Hi friends, hope all are doing good, thanks for the support given to my previous blogs, now am back with another useful content. 

Moving to any country is a challenging and sometimes frustrating experience. Whether you are coming to the United States to study, work, or with your family, you may be wondering how you can seamlessly integrate into the American society.
Below are the top five tips for integrating within US culture.
Greetings: Greetings are usually informal, with first names often used in initial introductions. Firm handshakes accompanied with direct eye contact throughout the greeting is the most common greeting when meeting for first time or in professional context. Americans generally smile a lot and are likely to appreciate when similar warmth is reciprocated. If you are a newcomer, take the initiative to introduce yourself to those around you. Many Americans greet by saying “How are you?”. This is usually a form of greeting rather than an actual enquiry about your wellbeing. The common response is “I’m good, thanks. How are you?”.
Time and Punctuality: Americans place a big importance on time management and punctuality. Delays and lateness tend to reflect badly on people, often interpreted as disrespectful or rude. However, lateness can be acceptable in some contexts (for example, when attending large parties or social gatherings).
Communication: Being direct communicators, Americans tend to convey their entire message verbally, with direct eye contacts, paying less attention to body language. People are expected to ‘get to the point’. They are generally quite enthusiastic, assertive and persuasive in their speech. They may speak at higher volumes in public spaces, however they generally do not appreciate loud or emotional outbursts. They sometimes grow uncomfortable when social chat is punctuated with long periods of pause or silence and often try to fill the gap in conversation. They like to be given a fair amount of personal space, so try not to encroach on it during a conversation. It is best to nod or show some kind of sign that you are listening throughout a conversation.
Etiquette: It is considered impolite to ask a direct question about someone’s weight or age, their salary, wealth or how much things cost. This is seen as an invasion of privacy and very rude. It is polite to hold a door or elevator open for someone who is close behind you. If someone does this for you, you should give them a verbal “thank you”.Clothing styles vary by social status, region, occupation and climate, as well as between social settings (e.g. a job interview vs. a barbeque). On a day-to-day basis, however, wearing casual clothing in public is common (e.g. sweatpants or active gear). Americans usually tip 15-20% of the cost of the meal as a general standard to restaurant waiters, waitresses and service attendants. Less or more can be tipped depending on the quality of the service. Taxi drivers, hairdressers and barbers also expect similar tip percentages. It is polite to bring a small gift as a gesture of appreciation when invited to someone’s house or a dinner party (e.g. wine, chocolate). People tend to open gifts in front of the giver, either upon receiving them or later along with other presents.
Do’s and Don’ts: It is okay to be open and proud about your accomplishments and other positive things. If giving advice or criticism, be sure to emphasize one’s good points before and after doing so. If looking to help someone, try to do so in a way that gives them the opportunity to help themselves. Avoid mentioning divisive topics such as gun control, the death penalty, abortion, civil rights, race , religion etc. Do not make fun of the United States. Many Americans would consider themselves patriots, so mocking their country would very likely offend them.
Hope these tips help you to integrate with US culture going forward.

Thanks for reading…..