If they bring up their cultural religion, values, politics, philosophy, or social dynamics, suddenly things can become an area of controversy and even ethical debate

Italians will go three rounds in the ring over which neighborhood has the best ice cream shop. I wouldn't even say its uncontroversial. But these also tend to be attributes that vary heavily even at relatively short distances in older communities. A certain meal prepared a certain way or a dance/music style that originated in your neighborhood becomes a unique touchstone to your community.

I might note that this is something "Planned Communities" tend to lose out on. Everyone gets a Chilis. Everyone gets a radio station franchise that plays the same six songs on a loop. Everyone gets an AMC that shows the same ten movies as everywhere else. Everyone gets a Catholic Church and a Methodist Church book-ending the local elementary school.

Then you leave your provincial cookie-cutter suburb and visit London, a city where the dialect of the language changes by intersection. Or you do a road trip in Italy and find out how every tiny township has this one kind of dish they're all really proud of. Or you just drop into inner city Houston and get an earful of Chop'n'Screw music played by guys with spinners on the wheels of their lowered Cadalliacs. Then you find some weird old bookshop in Montrose that sells pagan bumper stickers.

Yeah, like I can tell you about our communist history, or our surrealist poetry. But then you'll call me an extremist, or even worse, a nerd.

So I keep those for when I get drunk and overshare, and just talk about fish recipes and desserts.