou-reads-still-i-rise

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024, March 31). Maya Angelou | Biography, Books, Poems, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Maya-Angelou

Turetsky, S. (2018, February 26). Celebrating Black History: Maya Angelou. Westbury Arts. https://westburyarts.org/celebrating-black-history-maya-angelou/