--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are two Americas: Washington and…" description: "\"There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us.\" — Eric Garcetti" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg" --- # There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us. ![“There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us.” quote by Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg) > “There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us.” [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America is split between the political elite in Washington and the broader population elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Two Americas: power vs. people. Key Takeaway Bridge the divide. Themes politics inequality representation Mood activist hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - grassroots activism - media coverage Key Concepts democracy social stratification Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence Washington? - What bridges can connect the two groups? A Different Perspective Generalization may ignore regional nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americas-822901/) [Americas Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americas-washington-2279606/) [Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) [Washington Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-rest-2279607/) ## Related quotes > [Partisanship may be King in Washington - but the rest of us don't have to pay tribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/partisanship-may-be-king-in-washington-but-the-rest-of-us-don-t-have/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [“It is not simply as release or play, in other words, that popular music saves society from its routine murders; it is not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-brennan/it-is-not-simply-as-release-or-play-in-other-words-that-popular-music/) [Timothy Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-brennan/) > [I come from a country that is now utterly schizophrenic when it comes to its society, its economy, its politics. There are definitely two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/i-come-from-a-country-that-is-now-utterly-schizophrenic-when-it-comes/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“The Americas became a symbol of clemency, of a second chance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-americas-became-a-symbol-of-clemency-of-a-second-chance/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are two Americas - separate, unequal, and no longer even acknowledging each other except on the barest cultural terms. In the one nation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/there-are-two-americas-separate-unequal-and-no-longer-even/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Like I said, being an African-American man, you can tell there's two Americas we're living in. They don't want us to be equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-adebayo/like-i-said-being-an-african-american-man-you-can-tell-there-s-two/) [Bam Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-adebayo/) > [The cultures of the Americas were extremely complex and interesting, with their own languages and observatories to watch the stars. The more you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-stuart/the-cultures-of-the-americas-were-extremely-complex-and-interesting/) [Michelle Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-stuart/) > [All of us in all the Americas will be living at the point of a gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/all-of-us-in-all-the-americas-will-be-living-at-the-point-of-a-gun/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The Americas has been a relatively stable continent. The last truly new border we have is Panama in 1903.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/the-americas-has-been-a-relatively-stable-continent-the-last-truly/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [“Having grown separately for millennia, the Americas were a boundless sea of novel ideas, dreams, stories, philosophies, religions, moralities, discoveries, and all the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-c-mann/having-grown-separately-for-millennia-the-americas-were-a-boundless/) [Charles C. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-c-mann/) > [“of the most venomous snakes in the Americas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/of-the-most-venomous-snakes-in-the-americas/) [David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/) > [America is a country that is now utterly divided when it comes to its society, its economy, its politics. There are definitely two Americas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/america-is-a-country-that-is-now-utterly-divided-when-it-comes-to-its/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Whether on guns, race, culture or feminism, there really are two Americas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/whether-on-guns-race-culture-or-feminism-there-really-are-two-americas/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [“Throughout the Americas, diseases introduced with Europeans spread from tribe to tribe far in advance of the Europeans themselves, killing an estimated 95 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/throughout-the-americas-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-spread/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [The history of the Americas is one of constant warfare over salt,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/the-history-of-the-americas-is-one-of-constant-warfare-over-salt/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) ## More by Eric Garcetti > [I think it's really important to talk education, to talk infrastructure, to talk good jobs and the future of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-think-it-s-really-important-to-talk-education-to-talk/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [I have a piano in my office, and sometimes during meetings, I'll sit down and goof on the keyboard a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-have-a-piano-in-my-office-and-sometimes-during-meetings-i-ll-sit/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [I don't spend much time on the computer at all, so I do most of my email on my phone if I do any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-don-t-spend-much-time-on-the-computer-at-all-so-i-do-most-of-my/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [On my mom's side, the Jewish side of the family, I come from a family of musicians who are pianists, so I've always loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/on-my-mom-s-side-the-jewish-side-of-the-family-i-come-from-a-family/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [I don't think you can lead a nation if you don't have a definition of the nation. We have to define, as Democrats, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-don-t-think-you-can-lead-a-nation-if-you-don-t-have-a-definition-of/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [I'm a typical mutt American. I have an Italian last name. Half-Mexican, half-Jewish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-m-a-typical-mutt-american-i-have-an-italian-last-name-half-mexican/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [Campaigns are these moments of suspended animation where people usually learn how to be friends afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/campaigns-are-these-moments-of-suspended-animation-where-people/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [The idea of red-washing or blue-washing an entire county because a few more people vote one way or the other does a disservice to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/the-idea-of-red-washing-or-blue-washing-an-entire-county-because-a/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [I'm not one of those politicians, to my probably discredit, who thinks very far ahead. It has to feel right to me and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-m-not-one-of-those-politicians-to-my-probably-discredit-who-thinks/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [In presidential elections, I think people focus way too much on ideology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/in-presidential-elections-i-think-people-focus-way-too-much-on/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [My wife and I are foster parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/my-wife-and-i-are-foster-parents/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [Most people will be primarily getting into autonomous vehicles if we look 20, 30 years out. If we mandate that autonomous vehicles have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/most-people-will-be-primarily-getting-into-autonomous-vehicles-if-we/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [The problem with the Democratic Party is, we're like, 'If we just get another presidential candidate in there, everything will be OK.' We should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/the-problem-with-the-democratic-party-is-we-re-like-if-we-just-get/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [When President Trump got out of the Paris climate accords, we got 412 cities to say we will do it instead, because we're on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/when-president-trump-got-out-of-the-paris-climate-accords-we-got-412/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [On things like the minimum wage, where cities as well as states are increasingly looking at income disparity, mayors will have, I think, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/on-things-like-the-minimum-wage-where-cities-as-well-as-states-are/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) [Explore all 103 Eric Garcetti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) ## More Rest quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Eric Clapton's scales - when he comes off a high note and it's time for a refrain or a little bit of a rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/eric-clapton-s-scales-when-he-comes-off-a-high-note-and-it-s-time-for/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [“What if I believed that God Himself was the One who decreed I would be a quiet person? What if I believed that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-rajnus/what-if-i-believed-that-god-himself-was-the-one-who-decreed-i-would/) [Julie Rajnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-rajnus/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [Smokers, like so many of us, are mavericks when they're healthy but parasites when they're not. They trash their bodies and then expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/smokers-like-so-many-of-us-are-mavericks-when-they-re-healthy-but/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [I decided to start my channel because my followers on Instagram told me that they wanted to learn how I did the looks I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-decided-to-start-my-channel-because-my-followers-on-instagram-told/) [Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/) > [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [And the rest is rust and stardust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-the-rest-is-rust-and-stardust/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [I focus on all the body's movements where you activate your core while you're working out the rest of your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hill/i-focus-on-all-the-body-s-movements-where-you-activate-your-core/) [Taylor Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hill/) > [The same law takes place in a system, consisting of many bodies, as in one single body, with regard to their persevering in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-same-law-takes-place-in-a-system-consisting-of-many-bodies-as-in/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [When you rest deeply in the Unknown without trying to escape, your experience becomes very vast. As the experience of the Unknown deepens, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/when-you-rest-deeply-in-the-unknown-without-trying-to-escape-your/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [“You get some rest. We'll talk later." "I'd rather not," I said nicely. "Rest is important," he insisted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-skye/you-get-some-rest-we-ll-talk-later-i-d-rather-not-i-said-nicely-rest/) [Obert Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-skye/) [Browse all 3,896 Rest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Garcetti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/there-are-two-americas-washington-and-the-rest-of-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Rest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/there-are-two-americas-washington-and-the-rest-of-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/eric-garcetti-5068_rest_there-are-two-americas-washington-and-th_1021445.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are two Americas: Washington and the rest of us.” — Eric Garcetti", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eric Garcetti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are two Americas: Washington and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/there-are-two-americas-washington-and-the-rest-of-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/there-are-two-americas-washington-and-the-rest-of-us/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```