What do non-Americans think about Americans?

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Entwhistler

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I’ve been wondering this for a long time. What do you folks who are not Americans or were not born in America but now live here think of America and Americans? What are the stereotypes in your country of Americans whether they are true or not? Don’t worry. You won’t hurt my feelings.

And if ya’ll want to hear what Americans think of your country, just ask and I’ll tell you the stereotype that comes to my mind. 😎
 
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As with everything it depends on who you ask.

Ask my cousin’s husband–a Brit-- and Americans are hellish, boorish, selfish, ugly miscreants who deserve to have their arrogant gun-toting freedom loving selves removed from the planet. They are also downtrodden and impoverished by a few key elites who steal everything and get rich off the backs of the poor.

Ask my friend’s family who see her safe and thriving in America while they suffer in Indonesia and they’d tell you that American is an amazing place full of freedom and dreams and the ability to become whoever or whatever you like. Where knowledge is handed out to everyone and it a matter of hard work to climb out of abject poverty.
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
As with everything it depends on who you ask.
Ask my cousin’s husband–a Brit-- and Americans are hellish, boorish, selfish, ugly miscreants who deserve to have their arrogant gun-toting freedom loving selves removed from the planet. They are also downtrodden and impoverished by a few key elites who steal everything and get rich off the backs of the poor.
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Being a native born American, I really can’t respond to the OP’s original post. However to your cousin’s husband; let me know how to send him the following bumper sticker:

If you can read this, thank a teacher
If you can read it in English, thank a soldier. (An American Soldier)
 
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joeybaggz said:
Being a native born American, I really can’t respond to the OP’s original post. However to your cousin’s husband; let me know how to send him the following bumper sticker:

If you can read this, thank a teacher
If you can read it in English, thank a soldier. (An American Soldier)
Click to expand...
🤨

What would that do? He’s not American. He can also read, write and speak German so he considers himself far superior to most mono-lingual Americans.

Oh, they don’t live in America–beucase it’s such a “horrible” country.
 
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Instead of writing an essay, I’ll keep it brief.
Some are good . Some are bad. Some are evil.
That said, I know many Canadians including friends who look down on Americans generally but it’s tied to their prejudices of the South. Mocking southerners and their accents is okay and calling them inbred is perfectly acceptable, especially those in my generation (under 35s). Such individuals think they understand the vast, complex and diverse US of A better than people who live in America. This nastiness is typically held by urbanites and those not living in the Canadian Prairies, which culturally can be argued to be similar to the American Midwest.
Not all Canadians though. Just like Americans, some are good, some are bad, some are evil.
 
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Xanthippe_Voorhees said:
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joeybaggz:
Being a native born American, I really can’t respond to the OP’s original post. However to your cousin’s husband; let me know how to send him the following bumper sticker:

If you can read this, thank a teacher
If you can read it in English, thank a soldier. (An American Soldier)
Click to expand...
🤨

What would that do? He’s not American. He can also read, write and speak German so he considers himself far superior to most mono-lingual Americans.

Oh, they don’t live in America–beucase it’s such a “horrible” country.
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Typical snob. They’re all so high and mighty until someone comes along and kicks their butt, and then they’ll come crawling to good ole Uncle Sam to pull their a**es out of the fire.

Good, tell him to stay where he is and don’t take up our air and water. Don’t want him … don’t need him.
 
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I love Canada :canada: I read a book about the theoretical unification of Canada the US and Mexico. We really should work together as much as possible. When I’m President during the “Good Times” I’m making a special trip to visit my northern brothers and sisters 😁
 
joeybaggz said:
Typical snob. They’re all so high and mighty until someone comes along and kicks their butt, and then they’ll come crawling to good ole Uncle Sam to pull their a**es out of the fire.

Good, tell him to stay where he is and don’t take up our air and water. Don’t want him … don’t need him.
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You’re not really disproving his point about American arrogance. 🤨
 
Depends on the individual but I have asked a lot of people the same question. Many Europeans think we’re arrogant, have no real culture or history, and look down on us for various reasons, especially because of our government and its tendency to make war to protect and further certain business interests.

I have found the French in particular to have an attitude of superiority (not only over Americans but everybody), and encountered a couple dirty-minded, arrogant, anti-American Frenchmen while living in Shanghai that were so disgusting and obnoxious that I had to pray for the strength not to kick their asses in and hard. Of course, being French, even the looming prospect of a fight caused them not to apologize but retreat while persisting in their cowardly and arrogant insults. I’ve had French friends, and met a couple French people who were very kind and friendly, but I can’t help but to have a perception of them as being less than agreeable.

In China most people seemed to look up to America for our technological developments but see it as a dangerous place and mostly had rather simplistic views of it, as they tend to with other countries and people. Most expected me to be outgoing or very extroverted and were very much surprised that, as a “westerner”, I could actually be shy and introverted. When they think of the British, they think of them as being “gentlemen” and other such stereotypes; they think the French are fancy and “good lovers”, etc

I met a Mexican in Shanghai who had the idea that she should also be called an American, yet seemed to think of us as being evil mean land-stealers and without knowing that I’m part Native American, accused me of being such a person. I met a Colombian who was the opposite and was extremely friendly and kind and told me her dream was to eventually work and live in America. In Chicago I met a Brazilian fellow who had immigrated decades ago and had a lot of good things to say about America.

Some really love and some really hate us, others are inbetween somewhere, but a lot of it depends on how much they actually know and what background they come from.
 
Mollymultiple160 said:
Depends on the individual but I have asked a lot of people the same question. Many Europeans think we’re arrogant, have no real culture or history, and look down on us for various reasons, especially because of our government and its tendency to make war to protect and further certain business interests.

I have found the French in particular to have an attitude of superiority (not only over Americans but everybody), and encountered a couple dirty-minded, arrogant, anti-American Frenchmen while living in Shanghai that were so disgusting and obnoxious that I had to pray for the strength not to kick their asses in and hard. Of course, being French, even the looming prospect of a fight caused them not to apologize but retreat while persisting in their cowardly and arrogant insults. I’ve had French friends, and met a couple French people who were very kind and friendly, but I can’t help but to have a perception of them as being less than agreeable.

In China most people seemed to look up to America for our technological developments but see it as a dangerous place and mostly had rather simplistic views of it, as they tend to with other countries and people. Most expected me to be outgoing or very extroverted and were very much surprised that, as a “westerner”, I could actually be shy and introverted. When they think of the British, they think of them as being “gentlemen” and other such stereotypes; they think the French are fancy and “good lovers”, etc

I met a Mexican in Shanghai who had the idea that she should also be called an American, yet seemed to think of us as being evil mean land-stealers and without knowing that I’m part Native American, accused me of being such a person. I met a Colombian who was the opposite and was extremely friendly and kind and told me her dream was to eventually work and live in America. In Chicago I met a Brazilian fellow who had immigrated decades ago and had a lot of good things to say about America.

Some really love and some really hate us, others are inbetween somewhere, but a lot of it depends on how much they actually know and what background they come from.
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I think this sums it up pretty well. For the most part, Europeans despise America, although Irish seem less virulent than most. Those in Asian countries see American as the fount of knowledge–many come here for an education. Those in Middle-Eastern countries are very polarized depending on if they are happy with their government or being persecuted for it. There’s a lot of bitter Mexican Central Americans based on what occurred in the late 1800’s…granted many were cheated out of land when American and Mexico drew the boarder…but in general Central and South Americans idealize the US.

The only mixed bag is the Aussies. They seem to find Americans both horrifing and amusing.
 
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Canadians. I’ve met those of that description too and find them to be really similar to Yankees and as a Southerner, quite frankly, can’t stand them and wish they would realize what hypocrites they are and that it’s not okay to be like that toward us when they would never DREAM of having such attitudes towards other cultures or races.
 
Yeah, Ozzies do seem pretty mixed now that you mention it. As far as my experience with them goes, I have to say that I prefer Kiwis, who I’ve found to be a sweet and eccentric lot. By eccentric I mean unique and am using it in a positive way. Eccentricity usually is for me. 😃
 
You’re not really disproving his point about American arrogance. 🤨
[/quote]

Didn’t intend to. Tired of others dissing the average American based on their misconceived notions and the lies of their liberal media.
 
But having the attitude you do doesn’t make you any better than people who have similarly arrogant attitudes. I know it hurts/offends/annoys to be stereotyped in a negative way so I get it, but still…
 
I really don’t care what the rest of the world thinks about the US. I’m concerned about what God thinks. He’ll judge the nations and he isn’t gonna be partial.
 
I’v met lots of Americans on out trips,
We did the Alaskan Cruise and met them through Europe & Japan ,
I’v been told several times that if you get 1 or 2 on there own , they are wonderful people,
A little contradictory perhaps , but really nice,
But Once you get a bunch of them together,
Something happens,
Well it’s true, Don’t Talk about Guns , Religion,
Obama Care , Trump , just talk about the scenery & Weather and all will be fine ,
 
And what has God told you about what he thinks
of the U S. ?
 
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