A proud American moment
I have to share this with you because it's just too exciting. I got my first anonymous disgruntled comment on a post that wasn't meant to be offensive, but I guess was. An "annoyed American" comments:
maybe it's because of all the parasites and ungrateful brats like you no one can seem to improve anything there.
Why don't you do something for the world instead of being so damn judgemental like the rest of europeans? Make a damn difference yourself.
God, I try and do news searches, and all I run across are whiney brats.
Ugh. I was going to add something, but now I don't know what. I guess comments on comments are redundant...?!
Posted at 05:55 PM on December 27, 2003
Something you mentioned in your OP got me thinking of some things. America is huge, and this accounts for a lot of the differences you'll find in people here. I have a friend from Ireland who came to live in MN for almost a year as her dh's employer had temporarily transferred them here. She had spent some time on the East coast visiting me before, and was sort of expecting much of the same out in MN. What she found was altogether different. While she liked it, there were still some big differences in the people and the lifestyle that she noted, and this eventually led her to question me on whether or not I could describe a typical American, or rather a typical American culture. Of course not I said. I mean, there are individual differences in people no matter where they live, but here in America (and perhaps other places with which I'm not yet familiar), there are also drastic differences in culture as well. I grew up in an all Hispanic area, and I experienced major culture shock when I went off to college--and I only went 1/2 hour away! Seriously. I remember bringing home one of my first anglo friends, and they were astounded by the signs being all in Spanish, by the smell of cilantro wafting out of neighbors' windows, and by the fact that any and all business transactions would be run primarily in Spanish. It was like a tour for them! I often feel like a tourist, or a foreigner, in America myself (depending on where I'm going). Sort of a weird twist. And BTW, now I'm living in a "little Poland" and I'm still assimilating. Go figure!
So while there are Americans that do think of Europe as a Disneyland, there are many that don't. Some don't even see that much of a difference between cultures (aside from architecture and landmarks--after all, little Italy doesn't have a leaning tower or Mount Vesuvius...;^) ), especially those that settle in areas populated with those of one particular ethnic origin. I think it's all purely geographical.
Oh, but the angst ridden poster should just relax. Oy!
I agree with you, Patty. I write a lot of things here that represent a thought or a point of view but most of the time I don't try to give an objective tract on a particular subject including all possible angles of the issue. I think it would be boring to read.
I was hoping my post would convey at the same time that there are all kinds of Americans and that what I wrote was a broad generalization of one trait some share and that's it. The US are too big of a country to be brought down to one culture. Some things will just stand out more - especially to a foreigner.
Oh Dinka, I know what you mean. As a matter of fact, I was just reminded of the above story when I read your OP. While you may have been here long enough to know not to expect to find a common American culture (possibly pop culture is the one unifying aspect? I dunno...pretty sad if that's all that binds some of us), there are several people coming here that are actually surprised by this realization. As an American traveling abroad, I met some people who confided in me enough to say, "Oh, you're not like any of the Americans we've met before!" Apparently, they had run into a few loud, obnoxious Americans before. lol And believe me, I met my share of them as well.
But you know what? What I liked best about Europe was the fact that there was a semblance of a unified culture--something I felt was lacking here. Nevertheless, this was not the case in some of the larger European citites which were much more Metropolitan. I was very depressed upon arriving back home to this realization...i.e. that there seemed to be no real cultural unity (and perhaps this was only true to my experience, but that's how it felt nonetheless).
I agree with what you said about certain things standing out to someone who is not from here. My friend and I have had tons of discussions on this very thing and it has been fascinating.
And btw, I didn't find your post offensive at all. :^)
Wow -- you get hate mail! That's pretty funny.
I wonder what the poster was searching for that led him or her to here? At any rate, I would suggest to that person to use a "search the news" feature on any search engine so that in the future they won't be subjected to more "whiney brats".
:-)