The Ugly American

            Cultures all around the world are known for their various stereotypes.  For example, the French are rude and the British have bad teeth.  We are all made very aware of the stereotypes of other cultures, but we rarely consider the preconceptions other cultures have about Americans.  The common “ugly American” is loud, obnoxious, selfish, and ostentatious.  We may even come across as being pretentious, making no attempt to adapt into a foreign culture.  In reality, however, we are just clueless.

In my past travels around Europe, I have been exposed to many different cultures.  I have gotten past the different toilets, having to pay for public restrooms, the differences in transportation, the street vendors, and the threat of pick-pockets.  On this trip, I noticed how much we, as Americans, really do stand out, rather than adapt to the foreign environments we are placed into.  We did not take much time to learn about the cultures we were entering into, and we did not adapt our behaviors to respect their values.  Everyday activities vary immensely between our lives in suburban America, and those of urban Europeans.

For example, the French put a very high value on their food and the food industry.  Becoming a waiter is considered a respectable career, not just a side job as it is here in the United States.  In restaurants, we act as we always do back home, thinking we are being helpful by stacking up plates and silverware when we are finished eating.  However, to the French, this is insulting the waiters and their career.  A few times at dinner, the waiter would even un-stack the plates before removing them from the table.  I think the majority of our group did not even realize that the waiters were offended by their actions, let alone that they were doing something wrong at all.

            Unfortunately, we also seem to be stereotyped into being sort of stupid.  We had several different tour guides and other locals imitate us saying, “OMG like that is so cool!”  They assume all Americans fit what we would refer to as a ditzy ‘valley girl.’  We take more interest in our phones and other similar technology than in our surroundings.  I can’t help but wonder if that is party due to the fact that in general, European architecture is much more interesting and rich with history than that in America.  Whatever the reason, I think we would all be better off spending our time engaged with the world around us rather than with the virtual world in our hands.

Another huge difference between Americans and Europeans in general is the volume level at which we talk.  Americans are notorious for being loud, and our group definitely did not dispel that stereotype.  We do not notice exactly how loud we are being in comparison in the moment because it is acceptable in America.  However, very often, especially in restaurants, if our group was to stop talking completely, it would be almost silent.  I think it would be wise for all American tourists to make themselves aware of these negative stereotypes and work to disprove them by adapting into the culture of the country they are visiting.