It’s possible it’s a cultural or style issue. Spend a while observing how Americans initiate conversations, and note especially what stands out to you as unfamiliar or strange. Try one or two of those behaviors & see what happens. You could even do it jokingly: hey, I’m going to pretend I’m American, tell me what you think. It could also be a question of shared interests and knowledge. You could watch a film or TV show or sporting event that many people have seen and start by talking about that.