US Citizen Perception Abroad?

[imran]

I was in the middle east for a while specifically Doha, Qatar and Dubai... I saw no resentment towards Americans. I felt very comfortable, welcome and most of all safe. Safety that is often not felt in Toronto where I live.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I've been to China, the Middle East, East and Western Europe, Scandinavia, North and South America and Australia in my backpacking days, and more recently on business to the Middle East. Also, I married one of those beautiful Catalan women from Barcelona.

I have never experienced rudness by anyone where I went, 'not had rude service, but I must admit, I witnessed one of those typical American stories of rudness in France. But I have a completely opposite experience of nothing but praise, and gratitude for the French people who helped me and my family out a couple of years ago.

During my backpacking days, when drinking (getting drunk) with the other travelers at the hostels, politics never came up, really. Was I lucky? Maybe so. Questions of nationality came up, and I always proudly said I was from the US, and never got any heat over it. The only time someone made an issue of me being a US citizen was in Switzerland where one guy laughed when I said I was from Texas, the people giggled and asked me about Bush and his ranch in Crawford. This guy happened to be engaged to a friend of mine, so he was not a complete stranger.

I must agree with one of the other contributors early in this thread about Canadians, I have no problem with them, they are very nice as well, however, a couple of times, in Austria and Italy if I recall correctly, there were Canadians who went out of their way to say they were from Canada, like someone was going to confuse Canada as being a state in the US. I couldn't understand, no one was making an issue of it. I guess they felt guilty by just being next to the US. The guy in Vienna actuall showed everyone is maple leaf on his jacket.

Back in France, I did notice some "slow" assistance, and perhaps I cheated a bit, but when it was our turn in line, my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I spoke in Spanish. We were treated better I think compared to the others, but personally, never had a problem, even when speaking in English.

[Mojo Riley]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I've been living outside of the U.S. for around 13 years with a few times back home in the States.

I was in and out of South Korea for years throughout that time. Previous to Bush, I use to often hear U.S. #１, and I want to go to the U.S., etc. Bush did the entire 'Axis of Evil' speech among just about every other isolating thing. Even though South Korea is an ally with the U.S., they get real nervous when the U.S. starts getting aggressive, as it really increases the tension to high levels on the Peninsula when it doesnt necessarily seem to have to be that way.

Generally though, through traveling extensively and living abroad in Europe, South America and Asia. I would 100% say that pretty much every country in Europe HATES Americans and PARTICULARLY American policies. They are very eager to share exactly why every chance they get as well. I lived in Europe for about a year total, and every bad stereotype that exists, they would quickly stick to us. If you saw a fat person or overheard someone speaking loudly, they would quickly say 'I hate all of these Americans in Europe' and then you'd get close to the person in question only to find it was a loud or fat European.

Canadians even moreso, trying very strongly to differentiate and separate themselves. They are also most knowledgeable about the U.S., so they have significant loads of ammunition to throw at us. I never defend U.S. foreign policy, but Canadians love to be the most anti-American people you'll ever meet while abroad with Canadian flags attached to everything they own and even tattoo it to themselves. They try to pass themselves as good people who help people around the world and try to say how the U.S. is too violent, too many murders, too fat, too uneducated, etc. The list goes on and on.　　I can see their points, but I end up in way too many defensive arguments because most of it so ridiculous and exaggerated even if slightly true.

I've been to muslim countries, and oddly enough, they are fine. They still have that interest in the United States and it's freedoms (for lack of a better word - most countries in the world mock the word 'freedoms' as most Western countries are equally free and generally actually enjoying significantly more freedoms). Anyhow, most muslims from muslim countries seem to have this sadness that 9-11 occurred and the world is different now. They are also seem to think that the U.S. is the agressor and really mucking up their region, in addition to being helpless about what to do about it.

Asian countries could generally dont care, however South Korea has been going more and more anti-American all the time. I'm in Japan now, and they are fine, but I think they see the U.S. as messing up world peace unncessarily so. Most Asian countries just want the American money, and are pretty indifferent to the policies and people.

South America. I was living there about ten years ago, and no one seemed to care much, except for the Brazilians. I lived in Brazil, and I remember that Americans were viewed as pretty low-class and not desireable, whereas European countries were perceived very highly. There was another standard of viewing Americans as just insanely wealthly, but again, lacking any class or sophistication about it. Argentina was quite similar in that regard. I remember Bolivians were pretty upset about U.S. involvement in South America. THinking back, I think most South American countries blamed a lot of their problems on US governmental agencies like the CIA or Drug Czar-related stuff, and how the U.S. was always in everyone elses backyard mucking up their countries, but would never address drug-related problems in the States which fueled the problems more than anywhere else.

Thinking of pro-American people. I do remember one guy I met in Spain (the only one I ever met in Europe who was very pro-American). He just hated muslims and wanted them all dead. I actually felt very uncomfortable having him telling all his friends that an American was there and he liked Americans for killing muslims.

All this being said, I don't necessarily have a problem being an American abroad. Well, I'm living in Japan now, so no problem at all - they generally respectful regardless of their personal opinion. But when I meet fellow caucasians, particularly many Canadians and quite a few Europeans, I really hate telling them my nationality, as I'm always half expecting a big long anti-American diatribes, and try to quickly move away when I hear one bellowing up from inside them.

I think at this particular time, a lot of that is letting up, as it is an election year. I think they are giving us the benefit of the doubt that things might change domestically and internally in the United States. So there seems to be a lot of positive curiousity about that lately, which is quite refreshing.

Mostly a good post, but for the bolded part- you should really do some research on exactly what the US (and US-backed institutions), including the CIA, the World Bank and the IMF have been up to in their countries over the past few generations. No suprise they're wary of us. Hell, I'm wary of us!

[WillysB]

Originally Posted by pukeko

In New Zealand, it depends on your situation:

If you're an American tourist who spends money, then goes home: you probably won't hear a bad word. You'll feel warmly welcomed, especially as your dollars keep flowing.

If you're living in NZ permanently: most Kiwis seem to have a visceral "Ugh!" reaction to Americans. This is to Americans as individuals, not just American government and foreign policy. It's oddly personal, especially considering you can go to the Middle East and be warmly welcomed, because people there realize that people are people and government is something else altogether. Being a "nice," unstereotypical American seems to have little effect on Kiwi attitudes.

Bitter? Not me!

Hmmm, maybe it was just bad breath.

I was on a tourist cruise of Lac Leman a couple of years after NZ had won the America's Cup. There were two couples additional on the cruise and as they were about to have one take a picture of three I offered to do the job so the four could be in the same pic. After we talked a bit, discovering we all shared a common language. One couple was from Australia, the other from NZ, they were together on a 3 week world cruise.

I commented to the guy from NZ of my joy for NZ that they had won the America's Cup only a couple of years earlier. I also commented to the guy from Oz that 'if I couldn't have been from Texas I would want to have been from Australia.' I don't think any people on the planet could have been more proud and polite to an American than at that moment. I must have made friends for life.

I think it depends on how one presents self and what might be expected of others.

[WillysB]

I've been out with the foot traffic in Paris a few times so I've had some opportunities to adapt. In the beginning, for help, I'd approach 'whoever' and ask in my best English for whatever my needs and would get some surly attitude. After a while I learned to try with some of my best French and would actually elicit a smile. I'm sure there was laughter back there but I was learning.

After suppressing the smile, the French person would ask if I spoke English, to which I would meekly reply, 'Yes, a little'. Talk about warming up the tea. My newly found French friend would politely pursue a resolution to my needs while I continued to converse in my most elementary English, being sure to maintain my meek submissive attitude. My French friend benefits in a recognized opportunity to practice his English, our common thread. Not sure where they think I'm from.

I believe the key to those international relationships is not how cool it is to be imposing 'american' presence in a foreign country but more in allowing those natives to exercise their interest in being international.

[Franklyn]

Loved WillysB attitude while in France. Well done.

Have no desire to visit France, however, due to several negative experiences long ago with French military cadets. Just don't like "asking" for unpleasantness, so for years have avoided all things "French". Probably like most typical US conservatives.

Then the other day as I left our subdivision I stopped to help four "bikers" in leathers riding Harley-Davidson's who were looking at a map and wanted to vist the Monterey Bay. Wouldn't you know it; they were French, and lost, and didn't speak much English. So I helped them, and grinned at them, and welcomed them to this country, and had to "eat my words" [mentally] and send them on their way with handshakes and "good lucks". It's not fair. They were nice and I couldn't rag on them. Go figure!

During several trips to the UK have had no negative experiences, even though a few times have discussed politics, etc., and GWB. But always treated with civility and manners. As amof have established several friendships at a neat church near Fulham Cross where we're greeted by name as we enter. Fun.

[Bily Lovec]

generally people love americans (dollars) but dont like the american govt.

thats understandable :-)

[marieb]

First post so treat me gently.
Re: travelling to Syria with an Israeli stamp in your passort.

This is a big no. They even check your passport to see if you have border crossing stamps from Egypt or Jordan - so even if they think you've been to Israel, they would normally detain you. Or refuse you entry.

Countries that will allow you to enter with an Israeli stamp in passport are: Egypt, Jordan, and Oman. However, there is another group that refuse entry to anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passports, regardless of their nationality, including Libya, Syria, Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

I'm not sure if it's still the same now, but Israel would stamp a piece of paper and put it in the passport.

If I travel to Cuba, I am British, the visa stamp is on a card that is put loose in the passport.

I like Americans btw, I must do, I visit USA often enough.

Most people I know like Americans, maybe not too keen on the current administration though. George Dubya is not everyone's favourite politician.

[Redisca]

I travel extensively. I haven't visited the Middle East though (with the exception of Israel and Turkey). In Europe, I've been to the UK, France, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Greece and Austria. My impression is that in most of those places, if you act with normal civility, you will not experience any outright resentment -- that is to say, you are unlikely to be attacked, spat on, etc. I spent a semester in France and had a fabulous time. (I mention France specifically because that's the country whose people get called upon the most for supposedly mistreating Americans.) I once got called a "stupid American" in Rome, but since it occurred in the context of me refusing to buy something, I assume the comment was not fueled by any genuine rancor against my nationality.

That said, however, hostility to Americans is sometimes expressed in muted, subtle ways -- and I've encountered that particularly often in Italy. When my husband and I ended up in different hotels in Venice (don't ask), the clerk in mine motivated his refusal to let my husband visit me in my room by laws "enacted because of your American War on Terror. You know, the War on Terror? You should know." He said it several times, with an obvious relish.

I've had people talk down to me and assume that I am an idiot. If I said that I don't speak Italian, this led to an automatic assumption that I was a monolingual vulgarian (I am fluent in French and Russian and have a pretty good command of Spanish; and while I don't speak Italian, I understand quite a bit of it).

Also in Venice, when I ordered red wine to accompany my fish, the waiter patronizingly lectured me on pairing rules. Look, I'm a foodie (big time), and I know that what most people understand to be absolute, monolithic pairing rules -- white wine with seafood and chicken, red wine with beef and lamb -- are a whole bunch of baloney. If you know your wines, you can definitely vary, and I hate pinot grigio anyway. Nevertheless, the man spent the evening patronizing us, to the point of enlightening us that grated Parmesan was not to be sprinkled on seafood. Every one of his advices began with "I don't know how it is in America, but..."

In the UK, when I asked an airport security officer for directions, he began to explain to me what a "subway" was as if I were a three-year-old. (Eventually, I put him in his place by pointing out that New York is the only American city where the word "subway" refers to a transit system.)

In Greece, on a tour of Olympia, I asked the tour guide whether Macedonians were considered Greeks and allowed to compete before the reign of Philip II -- only to have her embark on a diatribe about how Americans are too ignorant to understand that Yugoslavs are not Macedonians.

In Turkey, a casual and overall friendly passerby who struck up a conversation with us remarked that Americans are "too mercantile and focused on money" -- across the street from a bazaar where only minutes before, merchants repeatedly tried to fleece us, grabbed us by the hands, and showered us with insults if we walked away. None of these episodes involved any kind of blood-boiling, in-your-face hostility, but some dull resentment was definitely there.

In my case, however, none of those episodes were serious enough to spoil my good time. I just act natural and don't apologize for being an American -- and most people are more than friendly.