Americans have an identity that distinguishes them from citizens of other countries. Most of the time, that identity is a positive one. Sometimes it isn’t, primarily when people rely on stereotypes to paint the entire country with one brush. Some Americans take it in stride, but others are highly offended by negative labels.
According to an online discussion board, here are some of the generalities Americans take exception to.
1. Limited Cheese Selections
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European countries pride themselves on their vast assortment of cheeses, so they believe that the only types of cheese available in the United States are processed Kraft Singles and Cheez Whiz, someone remarks. On the contrary, the diversity of available cheeses in the U.S. easily rivals those in Europe.
2. America the Unoriginal
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The idea that America is unoriginal and isn’t innovative is a tired trope when you look at the things invented in this country and used worldwide, shares a responder, such as iPhones, airplanes, personal computers, 3-D printers, email, and the internet.
3. Nationalism Is the Norm
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Somebody claims there is a perception that all Americans are nationalists who believe that only America’s interests count. This is disproven by how Americans generously step up and assist citizens from other countries when they need help.
4. Americans Are Uncultured
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Because the U.S. is a relatively young country compared to many European countries, there is a false belief that Americans lack culture, a user laments. The U.S. is well-represented culture-wise when you look at all the musical genres that started here and the numerous renowned playwrights, authors, writers, poets, artists, and musicians from the U.S.
5. Small Town America
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A widespread stereotype about those living in areas with a population of less than 10,000 is that they are uneducated and disconnected, bristles an individual on the discussion board from Nebraska, who’s been “asked if they have internet where they live as if their state is a developing nation.”
6. Americans Don’t Travel
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Another individual on the discussion board comments how they hate the view that Americans don’t travel anywhere, a complaint they mostly hear from Europeans. In some ways, it’s understandable why Europeans believe that falsehood.
Most European Union countries have an open border policy that makes traversing the continent relatively simple and inexpensive. While many Americans don’t have a passport, they are still well-traveled, visiting numerous states across the U.S., which is something considering the country’s size.
7. Rural America
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Numerous commenters took exception to the cliché that rural America is accurate in television shows like Duck Dynasty or Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. At least one person finds it particularly offensive that Americans living on the East and West coasts believe these exaggerations are real.
8. America Is a Monolith
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The U.S. is a culturally, regionally, and religiously diverse nation. However, according to one responder, some Europeans think that all Americans are fundamentalist Christians from the South. In reality, the U.S. has people living in different regions, representing various cultures, and having their own religious beliefs and practices.
9. The U.S. Has Terrible Beer
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Beer is such a significant part of the American identity a user on the thread is willing to argue that the U.S. has the best beer in the world. They opine, “All anyone outside of America knows about is Bud Light and all the other macro brew,” and that the country’s best brews haven’t “had enough time to hit the rest of the world yet.”
10. All Americans Are Biased
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A terrible misconception about the U.S. is that all Americans are homophobic, are prejudiced against people from other countries, and hate anything “that doesn’t have an American flag on it.” Unfortunately, a segment of the population holds these toxic views. Still, America is a nation of immigrants, and its diversity is its greatest asset.
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