Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTKit PulliamWed, July 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM GMT+2 5 min readRiver Callaway/Getty ImagesTan France says he's experienced three major culture shocks since moving to the US: how big supermarkets are, how late we hold brunch and how often we go into debt."It makes me feel physically sick," says the Queer Eye star about going into debt for things you don't need during a conversation with Hasan Minhaj. "I don't know how a person functions like that (1)."Must ReadMinhaj is an actor and comedian. He's well known for his TV series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.According to Pew Research, around 80% of Americans are holding some form of debt (2). Around 70% say that debt is a necessity, even if they don't want to be in debt.Here's where the debt divide comes from — and why the situation is only getting worse for Americans.France didn't grow up relying on debt for practical and religious reasonsFrance says that he wasn't used to relying on debt growing up, so he was unprepared to navigate the American credit score system when he came here."I was raised in a family where we weren't allowed credit," says France. "It's a very American concept."France is potentially referring to the Islamic concept of riba, which the Qu'ran prohibits (3). Riba is "interest on a debt or loan, or any risk-free return on capital." Under this rule, practicing Muslims aren't able to either pay or charge interest, although other types of debt could be allowed depending on the circumstances."A lot of Muslims don't have mortgages. You would do a 'rent to buy' thing," says France. "That was just the culture and religion I was raised in."In comparison, refusing to go into debt in America is effectively punished by its credit score system. If you avoid taking out loans and credit cards, you'll be left without a credit score. Without a credit score, you'll have a harder time getting a mortgage — but you'll also have a harder time renting, making securing housing difficult (4).Because of this, Americans frequently open their first form of debt — a credit card — at a relatively young age (5). Financial services companies even create credit cards for kids specifically to help them build their credit score early (6).Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info