Cultural Differences, Usa and Masai’s Essay

There were many cultural differences between the Masai’s and the U.S. The fundamental difference I notice was their simplicity. They think that every big celebration and every tragedy that people go thru in their lives should be celebrated or minimized by the gift of cows. I think that the fundamental similarity between our cultures is the need to help those in need, compassion. When September 11th. happened the whole nation was shocked and hurt. Even those who didn’t have family in the twin towers felt the need to help. The same happened with the Masai tribe, they didn’t have the money or the resources to help us with, but they had what they thought was the next best thing; cows. The U.S government took 3 years to decide what to do with the gift received from the Masai’s. The Masai’s were already feeling disrespected and hurt about the lack of interest on their gift. It is their culture to hand out cows as gifts and for them it is an amazing gift to receive a cow. It’s what they know and it was passed down to them from their ancestors. It won’t change and it is already established. I think the appreciation of what other people try to do to help is one fact that interconnect the U.S to the Masai’s. After we received the cows from them we decided to use the gift to try to help them with education, and they were very grateful. Another fact could be the decision making. In the U.S the big decisions are made by the government, in the Masai tribe the decisions are made by the elders. It is like they have their own form of government. I don’t think the intention of the author was to make fun of the Masai’s but in a certain way it makes them seem like a joke. When he writes about the Masai women dancing and celebrating the 5th. Year anniversary of the September 11, he says that not a way to show sympathy but ok. Well it is their way to cope with tragedy and it might look disrespectful to us but it isn’t. they were nothing but kind and sympathetic to what we were going thru. Their way of showing it might be different but it isn’t wrong.