Have you ever gone overseas and realized that you’ve been stereotyped? Sometimes with something simple or funny. I actually laughed out loud the first time one of my Spanish students said to me, “What do you like better, Spanish food or American food?” Quite seriously, I said, “What’s American food?” And her quite serious reply was, “Cheeseburgers.” Then it occurred to me things like the 4th of July (Independence Day), Budweiser, cheeseburgers, and baseball are actually considered “All-American” stereotypes. I want to take my last post, Which Nationality Do You Identify With, a step further and talk about misconceptions about America and its people.
1. American Food is Cheeseburgers
I didn’t realize this until only a few years ago, but one of the big misconceptions about America is that Americans eat cheeseburgers all the time. Just like Americans think people in Italy eat pizza and pasta all the time. Personally, I eat about one cheeseburger a year because I’m not a red-meat person. I can think of a handful of times I’ve been out to lunch or dinner and someone ordered a burger. At a bar-b-cue, there are definitely hot dogs and cheeseburgers! But I only go to about one of those a year too, sadly. Should I start eating more cheeseburgers?
2. Americans are Fat
BUT…not all Americans are fat. In fact, the trend right now in America is working out, joining a gym or cross fit, eating healthy, and being fit. More and more I’m seeing lean, muscular, or physically fit people. Being in shape is also a subtle sign of wealth; it shows that you can afford higher quality food, you can afford an expensive gym membership, you have self-discipline not to eat all the food at your disposal, and you take pride in your appearance.
3. Americans are American
What’s American? Piggybacking off my last post, Which Nationality Do You Identify With, Americans don’t always consider themselves American. There’s not one underlying and unifying nationality because America is a country founded on immigrants. Due to famine, poverty, disease, religious persecution, genocide, opportunity, the American Dream, or a number of other reasons, cultures from all over the world flocked to America. Today, over 9 million people in America consider themselves two or more races. Everyone wants to keep their culture’s traditions and beliefs, so it’s hard to unite over 3.24 billion people in the most diverse country in the world. On one hand, Americans are American. On the other hand, Americans are their heritage. It just depends who you ask.
4. Americans are Rude
Again, this is hard to deny 100%, but it’s a “yes and no” answer. America is a huge country and different parts of the country have different stereotypes. The Midwest is known for being “lady-like/gentlemanly,” “polite,” and “well-mannered.” The South is known for being “hospitable,” “warm,” and “welcoming” to everyone. The Northeast is considered “fast-paced,” “go-getters,” and “aggressive.” The West is known for “laid-back,” “easy-going,” and “uninhibited.”
As you can see, most of the U.S. has a positive stereotype, but because New York City is such an international destination, many people think the entire country is like NYC. And because it’s such an international destination, there is more crime there, so people are more suspicious of others, causing a worrisome and mean stereotype. If you’re visiting the U.S., try more than just international big cities and you’ll find that people in general are welcoming of everyone.
5. Americans are Lazy
America is the land of opportunity for a reason, and it’s not laziness. The sky is the limit for anyone in America, and people work hard to achieve that. Corporate jobs in America usually offer a job starting with only five vacation days per year. It can take years to earn one extra vacation day. Service jobs don’t give employees an hourly salary, so those employees only bring home what they make in tips, so they work whether they’re sick, pregnant, old, or young. People take whatever job they can to make money and pay the bills. They work their way into a high-paying job where they put their health, happiness, and families on the line to continue making that money.
Of course, some kids graduate college and expect to start at $100,000 per year. Maybe its these kids who ruin the reputation for all Americans? Either way, Americans and other people who work in America work hard to make the money they make, no matter how little or how much money that is.
6. Americans are Drunks
Thank you college spring break and week-long vacations for these misconceptions. Americans work hard and play hard. The harder they work, the harder they play. When college students have a week off in March, they might drink too much and go crazy. They can easily forget that other people have to cater to them and see this ugly side of them. When business men and women go on their one week vacation per year, they tend to let go and have too much fun, creating the same perception as the college students. This isn’t an everyday occurrence for all Americans. Though Americans do like their alcohol, it’s not as bad as spring break and vacations would have the rest of the world believe.
Know any other misconceptions about America? Do you get stereotyped? Do you stereotype others? Leave me a comment and tell me your misconceptions!
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P.S. You might also love Which Nationality Do You Identify With? and Lost In Translation: Humorous Anecdotes About Mistranslations