You can meet a lot of immigrants from all over the world in Washington. There are many African-Americans here. They make up almost 30% of the total population. So the cultural characteristics of Europe, Asia, and Africa are intertwined here today. But all citizens have common features. For example, you will not meet gloomy and taciturn people here. Only Mexicans are an exception. Citizens always smile during communicating with clients at work, at home with relatives, on a date, accidentally meeting the eyes of a stranger, and in the elevator of a shopping center. Every local resident is always "OK". Even if he isn't, he won't tell anyone about it. Numerous smiles around can cause confusion at first. However, you will get used to this over time.
It is also interesting that, for example, praise is just praise for the people of Washington. It is common in many cultures that some other recognition of a person's merit, such as a promotion or job recommendation, follows praise. However, it is considered that words are valuable in themselves here. Most locals pay very close attention to work, often overworking or going to work on weekends. This is the nature of the "American dream" - you need to work hard, "creating yourself" in order to become successful.
However, it is incorrect to believe that Washington residents are only interested in work. Many residents run or cycle, go to gyms or participate in baseball, softball, basketball, street-ball, American football, or soccer competitions as part of amateur teams. The locals really like to play sports. They also like to monitor the success of their favorite sports team.
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