American life through the eyes of old Chinese immigrants

What the real America looks like is a matter of opinion. For the Chinese, everyone has an image of America in their mind, but most of them are just imagination. As the saying goes, if you are not a family, you will not know the price of food and rice. So, if you do not live in the United States, how can you understand the real America? Especially there are differences between Chinese and Western cultures. Chinese people see the United States differently from Westerners. Perhaps for the old Chinese immigrants living in the United States, the United States in their eyes is the more objective and real United States. What is the real America like?

House prices in the United States

House prices in the United States are related to population distribution. Generally speaking, the east and west coasts (mainly New York and surrounding cities, and California) are more expensive, while the middle areas are cheaper. In addition, almost everyone in the United States has a car, so everyone's living scope has expanded a lot, and there are many choices when buying a house.

The median house price in the United States is currently around $200,000. As mentioned before, the east and west are expensive, so the housing prices in most places in the middle of the United States are less than $200,000. I have been to two central cities in the United States this year, one is Detroit and the other is Kansas City. In terms of population, these two cities rank between 10th and 50th in the United States and are considered second-tier cities. But its population is less than 1 million, and all larger counties in China are larger than it. House prices are also cheap, with a building costing only tens of thousands, or even less than 100,000. A house worth over 200,000 is considered a very good house.

However, the scary side of these cities is that they have small populations, and you can’t see the bustling crowds of China at all. When I go to bed at night, there is no sound at all on the road outside, and naturally there is no rich nightlife. In fact, Americans living in these second-tier cities are quite boring, so young people still go to big cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

American income

The United States is a country dominated by large companies, and every city is similar. When shopping, they all go to Wal-Mart to eat, Subway to buy appliances, Bestbuy to buy clothes, GAP to buy shoes, and Nike? These large companies have almost monopolized all the daily consumption of Americans. They are a ubiquitous giant. There is no tyranny, so it is natural to hire local employees in each location. In addition to telecommunications and banks, a large proportion of Americans in small cities work in these large companies, and their incomes are also very balanced, about 30,000 to 40,000 per year. This forms the so-called middle class in the United States.

A yearly income of 30,000-40,000 yuan, excluding taxes and insurance, is 20,000-30,000 yuan, and then excluding living expenses, it is half, and you can save 10,000-20,000 yuan a year. It will take 10 years to buy a house worth 150,000 yuan. But these people are all locals, and many of them own houses locally, so the demand for buying houses is not that strong.

What industries have high wages? Most of them are industries with technical content, such as doctors, lawyers, finance, and technology. In the United States, if you have a skill that others don't know, your income will always be relatively high. Microsoft engineers, at the lowest level, have an annual salary of about $100,000. The secretary of the White House must be a senior civil servant in China, but some time ago the news said that the salary is only more than 30,000 per year.

In Seattle, where Microsoft is headquartered, housing prices are much higher than in other second-tier cities. In addition to the reason for Microsoft, it is also because it is close to the sea and the housing prices are worthy of speculation. Data show that the median home price in Seattle soared from 221,000 in 1989 to a peak of 447,000 in 2006. But after the financial crisis, the median number fell back to 340,000. If you are a Microsoft engineer with an income of 100,000 yuan a year, taxes and insurance account for about 1/3, and you get 60,000-70,000 yuan, and can save 40,000-50,000 yuan a year, then it will take nearly 10 years to buy a house. . Of course, this is just Chinese thinking, and Americans may not be able to save so much.

Of course not everyone can get a job at Microsoft with an annual salary of 100,000. If you work as a waiter at Starbucks, your income will be in the range of 30,000 to 50,000. So if you want to buy a house in Seattle, the pressure will be much greater.

American universities

Compared with housing prices, education is a more terrifying thing for Americans. As we all know, the best schools in the United States are eight Ivy League universities including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. In addition, there are some schools that are not Ivy League, but are completely on the same level, such as Stanford, Chicago, MIT, and Caltech. There are a total of ***20 schools in total, all of which are private. Therefore, when it comes to judging the quality of American schools, the top 20 are considered as one grade. Americans who have a little bit of money all want to squeeze into these schools. There, it basically costs 200,000 US dollars in four years, which most people cannot afford.

After these 20 schools are state schools, 1-2 in each state. Constituting the top 20-100 schools in American universities. But California is an exception. There are 10 schools in California, and each of them ranks well. Everyone is familiar with Berkeley, California. In our opinion, it is a great school. But in California, as long as you can read a little, you can basically pass the exam? - This is what a buddy from Berkeley told me. In fact, it’s not surprising when you think about it. There are already 20 universities in front of you.

State schools are cheaper for students from within the state. For example, for California students to enter these 10 universities in the California system, the annual tuition is about 7,000-8,000. The cheaper option is community college, which only costs a few hundred dollars a year. Of course you get what you pay for.

Immigration to the United States

People of all kinds flock to Los Angeles. A large part of them are Mexicans and other lower-class people in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

There are 5 million illegal immigrants in the United States, the vast majority of whom are immigrants. Los Angeles is one of the cities closest to Mexico, so many Mexicans have set up camp here. Mexicans are hardworking and they do almost all the dirty work. Lao Mo doesn't have high requirements for life and is satisfied as long as he has a job.

The U.S. government also turns a blind eye to these 5 million illegal immigrants. The United States cannot live without them. Get rid of them all, who will do the dirty work? What's more, their wages are very low, and the bosses are willing to use them, just pretending to be stupid on the surface.

So in Los Angeles, when you go to Wal-Mart, the staff are all old Mo and Lao Hei. Only in Kansas City do Walmart have white people as waitresses.

Prices in the United States

The United States has a consumption tax, which is about 8%-10%, and each state is different. To buy something worth 100 yuan, you have to pay 108 yuan. Tips are required when eating, usually 10-20% after tax.

Generally speaking, if Americans earn a monthly income of 2,000-3,000, they can still live well. If you go to the supermarket with 100 yuan, you can buy a cart full of things. If you go shopping for clothes during the Chinese New Year and holidays, you can buy a lot with just 1,000 yuan.

Vegetables and fruits in the United States are relatively more expensive than chicken and pork, because vegetables and fruits are seasonal and cannot be mass-produced on demand; another reason is that they have a shelf life. Therefore, Wal-Mart in the United States rarely sells fruits and vegetables because it cannot achieve nationwide logistics deployment. Vegetables and fruits are generally sold in some local supermarkets. And another feature of the United States is the farmers market. Just like China's markets, they are held at regular intervals. Farmers bring fresh vegetables and fruits to the city center to sell them, which is very popular with Americans. It’s fresh and has a lot of variety, but of course the price is higher than in the supermarket. These farmers simply see a market that large retailers cannot.

Taxes in the United States

Americans think taxes are very heavy, which is one of the main reasons why they criticize the government. So how much tax do American individuals generally pay? This is really a difficult question to answer. The main reason is that the United States has a tax rebate system. People have to file taxes every year and explain to the government how much they earn in a year, how much tax they should pay, and how much tax they have paid. Then the government will return a portion of the tax based on each person's different circumstances.

As far as personal income tax is concerned, generally a person with an annual salary of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan will have to pay 1/3-1/4 of their income to pay taxes (specifically including federal taxes, state taxes, etc.) ). The higher the income, the higher the personal tax.

In terms of tax rebates, generally speaking, the heavier the family burden (paying for a house, having children), the greater the tax rebates, and some can even be fully refunded. Single young people who have just graduated and have no property bear the heaviest tax burden.

In addition to personal income tax, the United States also has a consumption tax. Everything you buy has to pay sales tax, and each state has different tax rates. Since the financial crisis, many states have raised consumption taxes. A 1 percentage point increase in government consumption tax revenue can increase government revenue by more than 10%, which is a very considerable amount. Of course, every time you raise the level, the American people will scold you. After all, they are pulling your hair out.

In addition to personal income tax and consumption tax, there is another large part of the personal tax burden, which is property tax. Property taxes also vary based on region and specific housing conditions. There are also lengthy laws that classify the use and grade of housing. Different states have different tax rates. Luxury properties have the highest property tax, which is about 1-2% for ordinary residences. The national average property tax rate in the United States is 1.38%. As mentioned earlier, if you own a 100-square-meter house in Manhattan worth RMB 1 million, you will have to pay more than 1,000 yuan in taxes every month.

Property tax can inhibit investment in buying a house, but there is still money to be made. A 100-square-meter house in Manhattan with 2-3 bedrooms can be rented for 2,000-4,000 yuan a month, and you can earn 1,000-3,000 yuan after tax.

Taxes in the United States are heavy. Counting the portion of corporate taxes passed on to individuals, nearly half of Americans' income is spent on various taxes.

American primary and secondary schools

Primary and secondary schools in the United States are mainly public schools. Of course, there are also private primary and secondary schools, which are of good quality, but tuition may cost tens of thousands a year. Unless you are extremely rich, most people will not consider them.

Public schools enroll students according to school districts, so Americans also buy houses in school districts for the education of their children. Although there are no artificially established key high schools in the United States, as long as you know which district the school is in, everyone will know whether it is good or not.

Primary and secondary schools in the United States do not charge tuition fees. But there are still some other miscellaneous expenses, about a few hundred yuan a year. There are school buses to and from school. The yellow buses are also very common in American movies. And there is basically no pressure for primary school students to study.

American students who graduate from high school and enter college apply by themselves. Everyone will apply to several schools, and sometimes they will be accepted by them at the same time, so they choose one. When applying, you mainly need to submit the following materials. One is the high school transcript and ranking, and the second is the SAT test, which is equivalent to our college entrance examination. The SAT is tested seven times a year in the United States. Students can take the test when they are in their second or third year of high school, as long as they get their scores before applying. If you fail in the exam, you can cancel your score and retake the exam. These two are the most important. University admissions in the United States are mainly based on scores and rankings. If a certain university wants to say that the quality of the freshmen we admit is high, it will compare it with SAT scores, or what percentage of our students' high school scores are in the top 10%. In addition, there are letters of recommendation, any awards you have won, etc., all attached together, these are a bit valuable.

Transportation in the United States

Almost everyone in the United States has a car. It costs dozens of dollars to register it at the DMV (equivalent to our vehicle management office) every year; it is done every two years. An exhaust emission test costs tens of dollars. There are no other government fees. The driver's license test costs tens of dollars and does not require any mandatory training. As long as you feel you can drive it, you can take the test. The other thing about insurance is that it depends on you. A car insurance of 500-1,000 a year is within the normal range.

Oil prices are also relatively cheap. The distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco is about 600 kilometers. According to the current U.S. oil prices, the fuel cost for driving about 600 kilometers is about 50 US dollars, which is converted into RMB 350. And there are almost no toll booths on highways in the United States.

Air tickets are also relatively cheap. From New York in the northeast corner to Los Angeles in the southwest corner, spanning the entire United States, the round-trip air ticket plus taxes and fees is about US$300, which is converted into RMB 2,000. Therefore, even for low-income people who earn $1,000-2,000 a month, traveling is not a distant dream.

American land

The United States has a land area of ??more than 9 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to China. But there are also many places that are not very suitable for living.

The first one is the freezing cold Alaska. This state, where only 600,000 people live, is slightly larger than Xinjiang.

Secondly, the southwest region of the United States, including Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, is mostly a desert area. Some other western states, such as Utah, western Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, have large areas of mountainous land. Except for some mineral and timber resources in some areas, or suitable for some dryland agriculture and animal husbandry, the living environment is not ideal. The combined area of ??this area (11 states in the western United States, 8 states except California, Oregon, and Washington on the Pacific Ocean) reaches 2.2 million square kilometers, which is slightly less than the combined area of ??Tibet and Inner Mongolia (2.3 million square kilometers) . The total population of such a large area is only over 21 million, which is about the same as Inner Mongolia.

It is not difficult to find that the vast western region of the United States is actually somewhat similar to the western part of China. The climate is dry and there is a lack of water resources. For example, Las Vegas is a city built in the desert; it really can't survive, so it has to open a casino. However, this large area has a large number of national parks, such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park in this area. Americans probably don't have much history and don't have many places of interest, so these national parks have become the first choice for Americans to travel. Tourism is a huge income for these areas. The number of visitors to Yellowstone Park alone in a year is equivalent to that of Chinese tourists to Tibet.

So which areas of the United States are suitable for living? Or where do Americans live? Statistics tell us that the four most populous states in the United States are California, Texas, New York and Florida. The combined population of these four states is approximately 100 million. That means one-third of Americans live in these four states. If you analyze it further, you will find that the population in these areas is actually very concentrated. New York State has a population of approximately 20 million, of which 13 million live in New York City and its eight surrounding counties (excluding neighboring states such as New Jersey). 70% of California's population is concentrated in the Bay Area in Northern California and the Los Angeles-San Diego line in Southern California. Two-thirds of Texas' population is distributed in the four major urban areas of Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. 30% of Florida's population lives in Miami.

By the way, let’s talk about the land system in the United States. In the United States, everyone from the government to individuals can own land. For example, national parks are land owned by the federal government; state parks are land owned by state governments. Whether these parks are in mountains or deserts, they are owned by the government; and the government usually builds roads and makes them open to the public. Some land is hills, forests, and deserts with no use value or even sightseeing value. The government will also enclose these lands and count them as state-owned land.

Therefore, in poor and remote states like Utah and Nevada, more than 70% of the land is owned by the government. Such land is called public land.

American Libraries

Everywhere in the United States, from cities to rural areas, there are public libraries. Libraries are local, usually belonging to a county or a city and run by the local government. Local residents can use it for free. Just show your ID card to prove that you live here and you can get a library card. It only takes 5 minutes. A book can be borrowed for three weeks and can be extended. The library has multiple branches in the area. You can borrow books from any branch. If your branch does not have the book you want, but other branches have it, you can make a reservation and they will bring the book from elsewhere. . The books you borrow can be returned at any branch library without restrictions, which is very convenient.

The library has a variety of books, most of which are novels and biographies. Other books are mostly close to daily needs, such as travel guide books, which are available from all over the world, including of course China. There are also intellectual ones, history, geography, science, etc.

What’s particularly good is that there is a children’s book department. The books in it are suitable for children of different ages, from children of one or two years old to teenagers. They are rich in pictures and texts, and of various kinds.

In addition to books, there are usually newspapers and magazines. Most had videotapes, now DVDs. Mainly some films with strong artistic quality and seriousness, as well as documentaries on science, education and culture. Some also have music CDs. The library has computers, which are mainly used for searching books, but you can also access the Internet for free. Other libraries lend out maps and even small sculptures for home decoration.

In addition, some university libraries are also open to the public. Although there is a fee, the fee is very small.