Ekaterina Balushkina
Dr. Brooks
ENC 1101-91238
28 Oct. 2014

A Better Place to Live
America has always been receptive to immigrants. Historically, people were coming to the U.S. from all over the world seeking better lives for themselves and their loved ones. This trend continues today. In fact, according to the Migration Policy Institute “the nation's 40 million immigrants represented 13 percent of the total U.S. population in 2010,” and I am one of those immigrants. Despite living in the U.S. now, I have spent twenty years of my life living in Russia. People often ask me about the differences between the two countries, and I’m always very reluctant to answer because it is a broad topic that could take a matter of days to discuss. The U.S. and Russia are both great and powerful countries, which play an important role in the global economy, science, and protection of our world, yet they are so different from each other in many respects.
One of the most important things in any society is employment opportunities. It is equally easy to find a low-skill job in both countries, but the level of compensation varies substantially. For instance, a person applying for a cashier position in a supermarket chain would earn $9 per hour in the U.S., which will come down to $1,584 per month, assuming a nine-to-five schedule working 22 days per month. That same person is expected to earn 15,000 rubles, on average, in Russia, which is approximately $375, substantially lagging behind the American counterpart. The cost of living is arguably somewhat lower in Russia than in the U.S. Nevertheless, it seems that the above-mentioned hypothetical person will end up being better off financially in the U.S. than in Russia as $1,500 is a sufficient amount of money to rent an apartment, put some food on the table, and purchase some nice clothes in the U.S., while $375 in Russia is barely enough to pay the bills on time and buy some groceries. I would say Russian people with such salaries try to survive rather than to live, and if a person earns about $1500 it is a very good salary, and this person would be considered a member of the middle class in Russia.
However, the Russians always find ways to finance their favorite pastime – alcohol consumption. It is not a secret that vodka is popular among Russians of all ages and occupations. In fact, citizens of all countries associate vodka with Russian. However, it would be a huge mistake to assume that all Russians drink vodka. They might also consider drinking any fluid that contains spirit. Drinking is a huge problem in Russia, which grows bigger every year. The World Health Organization reports that in the United States “5 percent of the male adult population has an ‘alcoholic use disorder’; in Russia, it's 16 percent, or about 7 million people” (Brown 113). From my own experience, alcoholism is widespread in small towns or villages, where few entertainment options exist, so people entertain themselves with alcohol. Nevertheless, Russia does have people who lead a healthy lifestyle and do not consume alcohol or other drugs.
Another big difference can be observed between the countries is when health care comes into question. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act in the U.S., also known as Obamacare, medical coverage has become more affordable to an average American, but it is still out of reach for many people. Even if an American person is lucky enough to have insurance, he still might end up paying a substantial amount of money out of pocket to cover the medical bills. According to American Mental Health Counselors Association article, America ranks first place among other countries by spending money on health care, and these expenses keep growing faster than any other costs (4).
The things are a little different in Russia. Each and every person in Russia is automatically enrolled in a fully subsidized government insurance program, which covers 100% of his or her medical bills, regardless of their amount. I, for example, had my appendix removed at no cost to me. In fact, I was extremely lucky that it happened just before I moved to the U.S., where I would not have been able to afford this procedure. To be certain, Russian medical insurance covers only medical services and procedures performed in the state and government facilities. If the person decides to get a second opinion or visit a private hospital, he will be forced to cover these expenses on his own. However, the cost of private medical treatment in Russia does not come even close to the one in the U.S., as most Russians can afford to pay their private medical bills completely out of pocket.
Among other differences between the two countries are the food preferences. Americans seem to prefer eating out as opposed to wasting their time cooking. While eating out, they tend to choose fast food places, primarily due to the speed of service and cheap prices. What they do not take into account is the quality of ingredients from which the food is prepared. I believe that most of those ingredients are artificial and are not suitable for consumption on a daily basis. Of course, Americans do have an option of sticking with organic products, which tend to be expensive and unaffordable for an average person. On the contrary, organic products are abundant, cheap, and popular among Russians. In fact, some Russian families, that live in small towns and villages, still grow and produce their own fruits and vegetables. Moreover, they can even make some additional money by selling any extra harvest they might have. Besides, Russians do not eat out as much as Americans do, as they prefer to purchase fresh groceries in the local markets, which are called “bazars” and then cook them to perfection at home.
There are both benefits and drawbacks to living in every country. I, for one, picked the U.S. over Russia as this county gave me a chance to start a new life and will, hopefully, offer me an opportunity to get ahead both personally and professionally assuming I work hard and dedicate myself to my craft. In the meantime, I encourage all Americans to visit Russia and judge which country is better suited for their tastes and preferences.

Works Cited
Brown, Heidi. "Drinking Games: Can Russia Admit It Has a Problem?" World Policy Journal 28.2 (2011): 111-121. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
Miller, Joel E. "Let's End Sleepless Nights for Underinsured and Uninsured - Help Make Healthcare Reform Work." The Advocate [American Mental Health Counselors Association] Dec.-Jan. 2014: 3-4. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"MPI Releases Handy Fact Sheet on Most Recent Top Current and Historical U.S. Immigration Facts and Statistics." States News Service 21 Mar. 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.