In fact, the experience of foreign visitors being in the US can get so bad that they end up trying to erase their memory of it, as this Lithuanian girl vociferated to me:
“hi Winston,
first of all, sorry that i'll be a bit distant for a while, because i have exam session and don't have any time to write mails. still, i do hope u're not gonna find me rude, cause i don't wanna be, but please, do NOT SEND me anymore ANYTHING ABOUT THE STATES. i really don't wanna hear what people say/think/feel etc. about it. i have been there, have my own opinion and my feelings to it are not positive at all, therefore i'm trying to forget all that and delete it from my memory and sorry, but ur mails don't help me too much with that. i had some really bad experiences there and everytime u make me relive those bad emotions, what i have no wish to do. if people in the states are proud to be americans and think it's the best country in the world (when their knowledge of the world reach maximum 5 miles around their farms)-let it be, cool, i'm telling them: live and be happy ever after. i'm out from there. for long. PERIOD.
I hope u understand that i'm not saying "don't write me", i just don't wanna hear about usa anymore.”
Perceptions like in the above are a lot more common than you might think. I’ve heard many such views from US immigrants, foreigners, and Europeans. In fact, I’d estimate that about 80 to 90 percent of Europeans feel that way about our lifestyle.
These next few quotes are in regard to US workplace environments, where coworkers tend to politely tolerate each other without becoming real friends or bonding with each other. Not always of course, but more so compared to other countries. During lunch breaks, for example, most office workers tend to go off alone and do their own thing. If they go eat with someone, it’s usually with one or two coworkers to the exclusion of the rest. But in other countries, such as Greece for instance, coworkers eat together, cook together, and often the boss cooks for everyone too.
One reader noted to me:
“Dear Winston,
A late good friend of mine from Peru used to tell me "Americans are friendly but not your friend". He observed how in the U.S. one could work for years in a company and never be invited to a co-workers home. This was far different from Peru where people frequently visited each others homes and were very social outside of work. I found this intriguing. As you have said each society has its pluses and minuses. Hope you enjoy this. Take care.”
And an East Indian friend of mine concurred, saying:
“Yes, very. I agree with your late peruvian friend in that I've found for the most part, most American's have a friendly manner that may or may not reflect how they really feel.
So someone coming here from another country (say India ) would think they're the friendliest people in the world. I thought that too, when I walked out on the streets on my first day in the US and had total strangers smiling at me and saying "Hello, How do you do".....but I quickly realized that they were just 'being nice' and had no earthly interest in hearing my answer.
In India, it is rather different - people aren't as quick to smile and say hi, but they are much more likely to invite you home, or do other things that help cement friendships quicker than I've seen happen here in the US. I know that's generalizing, and I'm not an expert on cultural phenomena by any means, but there definitely is a discernable difference.
Just my .02”
A young Czech girl I met on a movie message board wrote her impression of America to me, which even though she’s never been there, is pretty darn accurate nevertheless:
“And about the states...well, when i was younger i thought it would be so cool to live there but then i grew up a little and i changed my mind. When somebody´s talking about americans i always imagine a fat man eating a BigMac, sitting in the cinema and laughing at the most stupid joke in the most stupid movie ever
I know americans are not this way but i just can´t help myself
I don´t want to judge usa until i can say i´ve been there cuz my view of usa is "made"(i don´t now better word
mostly of films and documents and of what i read (and that´s not very probative). I just hate it when americans bless their ´´amazing´´ country and they can hardly find it on a map
And I´m rather not talking about their knowledges of another countries...i just think americans should learn more about the world cuz they don´t know enough
”
In regards to the international affairs of the US government abroad, even Canadians are more aware and informed about US foreign policy than Americans are. A Canadian family I stayed with verbally related something interesting to me, which I will do my best to paraphrase from memory:
“America seems to be composed of two separate worlds. On the one hand, you have the American population, which generally consists of good well-meaning people. But on the other, you have the US government which is actively involved in horrible acts abroad, such as exploiting others, overthrowing governments and regimes in the interest of corporate greed, and committing all kinds of crimes, which the mainstream American public is amazingly unaware of and oblivious to. In fact, the whole rest of the world seems to know more about what the American government is doing in the international scene than the American people do!”
In fact, one immigrant from Lithuania who came to the US to flee communism ended up writing a series of anti-US government and anti-capitalism essays, which though extreme are very intellectually articulate. He describes America as a plutocracy – government ruled by the wealthy. Here is his index site:
One of my readers observed the effect that our consumerist culture has on people:
“One thing I notice is that Americans, in general, are very narrow-minded people, who are absolutely not interested or curious about anything more mind stimulating than stupid soap operas and some dumb idol/reality shows... that is why very often they come off as being too anti-social. It's not that they are stuck up or conceited, its just very hard to engage anyone in anything interesting. And most of them, i find, are the ones who actually have a low self esteem, so as a cover up, they may come off as arrogant and anti-social....
I thought, the Soviet people were brainwashed. Now I am convinced that every big empire brainwashes its people. There is no other way around.”
I receive fan letters like the following on a regular basis:
“I came across your e-booklet on Why_I_am_Happier_in_Europe_Russia
I cannot express in words how impressed I am by your work and how accurate and true you are to yourself. I have lived in the US for the 13 years now, and I can't but agree with every single word you wrote. I am sure that many of my friends who have gone through the same experiences do also agree. America is the land of false promise, the land of moral and psychological depression. People in the US who think they're happy, are mostly so because they do not know any better.
Anyhow, I am working of relocating out of the US as soon as possible after reality of life has become crystal clear. No regrets, because life events have forced me into this direction, but now I say to myself: enough!
Congratulations again on a job well done!!!!!”
Like me, this Russian immigrant wondered if there was something wrong with him when he became disenchanted with America:
“Anyway, to cut a long story short, everything you wrote in your treatise is precisely to the point. I am a Russian who has lived in the States long enough to know. I came to the country expecting to find some flavor, as I had been able to do in France and Germany. Alas, what I ran into was a sea of blandness.
I took me a while to realize that there was a chasm of difference between the media picture of America and real life, but when the truth hit home, I felt very disappointed and empty. I even had a lapse of self-condemnation as I thought the problem was in me. I have gotten over it now and can see clearly. Your writing puts all the pieces of the puzzle together very well.”
And as I did, this Polish American also grew up slowly realizing the insanity and dysfunction of America:
“………… So, when I read over your posts its just like reading what I've known for years. When I was younger I was a very average American teenager until I went to high school and saw the insanity of America and the everyday mentality of my friends from middle school becoming that of their narrow-minded parents. Ever since I have grown to hate America more and more by the day. America lusts for money and greed, the whole system is anti-friendly and geared towards those who like to work to death, after all what is the point of life in America if you are not working? Anyways I will spare you the rest of the generalizations because I already mostly agree with what you wrote in your posts. American people are duped everyday by their popular culture and the people in power, keeping everyone servile……………… Just wanted to say hi and say I know your right and the rest is either uneducated or refuses to think deeply enough about the overall situation in the world.”
A Romanian immigrant wrote:
“hey, im a Romanian living in US for about 4 years, and i can't wait to go back and never come here again, this place makes me sick. Life here is EXACTLY how u described it, i skimmed through it but i will read it all later on tonight. Life in Europe its much more fun, and worth living there, people are more socializing . Keep up the good work.”