Are Americans “cultural imperialists” who conquer and corrupt the rest of the world by spreading popular culture everywhere?
It is true, as Richard Pells writes, that much of what constitutes American popular culture today originated in a mélange of foreign influences during the 20th century. But this does not explain why so many people around the world are critical of what they perceive as “American cultural imperialism.” Nor does it explain why this idea has become such a force over the past century. If we wish to better understand this perception, we need to consider both the makeup and the influence of American culture abroad—as Pells does—and also its reception by non-Americans. Historical Background It is a curious paradox in American history that a nation whose cultural transfers became so controversial started out with little interest in the export of culture. Historically, Americans have found their distinctiveness primarily in their political system rather than in their poets, artists, and novelists. They generally view their popular culture as a source of private entertainment rather than as an in
