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I agree. That is why I say the violence confines to certain neighborhoods. Chicago is a nice city to visit. Only it has an image problem.
Not to any of the foreigners I met....speaking from experience. People find out where not to go. Are you familiar with bad neighborhoods in European cities?
I don't really understand all the people who think Texas has a negative reputation abroad. When I travel I have three choices when asked where I'm from Houston, Texas, or United States and I typically chose Texas because it generates the most positive response. Foreigners are usually excited to meet someone from Texas, they have a fantasy of what it's like based on cowboy movies. Yeah, they think Texas is nothing like the place they come from but I don't understand why people are assuming that is bad.
I don't really understand all the people who think Texas has a negative reputation abroad. When I travel I have three choices when asked where I'm from Houston, Texas, or United States and I typically chose Texas because it generates the most positive response. Foreigners are usually excited to meet someone from Texas, they have a fantasy of what it's like based on cowboy movies. Yeah, they think Texas is nothing like the place they come from but I don't understand why people are assuming that is bad.
Image of Texas is not that bad abroad.
For the older generation of foreigners who have watched John Wayne's movie "Alamo" and the TV series "Dallas" (both have been circulated widely outside US), Texas gave them an impression -- neither positive nor negative -- but at least more well-known than other southern states like Arkansas or Mississippi.
Problem with Texas:
(1) Can't name one landmark that foreigners really want to travel there to see;
(2) Unless the foreigner is from Latin America, otherwise it is kind of out of the way for both Asians and Europeans.
It does seem that the negative reputation of Texas is overblown, and I often hear some positive stereotypes, mainly concerning a romantic image of the old west, cowboy culture, and wide open country.
But people abroad (as well as in the US itself) also associate it with Christian conservatism pervading its government and education, and gun culture; a couple of things that are not very popular in Europe.
And of course it is closely associated with GW Bush who was wildly unpopular abroad, so that doesn't do the state's image any favors.
But people abroad (as well as in the US itself) also associate it with Christian conservatism pervading its government and education, and gun culture; a couple of things that are not very popular in Europe.
And of course it is closely associated with GW Bush who was wildly unpopular abroad, so that doesn't do the state's image any favors.
I've found the politics sometimes cuts the other direction as well. The left/right divide can be quite different in other countries, and the nuances are tricky to navigate. For instance, an upper-middle class college-educated urban professional will typically lean left in the US because our divide is more social than economic, but in a lot of other places that person may consider themselves right of center because to them the political struggle is a class struggle. I've actually found the professional classes in liberal countries to be surprisingly conservative and I find myself biting my liberal tongue at dinner parties in other parts of the world where I wouldn't need to at home. I'm much more likely in other countries to catch grief about Texas or Bush from a cab driver or waitress or some drunk in a bar than from a white collar worker. At least that's been my experience.
I don't really understand all the people who think Texas has a negative reputation abroad. When I travel I have three choices when asked where I'm from Houston, Texas, or United States and I typically chose Texas because it generates the most positive response. Foreigners are usually excited to meet someone from Texas, they have a fantasy of what it's like based on cowboy movies. Yeah, they think Texas is nothing like the place they come from but I don't understand why people are assuming that is bad.
When I travel, I always get good reception when I say I'm from Texas. Foreigners seem to love it. I've never had bad feedback.
I talked to some people from France and they said Georgia doesn't have a very good reputation and is suspected of being promiscuous and a bit of a drunkard
That's the pot calling the kettle black, especially the promiscuous part.
Best reputation: NYC, SF, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, DC
Worst: Mississippi
Please share with us how you know this....because, I would be really surprised if you've been told by a lot of people from Europe, that Mississippi has a bad reputation. I'd be surprised if most people in Europe have even heard of Mississippi.
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