What Americans think of Europeans
I wrote a hugely popular post on what Europeans think of each other, and we all know what Europeans think of Americans (that we’re fat and stupid - well, it’s a bit more complicated than that; I’ll delve into that in another post). In this post, I’ll write my experiences with my fellow Americans think about Europeans. Keep in mind, though, that the diversity of knowledge and opinion in the US is far greater than just about anywhere else in the world, so I’m not going to capture everyone’s sentiment.
At the outset, it’s important to understand this about Americans:
- a lot of Americans live by the “if you can’t say anything nice about (something), then don’t say anything at all” adage. So most Americans, who generally have a vague positive feeling about Europe, will only say vaguely positive things about Europe, if anything at all. (”I hear it’s nice over there.”)
- Most Americans are profoundly ignorant of geography and don’t give much thought beyond their immediate frame of reference. Before you think that means Americans are chauvinist, keep in mind they don’t give a shit about the next state over, or even next city, much less another country. Americans may be brilliant when it comes to technology, innovation and business, but they fail when it comes to geography. They are simply not interested. (This is why, I think, America assimilates foreigners better than Europe. They don’t know where other people come from, and soon forget; their foreignness ceases to be a liability, unlike Europeans who always remember that China had the Tiananmen Square massacre, a Serb killed Archduke Ferdinand and Serbia gave the world Slobodan Milosevic, etc.)
- the last few years have seen politically-active Americans attuned to world affairs much more than they have traditionally been, because of the wars, antagonism towards US foreign policy, propaganda by the Bush administration, etc. Growing up, I can tell you that no one ever cared what was going on outside our borders, other than to think the Soviet Union was a miserable shithole, and everywhere else was OK (but not as great as the USA).
That said, let me get down to the specifics, country by country. Remember that I’ll only include those that the average American has heard of and actually knows is in Europe (you ask the average American where Albania is, and you might be surprised at the variety of answers; I expect fully a third would say “Antarctica”). I’m being a little harsh on my fellow Americans, but, as an American, this is something we tend to do:
- UK - This is the only European country (and, like the Brits, Americans don’t always consider it part of Europe, even though it clearly is) that Americans tend to have largely uncritical views of, regardless of whether they’re at the political right or left (actually, let me add the neighboring Irish to that list). Brits are considered “polite”, “dignified” and “cultured” by virtue of their speech, which Americans, through decades of inculcation through movies and television, have come to ascribe values to. The only negative is of those with posh, elite accents to be thought of as devious or cunning; many Hollywood thrillers aimed at a middle-class audience have some greedy British villain who’s just too smart for his own good (stupidity is equated with a lack of guile, which middle-class Americans admire). I don’t think most Americans, until recently, have known that there is a substantial, vociferously anti-American contingent in the UK; many on the far left think it’s all directed at Bush and his policies (it is, only partially), so they tend to think of the Brits as being “on our side”.
There is a perception, poked fun of in popular media, that Brits have bad teeth, but it’s one of those stereotypes that is not really taken all that seriously, like that Poles are stupid or that Italians don’t bathe.
Among younger people, the UK is synonymous with London, where it’s imagined everything is cool, edgy, rock. For many young women, having a English rocker boyfriend has substantial cachet.
Other than that, I think most Americans are completely oblivious to the stereotypes that the English and Scots endure by Europeans (that they’re cheap, two-faced, etc.) - France - Mixed feelings, mixed feelings. Most Americans have known that the French enjoy criticizing the US and Americans; they know that Parisians are rude the minute you say something in English. But they still go there. Except for the minority of hard-core right-wing Americans who choose travel destinations on principle alone (they usually stay home), most Americans want to visit Paris.
But, the average American is going to use the following word when describing the French: “snob.” And by most accounts it’s probably the most offensive word you can use in America, where “he’s a regular guy” is one of the highest compliments you can pay to someone.
On the positive side, “cultured”, “sophisticated” and “thin” betray a certain jealousy that even the most hardened anti-French have towards this country, our oldest ally in the world. - Italy - American perceptions of Italians are shaped by Italian-Americans (who are mostly from Sicily, and are quite different from most contemporary Italians), the food, and, of course, Hollywood. Italians are considered laid-back, stylish, loud (in a good way; remember, we Americans are loud), and know good food. Think about it - if there ever were a universally-liked cuisine, it would be Italian. Italian women are considered very sexy - think Sophia Loren and Monica Bellucci. The men, too, are loved by American women (and gay men). The only negative stereotypes are that they’re mafiosos, and don’t bathe - very old stereotypes that made them the butt of jokes about 100 years ago. No one takes these sorts of jokes seriously anymore.
- Germany - Unlike the Brits and other Europeans, Americans don’t have anything against the Germans. This is probably due to the fact that a plurality of white Americans have Deutsch blood coursing through their veins, and because Americans have fantastically short memories. Of course, if an American hates any particular German, he’s going to call him a Nazi, but Americans don’t think of them as the humorless, stiff, nazionalsocialistischer automatons that your average Brit, French or Czech does. Beyond that, the only perception of Germany is beer, sausage, sauerkraut and Oktoberfest. And maybe lederhosen.
- Spain - I’m sorry to say this, considering Spaniards’ enormous sensitivity around it, but most Americans are going to conflate the Spanish with Mexicans. They’re going to assume Spain is poor, the people eat tacos and burritos, and they pay with worthless pesos. They’re going to assume Madrid is a suburb of Mexico City, and Barcelona is an island near Cancun. If they have fantastic memory, they might remember the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, those famous Mexican ships sailed by that Mexican explorer, Hernan Cortes.
- Scandinavia - I’m throwing the Netherlands in here, too, because for whatever reason, most Americans think “Dutch” applies to Denmark, and that they speak Danish in Holland. (I tell people although they’re all tall blondes that speak Germanic languages, Dutch bikes are routinely stolen while Danish ones aren’t.) Scandinavia is considered advanced technologically and blonde, blonde, blonde, but beyond that, there’s no reason to ever visit any of those countries. And most Americans might think Scandinavia is a country, and they speak a language called Slavic.
- Ireland - Considering a happy, beautiful, green country full of shamrock-covered meadows and cheery little leprechauns. Maybe not too far from the truth, actually. The negative stereotype is that they’re drunks, but in America, that’s not really an insult anymore. Most Americans would be floored if they knew the per capita GDP of Ireland was higher than that of the US, and that Ireland has only 3.3 million people. Most Americans think it’s a huge, poor country.
- Portugal - Part of Puerto Rico.
- Greece - Based on the popularity of the 2002 film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Greece is probably considered a quaint, colorful country full of charmingly nationalistic bumpkins. But the reality is that the country doesn’t cross the minds of most Americans whatsoever.
- Countries completely ignored except by some ethnic descendants - Poland, Czechoslovakia (that’s right - it’s still one country), Yugoslavia (v.s.), Hungary (most Americans will think you’re joking if you tell them this is the name of a country; they might even believe you if you tell them it’s near Thirstary), and anything eastward, until you hit Russia.
- Russia - Large, poor, cold, angry, gray. Again, not too far from the truth. Russia includes places like Moscow, Ukraine, all the -stans (sometimes even Paki- and Afghani-) and just about any other country with a majority white people that speak a language that’s not English that they’ve never heard of (Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, etc). Like the other former Iron Curtain countries, considered cold, depressing, nothing to see. They wouldn’t believe that St Petersburg is as beautiful as it is, as are Prague, Budapest, Krakow, etc.
These have been my perception of what the average insular white American knows and thinks. Here are some variants for different subgroups based on my conversations:
- African-Americans (black) - Love France. Neutral on the rest of western Europe. Have absolutely no interest in, knowledge of, or desire to visit Eastern or Northern Europe.
- Latinos - Love Spain. Positive on France and Italy. Have absolutely no interest in, knowledge of or desire to visit any other European country.
- Asians - Indians adore Britain. The Vietnamese adore France. Filipinos adore Spain. (Are we beginning to see a pattern here?) Other Asians are not particularly interested in Europe (unless they’re very “Americanized”).
- Gays - Europe is London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Ibiza. The Mediterranean is hot. So is Eastern Europe, paradoxically (so much Eastern European gay porn comes Stateside). Very, very confused on which city goes where; a widespread perception that London, Paris, and Prague are an hour-long train ride from each other.
- Lesbians - The only lesbians I know have gone to Amsterdam and loved it. Too small a sample size for me to form an impression.
- Hipsters - Love London, Paris, and slightly more “edgy” capitals like Copenhagen, Prague, Helsinki and Barcelona. They tend to be relatively well-off and educated, so they might buck a lot of the stereotypes I’ve laid out here.
This will, no doubt, make more than a few Europeans fume in indignation, or nod smugly that Americans really are as ignorant as they’ve thought. Remember that there is a small but not insignificant (maybe 5-10%?) number of Americans who are widely travelled and know a ton about Europe and its geography, national temperaments and culture. They tend to live in the “urban archipelago”, esp in coastal cities like New York or San Francisco.
Update: If you want to see it quantified, here are Americans’ sentiments towards other countries (not just European). Unsurprisingly, the current bugaboos harped on about in the media are at the bottom of the list.
Posted on July 28th, 2008 by JM
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Oh my, how embarrassing for you all.
Czechoslovakia (that’s right - it’s still one country)
Not since 1992:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovakia
You might want to fix that so you don’t look like a stupid American.
Brian - I know it’s 2 countries now. I was writing that entire section from the perspective of your average, geography-ignorant American.
what about luxembourg…..
yeah….even european do not know that it exists…..
sad…but true….
This made me laugh. Sad but often very true. Americans also ask the worst questions.
“Do they wear Peter Pan clothes in the Never-Neverlands?”
“I love France! It’s right next to China, right?”
“How was the bus ride from Germany to America?”
And if you think Luxembourg has a bad situation (they’re all rich from cigarette money anyways), imagine poor Liechtenstein, Andorra, San Marino, and Monaco.
Haha Geweldig, but come on, those are probably exaggerations. And let’s be honest, “poor” is the not the word anyone should use when describing Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco…
Speak for yourself, America is too diverse for you to make blanket statements about what we think. You may have attempted to water it down with humour, but your disdain for America and Americans comes through loud and clear. It is unfortunate that many people that read this garbage will actually believe it.
I am ashamed to admit the truth of the stereotypes mentioned above. I am a geographically-educated american. I have a better understanding of the world around me than most of my more ignorant counterparts, so I will add to some of the common American ideas. Please do not attribute the following to my personal views:
first: Americans are not stupid, they are just self-centered. It is not that they (I say “they” because I do not think this way) are rude or stupid, but that they simply do not care about anything that does not directly influence their day-to-day life. even if something does influence them, they will forget about it the minute it is gone.
I live in Maryland, the state that contains the Nation’s Capitol, Washington DC. I find it strange how most Americans could not point to Maryland on a map of the country, and are mystified when they realize that DC is not a separate state. they have no idea what DC stands for, and think that Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Main, Delaware,New Jersey, and Rhode Island are all just a cluster of states located above New York. Ask americans how many states are in the country, you’ll get answers anywhere from 39-52.
Before 9-11, most Americans were convinced that New York was the capitol.
And thats what they think about their own country…imagine what they think about yours!
We are also widely influenced by the media, the internet, and YouTube. When the media tells us that some random country in the middle east (and we dont even know where the middle east is) is responsible for our oil problems, we believe it, and curse that country until the prices fall again and then we go on forgetting that any other country exists.
oh, and we think Canadians are stupid, Iceland/Greenland (which we think are the same country, or at least interchangeably named) are part of Canada, and that any place in Africa is hot, any place in Asia is hot, and any place in Europe is cold and constantly rainy.
we also have a problem imagining that any places other than America, Paris, Tokyo, and London are civilized and have electricity.
one more thing: iceland/greenland are the same, japan/china are interchangable, any language/accent that is not french/italian/spanish/Chinese/Japanese must be german or russian. all south americans are mexican, and mexicans are the same as spaniards, and all of those people lumped into that category must be dirty and lazy.
and yet we think we are some sort of lovable, cant go wrong, center of the universe country that everyone admires and wants to live in.
I’m not sure what your error was for there, but the District of Columbia, though it is not a separate State with a capital S, is nonetheless separate from Maryland.
It is not one of the 50 States. Instead it is considered to be a District, a status somewhat analogous to being a territory, as with Puerto Rico, or American Samoa. I believe that, unlike territories however, residents of D.C. pay full federal taxes, yet elect no Representatives to Congress. The District is allowed one (rather than two) token “Senator(s)” who has speaking privileges on the Senate floor but does not vote in legislation.
This may in part explain the District’s contemporary motto “No taxation without representation”. It may also explain how the District’s working population is disproportionate to its residing population even when compared to similar urban centers.
From Wikipedia:
“The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides.”
Also:
“Article One of the United States Constitution provides for a federal district, distinct from the states, to serve as the permanent national capital.”
It is generally believed that D.C.’s peculiar territorial status was intentional on the part of the Founding Fathers, as Congressmen from less powerful States feared the State in which the seat of government resided (then feared to most likely be Virginia) would have too great an influence on american politics.
This also is thought to explain the siting of Washington on the northern bank of the Potomac. That is, it was a compromise that placed it not too close to, but not too far from, the heart of the Old Dominion of Virginia.
Yup. I agree with this too. I grew up in Kansas and Indiana and except for that handful of friends that backpacked across Europe, there is little understanding of different cultures. As was mentioned here, it is embarrassing, but it is not a sign of stupidity. It is a sign of our self centered nature. People gave up everything to emigrate here. Many didn’t want to remember the place they left behind and in our short 200 years of existence, that attitude dictates the way Americans are raised.
To John Smith: It’s not disdain for America/Americans. It’s the truth. Simply ask some questions to people you know and you will see just how geographically ignorant the majority of Americans are.
I think a lot of the problem is that geography is no longer a required course. They’ve lumped it all together under “social studies” and children are studying it for a month or less. Quite a few people have never had a real geography course. It’s very sad, actually.
hahaha very tue
Wow. To ANN, the ” geographically-educated american,” who has a “better understanding of the world around (her) than most of (her) more ignorant counterparts,” I can only say, your arrogance and condescension are only eclipsed by your superior knowledge of geography and your fellow Americans’ lack thereof.
I have relatives staying with me for the weekend and there are 11 of us in our house, ages 71 to 8. Every one of us knows what “DC” stands for (what the hell?!) and how many states there are (unlike Obama, who seems to think there are 58). We all know where the New England states are and the difference between Spain and Mexico.
I printed this article, took it to work, and, although I cannot repeat what was said about you, they were all as geographically knowledgeable as you claim you are and with exceedingly more class than one who would paint their compatriots with such a broad brush and take it upon themselves to speak for them.
If you actually meant what you posted, you must be friends with the very stupidest Americans in the country. As my British best friend would say, “Get stuffed.’
The author needs to talk for himself/herself. The facts are different in reality and many Americans are a lot more educated than what she/he assumes they are, so they have a way different opinion about all the countries mentioned. It is just a pathetic article, better get another job, pal.
I agree that Americans don’t spend much time thinking about about Europe, but I think part of the reason is that the US is such a large country with such distinct regions. We are so rich in culture here in the States that the rest of the world is just off our radar. Look at the difference in culture between Nashville and San Francisco. There’s just so much to explore in our own back yards.
Personally, I agree with Ann. I think she hit the nail right on the head. Gabrielle didn’t make it clear where she was from. But if I had to make a bet, I’d say one of the “Eastern” or Southern States. (Maybe in a city like Chicago or Alabama.)
My experience while traveling in Europe and the U.S. has been that Americans are incredible ignorant. They take any criticism of America personally, and view the world by their measuring stick. (We’re # 1, We’re # 1 !!!! etc., etc….)
When I moved back to the states after living in Eastern Europe for years, I was shocked by the refusal of Americans to believe anything I told them about Europe that did not conform to their preconceived beliefs. I remember a conversation with my (politically conservative), father regarding the Soviet Union, which at that time, was in the process of breaking up. He insisted, and would not believe that everyone in the Soviet Union was not “Russian”. As for as he was concerned they spoke Russian and thought along the same lines, which was to destroy us Americans. When I tried to tell him about Georgia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, etc., etc.,…he just would not believe that they saw themselves as individual countries, culturally and historically.
Most of conservative America’s views were formed in the “50’s” and hasn’t really changed. They see America as “The World” and the rest of the planet as only mildly interesting, or important. If it doesn’t affect them directly, (like gas prices), then it’s not really significant. They see their president as “The Leader of the Free World”. (Although I don’t ever recall an election being held for that position, and I’m sure most Europeans would not see him as their “leader”)
In short they feel uneasy when something does not conform to a positive view of their country. Especially when something or someone like a black man has the gall to run for president, and feel obliged to insult him and his education. I’d bet good money that Obama has a higher education, knows more about the United States and the rest of the world then all 11 of the weekend occupants of Gabrielle’s house.
Education is a wonderful thing, and if one seeks out knowledge of other countries, cultures, etc. from sources other than main-stream American press, they’ll be amazed by how it changes your views and attitudes.
I agree, Europeans are not in the forfront of the average American mind. Americans tend to think that everything revolves around the USA and that the rest of the world is just a playground to vacation in. Americans rarely have anything negative to say about European countries (except France), but at the same time we tend to think that we have it better here than any other country. I think most Americans feel so good about their country that it doesnt even make us angry when others say terrible things about us. We know we have a great thing here.
The poster is wrong about how Americans feel about the French. I hear terrible jokes about the French all the time. Most of the jokes are about what cowards they are. There are also a lot of jokes about how bad their body odor is and about their lack of personal grooming. The term “French bath” is used to refer to the act of using perfume instead of taking a bath. I have hear people take about how perverted they are and how easy the women are.
Americans ARE self-centered and ignorant. They can be fed any information the media tells them about the world outside and they will believe it. I know this by watching my own family…college educated, middle class adults, all of them. They’re not stupid, they just don’t care, and they’re content in their stereotypes.
But along that line, Americans are ignorant of other Americans, too. don’t think east-coast Americans don’t have certain (wrong) perceptions of life in the west, either. They think everyone is either a cowboy, an Indian, a hippie, or a Hollywood star. And I’ve definitely come across those who think that people in the south (where I live) are all hillbillies, don’t wear shoes, don’t have electricity, and are incapable of forming a proper sentence and speaking coherently. I beg to differ.
I don’t know… I’m American and I love geography and other cultures. I’m always embarrassed when I have to admit that most American’s don’t know this stuff. Whenever I hear it, I just want to yell “but I do! I understand!” Hopefully this will someday change and we won’t all be ’stupid Americans’ anymore.
It is normal for Europeans to feel that way. When you are to weak to protect yourself and you rely on someone else to defend your family, you will always be bitter and hold a grudge against your rescuer . I understand so I don’t dislike them for it. Just feel bad for them.
I always thought that Europe is to Americans what the US is to us Europeans, one big country.
I personall think most Europeans can’t tell one state apart from the other, and only a little grasp on US geography….
Everybody needs to chiiillll. It’s obviously a joke and I thought it was pretty funny. Although I wound amp up the negativity on our view of France. There’s still a lot of negative stereotypes (remember freedom fries? I know, I’ve tried to block it out of my memory too…) and jokes, mostly empty and teasing though. And I’ve never heard Spain equated to Mexico, like, ever. I’m pretty sure most americans don’t really have an opinion on Spain. It’s kinda just there.
And honestly, claiming that all americans are ignorant about geography is kinda silly. I mean, unfortunately there are a large percentage that don’t know where friggin Iraq is (which is so DUMB. Read a book damnit), but Europe is across the sea, and America’s a pretty big country. We’ve got quite a lot of stereotypes and almost little nations we’ve got to deal with ourselves. Which is no excuse for ignorance, of course, but perhaps a reason for it.
I would also hazard a guess that Europeans are more knowledgeable about Europe ’cause all the countries are so small and mushed together and affect each other so much due to the proximity. I doubt many Europeans would be able to name the states though, because it’s not relevant, just like Yugoslavia or whatever is not exactly relevant to America (sorry Yugoslavia :P)
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Part of the problem is location. Yes, Americans are very self-centered and arrogant which contributes to our lack of geographical knowledge. But even if we weren’t these things, why would anyone expect that we would be as good at European geography as Europeans? Seriously, you live there, we don’t. And we’re not the only ones. I did a 1 year exchange to Japan when I was in highschool and I remember Japanese kids were just as clueless about European geography as American kids. The funny thing is that they weren’t that great at Asian geography either. No doubt because they hate other Asians and hate being classified as Asian. Maybe it’s an island country thing (i.e. British) I want to know how many European kids can point out Lesotho, Bangladesh or Uraguay on a map.