Whining American immigrants (coupons, restaurant, discounts)

[rural lady]

LOL I am in the US (STEELER COUNTRY), I don't know where the breakfast pizza's are. course I'm in a small town and the city folk complain about what we don't have.

I think some of the Americans may expect to have everything within a 15-30 min drive and thats even far for them.

If I ever come your way, I'd rather stop at a pub/bar and find out from the locals.

You guys are alright

[statefan]

Originally Posted by Kangaroofarmer

Well, if someone would just give them some New Zealand Cheese, with their American whine?

Personally, I would love some American cheese with the New Zealand whine!

[Trimac20]

I wasn't aware there were that many American immigrants to NZ for that to be a problem.

Anyway anyone who whinges about a country they go to, especially if they're from a third world country, is ungrateful and doesn't deserve to live there.

[Jimrob1]

I also wasn't aware there were that many American immigrants in NZ. I didn't think any countries wanted us, can't say I can blame them.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I also wasn't aware there were that many American immigrants in NZ. I didn't think any countries wanted us, can't say I can blame them.

There have been few days that I have been in major cities in NZ or in tourist towns that I haven't heard a American voice. I'm sure many of them are tourists but there are plenty of Americans that have moved down there.

Right now the working holiday visa for Americans 18-35 is very popular, so you'll find many Americans staffing seasonal tourist jobs in NZ. Also for instance in places like Christchurch there are over 1000 Americans that cycle through there every year in support of the Antarctic program. I think a few hundred are stationed there permanently during the busy season including Air National Guard airmen and cargo planes.

In addition, American retirees can live there for 5 months of year, so quite a few have been starting to do that.

[aqua0]

I have to agree that Americans are whiny compared to people of other countries. It's all about having "rights" and exercising those rights, i.e. saying things like "so and so does not have the right to do that to me" or "i have every right to have this or that" etc, etc. I immigrated to America a long time ago and I consider myself American, but with an international perspective, so I believe I'm being objective when I say this.

Americans are very used to voicing their rights so as to create change and make change for the better (in their view). This is not necessarily catered to overseas! Although...I had a European friend come visit me and all she did was complain about how everything was so "American". The steak she ordered was too big, there were not enough buses (as she didn't drive).

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by nzrugby

I do not get a lot of, what they call themselves, professional Americans whom immigrate to NZ, these would be the ones who are in HR or other so called professional occupations.
When they arrive in NZ the whining starts, no one will employ me, kiwis are not friendly, I do not have the ability to put insulation into the house I bought, there is not twenty five different breakfast pizzas available and so on and so on.

Instead of fixing problems it seems these yanks would rather just whine, cannot buy high quality goods, so, import them.

Kiwis unfriendly, nope we are not, but we also see no reason to practice the hail fellow well meet approach of too many Americans.

...aren't you whining right now?

...you aren't exactly being friendly either, so you haven't proved to anyone who lives outside NZ that kiwi's are friendly, you kind of make kiwi's sound like a$$holes who generalize a country of 300,000,000 based on your few experiences interacting with them. Hypocrite?

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by aqua0

I have to agree that Americans are whiny compared to people of other countries. It's all about having "rights" and exercising those rights, i.e. saying things like "so and so does not have the right to do that to me" or "i have every right to have this or that" etc, etc. I immigrated to America a long time ago and I consider myself American, but with an international perspective, so I believe I'm being objective when I say this.

Americans are very used to voicing their rights so as to create change and make change for the better (in their view). This is not necessarily catered to overseas! Although...I had a European friend come visit me and all she did was complain about how everything was so "American". The steak she ordered was too big, there were not enough buses (as she didn't drive).

Im born and raised in the USA but my family came from Ireland. I have lived in both the USA, Europe, and Japan. I also find many but not all Americans whiny, and many focus on what is not important. Many have no interest or knowledge of much of the world, including their own country beyond their specific community. That in itself I think is very sad, since I have met some that can't even name the state certain US cities are in. When in a country other than one's own, whiny and disrespectful can and often do go hand in hand.

[minibrings]

Which nationality is what really is conjecture. For example I did a google and found 2 separate articles stating which nationalities were least disliked as tourists (nope Americans were well received).

I found the following NEW ZEALAND article referencing a NEW ZEALAND research might shed some light into why many immigrants are unhappy in NZ:
http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3355...y_isles,1.html

quote:"New Zealand has never been particularly welcoming to immigrants, but a National Business Review-Phillip Fox poll this month suggested that attitudes of ordinary New Zealanders to non-white immigrants are hardening. In that poll, 45% of those questioned thought there were too many Asian immigrants, 39% thought they were too many from the Pacific Islands and 39% thought we had let in too many from the Middle East."

quote: "Dr Anne Henderson of Massey University’s New Settlers Programme knows from her research just how big an illusion that can be. Henderson followed the fortunes of a group of skilled thirtysomething Chinese migrants from 1998 to 2001. All had been employed in managerial/administrative positions before immigration and had a good basic level of English language proficiency. Four years on, only half were in some form of employment, many working only part-time and most were underemployed. Many had used the time to obtain New Zealand qualifications, including MBAs.
But employers, says Henderson, insisted on New Zealand qualifications and New Zealand work experience. Migrants could obtain the former, but the latter left them in a catch-22 situation. Nor was it enough to speak good English. A New Zealand accent was often an additional requirement. “In the English language proficiency study I did,” says Henderson, “some recruitment agents for middle- and senior-level positions stipulated the requirement of having a New Zealand accent.” One government employment agent deemed a Chinese engineer with very good English and studying for a master’s degree unsuitable for a position at a McDonald’s outlet, because she “did not have New Zealand English”.

The article hints at xenophobia or racism in hiring, with employers preferring NZ qualifications and NZ english, which of course immigrants will not have.

So perhaps some of the whining is warranted? I'm sure others will disagree and we'll end up with a circular argument. I am merely posting what I found online.

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

Im born and raised in the USA but my family came from Ireland. I have lived in both the USA, Europe, and Japan. I also find many but not all Americans whiny, and many focus on what is not important. Many have no interest or knowledge of much of the world, including their own country beyond their specific community. That in itself I think is very sad, since I have met some that can't even name the state certain US cities are in. When in a country other than one's own, whiny and disrespectful can and often do go hand in hand.

I have to say I've heard a lot of whining from immigrants living in America, but I think the difference is Americans are less judgmental when it comes to these issues. It's human nature to miss the things you are used to, I don't blame anyone whether it's a South African living in Miami or an American living in Auckland. You are less likely to be called an ignorant ___(nationality)___ in America compared to most countries. While many Americans lack geography skills, they also are more understanding and forgiving if foreigners don't know what the capital or location of different cities are.