Friday, 30 January 2009
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Anti-American Sentiment Abroad
by Molly
When I was in New Zealand, I was in a bar in a very small town on the South Island called Wanaka. During the winter, Wanaka attracts a wide range of tourists because of the mountains close by. It's very laid back and inviting, and is a sort of ski/snowboard bum-type place to go. The sheep outnumber the people 3:1 and the possums outnumber people 6:1. I did not think that in such a small and inviting place I would face discriminatory remarks for being an American.
As I was standing in this bar talking to my friends and enjoying a beer, a man standing behind me turned around and asked if I was American. I responded that I was, and he struck up a conversation with me. As we were talking, I started to recognize a disdainful tone to his voice, and he broke into this whole speech about how much he hated America and everything it stands for. I was taken off guard, as this was the absolute last place I thought I would be having this conversation.
He told me that he had just performed a rap song about how much he hates the US, and I asked him why he felt that way. He told me, "hundreds of people die in the Congo everyday and nobody cares, but when a few Americans die, the whole world pays attention." He was clearly referring to 9/11, and he went on to say that he was glad it had happened.
I really had no idea how to react to this. I felt a mixture of anger that he would say something like that, and shock about how to react. The thing is, his anger was coming from a real place.
The Congo has been undergoing civil warfare for years, and people have been subjected to a horrible situation all over Africa. But is the fact that that has happened in the Congo and people didn't pay enough attention a reason to hate the US, where people paid close attention to the 9/11 attacks?
My end reaction was to get into a heated argument about how unfair and ridiculous his comments were and how he should never say that people dying, in any form, is a good thing. I couldn't believe that he said he was "glad it had happened," and I'm a little embarrassed to say that the bouncer had to get involved because I was so livid with this man.
Before I went abroad, I'd never actually realized how patriotic I would feel when challenged by someone who spoke badly about my country.
I think I was most shocked by some of the ridiculous generalizations that are handed out to Americans before any words have even been exchanged. What people don't realize about the US is how big it is and how different everyone is who lives here. Yes, there are bad parts and bad and annoying people, but that doesn't apply to the whole of our country. Not everyone agrees with Bush's policies and not everyone resembles the fat, loud, gun-slinging, obnoxious American you might see in a cartoon.
Looking back, it wasn't that I was doing anything in particular to invite this behavior; I was simply hanging out in a local bar, minding my own business. It upset me that someone had felt so strongly about Americans.
And while I don't agree with all the policies the government has set, I believe that as an American, you can't really take credit for only some of the things that America has done because you agree with them, and then distance yourself from actions you disagree with. But, how do you defend policies you never agreed with in the first place when you are being treated differently partly because of them?
This type of discrimination obviously doesn't only apply to Americans - there is a lot of discrimination in America too, and other people have been through much worse than a little verbal fight. I do think though that anti-Americanism is something that is not as discussed as other problems, but it's still something important to address.
Have you ever encountered anti-American sentiment abroad? If you're not American, have your ever been treated poorly because of where you're from?
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About the Author
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- From: Molly
- About Me: Age: 23 Hometown: Colorado Favorite Places Traveled To: Peru, New Zealand, Greece, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Portugal and California!! Ideal Vacation: Around the world!! I'd love to take a trip from one end of the globe to the other and then back. That would be ideal. If not that, I want to go to Ghana, South Africa, Thailand, Japan, oh no.....this is turning into quite the trip!
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Comments (57)
No, we have never been treated badly from the country we are from (United Kingdom, England)
I have, my own mother thinks its funny to stomp on the United States flag infront of me. She thinks it's funny and when I push her off of it and start folding it she calls me a traitor. (We're from Mexico) She's the only proud one here.
I dont think it's fair that people judge someone because of where they're from, America or otherwise. Just like with the Beijing Olympica, some people were in a mass hysteria screaming to boycott China because of "what they do". It's not them, it's the goverment.
I was pro-Olympics because the tourism & money coming in would help the people & give a temporary economy boost. I even posted about this & surprisingly a wide range of people agreed. What the goverment here does & what I say or feel are 2 different things. Not to say I'm not patriotic or anything but I just let people know you shouldnt lump the goverment & the people together.
Hmm how funny. The only anti-american behavior I experienced overseas was, in New Zealand.
I stopped in Wanaka too, but my argument came in Auckland. I stopped at a car lot, those specifically for travelers when the saleswomen caught my accent. She tried to be subtle about it, but she really came at me hard. Talking about "my war" how "We have raised the price on their gas extremely high.
She said "it used to be 88 cents, but now its up to $1.69 due to your war"
I tried to explain, but she didn't want to hear it.
That was the only time I had any real...american hostility towards me.
Nothing against NZ, I'd move there in a heart beat.
http://www.xanga.com/Lv16/623561699/that-the-baddest-motherf/
^Entry from my travel journal
wow i have never experienced that.
i went to the DR and they loved us
idk what to expect when i go to europe this summer now...
i feel like it wont be bad though
You should've possum punched his Kiwi face. Jk. Talking about international politics is definitely not a good conversation topic to meet a new foreign friend. I'm sure there is a lot of loathing of Americans because this is rich country that is fairly egocentric, but there's no need to take it out on American tourists. I met a British girl at a hostel who enjoyed discussing corrupt American politics. I argued briefly, then decided it was best to just change the subject.
There's a lot of reason to hate the American government; historically, I mean... Bush wasn't the only "evil" one, there's a lot of situations that few people know about that the American government did in foreign countries that did a lot of damage.
Regardless, it's stupid to take out these frustrations at the actual American citizens, because it's 99% times not their fault.
I've never experienced hate for my nationality (I'm Puerto Rican, and not the US-Puerto Rican type), but a lot of people do ask me whether I hate Americans for the situation they've put my country through.
People never believe me when I tell them that happens in this country.
Ha.
I think people might FINALLY be realising that this IS NOT paradise and it's NOT just about the landscape and "amazing beauty" you can see here, people have an impact too.
If only you knew what happens here, but tourists are always too caught up to really notice.
You wouldn't move here in a heartbeat if you knew.
It's funny because I live in NZ (North Islander though) and everyone around me loves Americans and wants to be American. I don't want them to dislike Americans or anything but I do want them to stop thinking that the US is all celebrity and money and luxurious lifestyles, and that if they move there they'll be living that life as well. That's a generalisation too, and we all know that it doesn't fit the whole of the US.
I'm originally from the Philippines, and so far I've never been treated poorly. I mean there were the occasional jibes at school: that I wasn't fit to stand up for my friends because I'm just "some Asian kid". Some people call me the "Asian nerd bitch" of this pretty well-known Kiwi girl who is actually one of my best friends. But I don't really let it get to me.
I currently live in Egypt and I am American. I have never been verypatriotic but i do appriciate the good of my country. it's mixed feelingshere because Egypt relies on tourism so they are little less hostile then most middle east. However I will say that because most of theirinfo about the US comes in movies and MTV. They think most US women are floozies and it's not uncommon to have someone to ask to sleep with you or make other crude remarks if you are alone or with a group of other younger woman. So it's best to travel with male companions and dress modestly. Just my experience though. Other times people come up to me and say " I love America! Horray OBama!"
Seems like he thought that all of the Americans were at fault for the fact 9/11 got more attention than the Congo deaths. Really, I don't see why; It's not like every single American tries to make the attention go to just us. It's not like we all don't care about what's going on elsewhere.
They're looking at the poorer people of our society and deciding that the rest of us are on the same level. Which is pretty silly on their part because they're ignoring a ton of good. The location somebody comes from shouldn't matter, it's just a place where the person resides.
All I can say is that it's horribly appalling that people, of any country, can feel that way about another for such idiotic reasons.
When I was in Belfast this summer, we got yelled at one night by a group of guys as we were walking down the sidewalk; they were leaning out the windows of their car and calling us "feckin Americans." That happened the first night; perhaps that's why I didn't care for Belfast
Even if we did intervene there, we'd be blamed for collateral damage. Besides what has New Zealand done for the Congo lately?
wow, sounds like something that happened to me in australia. Â when i was traveling i often found people asking me with a disdainful look if i was american. Â i eventually got so tired of it that i started telling people i was canadian, which was apparently more acceptable
I find a lot of it just comes from either ignorance ((I saw/heard something, it must be true)) or jealousy ((USA is still the number 1 place foreigners want to go to for a better life)). I've encountered a lot of it in certain places, and quite the opposite in most others. Thing is, I never preach my pride when I'm traveling. I'm glad I'm American, but I have no need to show this fact to complete strangers when I'm in a foreign country. It just makes you a target then.
I wonder if his own country is doing anything about Congo.
aha he wrote a rap song on why he hates america?
LOSER...
We're just the world's scape goat. If we do well and make money, then we're the evil rich country. If we lose money, then we're the evil country that brought down the economy of the world.
We get yelled at for going starting a war in Iraq and then in the same breath, yelled at for not starting a war in Darfur on behalf of the people there.
I think we should stop sending money to other countries in the world and then see how they like it. We are wrong no matter what we do.
@Happily_Married_Guy@xanga - @Mr_Jin@xanga - yeah that's so true!
How is it our fault that ppl pay more attention to US events? Perhaps its because we're actually putting American lives/soldiers/money into other countries. Not many other countries do this.
Sometimes I think we should become isolationist country like married guy had mentioned above and see what becomes of the world's economy and the development of other countries.
Also rap song? OK, that's lame. I think that from America, too.
Finally, this is to all US citizens that disrespect thier own country. If a citizen thinks that the US is so badly run or so terribly imperialist, then please move out. We do not need your hate since we already get enough of it from other countries. No need to take our taxpayers money to pay for your education, medical care and SS benefits since you hate the US.
It sounds as if he was reacting in jealousy that American's get attention when his people are dying. Anger & antimosity often stem from it. It's a simple & unfortunate reason that we get publicity over them: power & money. The US currently is the most influential country in the world, & Africa has always gone under the radar because of their resources & the fact that so much of the world needs their resources - thus, they deal under the table & Ignore all the evil that goes on there. Plus people are dying there all the time so it's nothing new, but we have plush lives here so when something bad happens it's like "OMG! our safety has actually been breached!". It's a very unfortunate thing.
There are numerous powerful industrialized nations that don't do much for the Congo, either. But it's funny that most people only choose to hate the Americans.
I'm teaching English in S. Korea right now. I've never really heard bad comments about being American from Koreans, but it's certainly interesting talking to English teachers from other countries. My close friends here are (mostly) not American and and their opinions about America when I first met them were generally not positive. I've found that as they got to know me better and other American English teachers, their opinions have changed quite a lot. Everyone abroad is also proud of America for voting for Obama! I think (at least I hope very much) that America will gain a more positive reputation in the rest of the world in the next 4+ years!
it is wrong that people are making generalization about americans because of what america has done. but you should also know that you shouldn't feel patriotic just because of what he said. it is true that america has committed shameful acts, in corollary, the citizens of america should also feel the shame, not patriotic.
that's why i think germany is such a great country. every citizen knows that hitler was a horrible man. every citizen feels shame for what hitler has committed. i believe the same should go for america and americans as a whole