Pretty Embarrassing (For Her) *long*

swampwitch

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Our daughter has made friends with a new girl at school (actually they were in kindergarten together, they moved away, and have moved back). We invited the mom and daughter over this afternoon so the girls could play, and we would have coffee and meet each other and visit.

It became clear early on that the mom and daughter were both very anti-American. This made it very awkward since I'm from Texas and our daughter is a dual citizen (born in the U.S.).

After the woman's first anti-American comment I told her in a nice way that I was from Texas. Her daughter came in and made several comments about her Build-A-Bears, the good one made in Canada and the terrible one from California that is falling apart. That terrible America, she said.

Then the little girl continued how she has a pattern to crochet a backpack but it's in that darn American, with yards instead of meters. I told her it's good to know both; and that Daughter is both American and Canadian.

At least while her daughter was talking, the mother was squirming down into the sofa like she was trying to disappear.

Things got better, though, and they stayed for almost four hours! So I guess they had fun. Maybe we will change their minds.
 

duchess15

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I have dual citizenship also and over the years I preferred one of the other. I still do, however, I try to see good and bad on both sides, and when I'm in one place, I miss things from the other.


Sometimes if people haven't experienced something or are ignorant it is almost impossible to explain it to them and hopefully with time and patience they can just learn that there are differences. That does not mean that one is right over the other. It just means that all cultures are different and unique in their own way.
 

carolpetunia

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It seems like you and your daughter have encountered a lot of this kind of ignorance lately. It's just mystifying! I mean, I completely understand why Canadians (and everybody else) hate the U.S. politically right now -- but to extend that attitude throughout every aspect of life, turning even a crochet pattern into an opportunity to express your bigotry... that's indefensible.

I'm not sure I would've LET them stay four hours!
But it's good that you did... maybe you can gradually reeducate them.
 
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swampwitch

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I guess America's the country you love to hate.


It was sad because I had invited them to and welcomed them in our home. And in return, the little girl was almost gleeful, thinking of stories that would allow her to slam her host family's native country. (My husband is Canadian and likes Americans just fine.
)
 

stacyd1987

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Well, good to hear that it ended well, I guess. At least your daughter has her friend back! That must be exciting!
I find it very sad though that the mother is teaching her child to dislike a country without even fully understand why. I think kids should grow up with neutral opinions until they're old enough to understand the world and politics, at least that's how I was brought up. Can you imagine how many wars can be prevented like that?
 
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swampwitch

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You're right, and it's different to see an adult dislike an entire country; you think s/he has had bad experiences, etc. But a nine-year-old, what did America ever do to her? It's strange to see.


Anyway, yeah, it was good because we played Rock Band. That's always a lot of fun!
 

glitch

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I wish people weren't so judgmental on other peoples country! Yes, Im proud to be an American, but Ive never lived anywhere else, and dont have anything bad to say about anywhere else! No matter how its run, its run by people! Who everyone should love and respect, just the way they are!!
 

cococat

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I guess America's the country you love to hate.
Isn't that the truth? When I travel abroad people from other countries have these stereotypes about what I am suppose to be like, but I always surprise them in a good way. That is why I think study abroad and taking in exchange students and the like so important to this world, the more people that actually meet Americans in person, the more cultures that come together to socialize, the more barriers and stereotypes that are broken. We are all people...
 

fwan

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I know a lot of Americans and they are all lovely, but the American's from the army base close to Frankfurt really wrecks the American reputation. They are banned from many clubs, pubs, cafes due to their heavy drinking and violence and their sleazy behaviour towards women. They arent even "welcome" to the English cinema because americans have been caught cutting up the seats and throwing the food around.

Politically i dont like America, and I find many things wrong with the country, but each country has their own problems and down sides.

Now dont get me started about Germany i could be here for days typing all of the downfalls of this country!
 

glitch

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Are you sure it was only the Americans doing it??? Im sorry but completly banning the Americans from a certain place is ridiculous. What happens when new Americans come and try to go in and get kicked out? All Americans have just been stereotyped.
 

fwan

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Originally Posted by glitch

Are you sure it was only the Americans doing it??? Im sorry but completly banning the Americans from a certain place is ridiculous. What happens when new Americans come and try to go in and get kicked out? All Americans have just been stereotyped.
the pubs and clubs around that area say the americans do it because its so close to the army base.

In frankfurt they dont stereotype the americans that much, but if they recognise someone is from the army base they hesitate.

It is also a stereotype in Italy about british people, because a few brits have trashed a few hotels in italy they arent very welcome there either, especially in the southern parts.

How about Irani people? or Iraqi? I have learnt so much by having some of my students coming from those places and some of these women are so independent and not islamic at all.

Every country has their own stereotype.

As a person who has lived in 4 complete different countries, and getting earfulls of hurtful comments (being scottish and sicilian) i wouldnt judge the person from which country they are from.
 

glitch

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I have such a mix in my neighborhood its unbeliebale! I have a few itilian neighbors that I grew up with, a couple chinese neighbors with their beautiful twins, I dont know, my area is a small mix of the best of all worlds!

When someone starts talking about the the army bases, I immediatly think, THATS MY FAMILY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I have alot of family all over! So Im a little defensive! Im sure there is sterotypes on all countries.. but I think they all suck! I work for a living, raise my family, pay my bills, and pray to my god! Why are we so different?!

I might of left out that Im 100% German... So that might of struck a nerve also!!

I just have a strange motto, "Why cant we be friends??" Im sorry if Ive struck a nerve on you also!!
 

fwan

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Oh no worries! you didn't
I didn't mean german people are bad i meant politically every country is just well.. "am arsch"

What i was trying to get accross before is that unfortunately the people who fit into the stereotype category ruin it for the rest of the community.

anyway its a pretty delicate topic.

I didnt mean to hurt anyones feelings if they felt that way.
 

carolpetunia

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This thread makes me think of one of my favorite moments from "Peanuts," the comic strip. You know Linus is a very gentle soul, philosophical and compassionate... but one time, he got annoyed about something and said, "I love mankind. It's people I can't stand!"

 

calico2222

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I think every country has their sterotypes, which isn't right, but it's the truth. At least it sounds like they weren't attacking you for being American, more attacking the country. I think it's sad, and hopefully you can educate them. We aren't all bad!

Sometimes, I think negative feelings about US (that aren't political) comes from jealousy. Some people think US citizens are all spoiled brats. Oh, if they only knew the truth!

Now, about the military and a bad image of the US...I lived in Guam where there is a Navy base and an Air Force base. The locals have a very bad opinion of the "mainland", and Guam is a US territory. But, I can understand it. I'm not saying anything against the military, believe me. I respect them and what they do. But, a lot of the new recruits are young (18-22), the first time they've been away from home and they go wild! Same thing with college students. The college I went to was in a small town and the "townies" hated college students.

I just wish the small percentage of the military that goes wild while in port would remember they are representing the US. Of course, we also had ships from Britian and a few other countries that had the same wildness so it's not just the US.
 

duchess15

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Originally Posted by calico2222

Sometimes, I think negative feelings about US (that aren't political) comes from jealousy. Some people think US citizens are all spoiled brats. Oh, if they only knew the truth!
The impression I got when I lived abroad (and sometimes I felt the same and could understand where they were coming from) was not so much jealousy because a lot of european nations love items imported from the US and would love to visit the US and all it has to offer. It was more so that the US often can be egocentric as a nation and believe that it is the top in everything the economy has to offer, which in reality, it isn't. This is what rubs countries all around the world the wrong way. If the US could tone its ego down a bit and acknowledge that it isn't the only nation that has something to offer, then I think that there wouldn't be as much animosity from all the other countries.
 

gailc

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It good that this topic came up. One of my commercial clients -a artisan bread place well the owner wrote a letter to the editor in the local newpaper about sterotypes. Most of their employees are of Hispanic origin and with the immigration debate going on in the country-weel a customer must have made some serious derogatory comments about their immigration status in this country.
I was appalled that there are fellow Americans out their making such assumptions without knowing the facts.
 
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