Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Explat]

When I have talked to foreigners, such as when visiting Canada, I have been surprised about the misconceptions people have about the United States.

I sometimes wonder what Koreans really think of the United States, whether they have outdated notions, like that Americans are still racists who lynch Negroes and shoot Indians, and that sort of thing. I also wonder whether they assume Americans are racist towards Asians.

I mean, the U.S. is a really big place, and the culture varies from region to region, and from urban areas to suburbs to rural areas. The most distinctive thing about the U.S., it seems to me, is how heterogeneous it is.

But the bigger problem, I think, is whether people get an inaccurate image of the U.S. from seeing Hollywood movies and watching the news. I get the impression that foreigners have all sorts of inaccurate stereotypes and prejudices about the U.S. And then there is the little matter of our Commander in Chief.

So, can foreigners get an accurate picture of what America and Americans are like without visiting the United States?

Can they even get an accurate picture from, say, a visit for a week or month?

What do you think?

[Newbie]

They think you are all gun slinging maniacs.

They expect all the men to kinda act like Stiffler from American Pie.

If they see it in the movies, then it must be true

[nicholas_chiasson]

For one thing, everyone who keeps saying 'asians' are discriminated against...GONE TO ANY IVY LEAGUE CAMPUS RECENTLY! Find me a white, gentile, hetero boy. It ain't as easy as it should be.

[RACETRAITOR]

Before I came to Korea, I figured most American towns with the exception of the big ones were pretty well like any regular Canadian city in terms of modernity, as well as being more of a cultural center. I've also travelled to all the usual places, NYC, LA, and Florida. Since coming here though I've met people from all over the US, and was surprised at how much of a gap exists between regions.

If my city was annexed by the US, it would be the tenth largest, which sounds to me like most Americans live in smaller towns than I come from. I always pictured most of Canada as kind of isolated, but it beats living in Fargo or Kansas City or some other middle-of-nowhere town. Also, you're right that I'm surprised by how heterogeneous the US is, especially considering what we're taught about the melting-pot model.

Also, upon meeting and befriending Americans I was shocked at how much more seriously religion is taken by them. I'm not talking about creationism or any garbage like that, just people who take going to church seriously, still believe in God as adults, and get offended if you make jokes about Christ. And this is considering the type of hooligans, punks, and skinheads I hang out with.

One more thing, the attitudes toward and from blacks in the US seems quite a bit different than up in Canada. I'd never heard of the whole "watermelon and fried chicken" stereotype until I picked up on it from Americans. I couldn't figure out why KFC was considered "for black people." And I've also been confused by how a lot of black Americans have unusual seemingly made up names like, let's say, LaKendria or Reshawnda. In Canada black people just have the same names as everyone else unless they're African immigrants.

Also, some of the stronger American accents make me laugh, because they sound like stock characters from movies.

For the most part, Canada and the US share the same culture through the mass media. The difference between a Canadian and a New Yorker is no greater than the difference between a New Yorker and a Midwesterner or a southerner. In other words, I know pretty well as much about what Hollywood is really like as an American from North Dakota.

[RACETRAITOR]

By the way, now that I answered your question fairly straightly, you may want to remember that here, Americans are foreigners.

[Justin Hale]

[newteacher]

[mikeyboy122]

Most of the elderly men seem to have forgotten what the U.S. and Canada did for them in the early 50's. It's a good bet that where I am sitting right now would be vastly different had it not been for our help. My own father fought for these ****** only to return to the states and get murdered. Strange universe. Country that took the most casualties during the conflict? U.S. Second most casualties? Canada. Look it up. And do me a favor, if you're Canadian or American, never, ever, let these ***** get you down. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Css]

[RACETRAITOR]

[mikeyboy122]

Then open the border and start the party.I don't DEMAND anything. But I remember everything.

[RACETRAITOR]

[Underwaterbob]

[pkang0202]

Americans have misconceptions about each other, how the hell are non-Americans gonna understand us?

America is big and there are just too many different subcultures within it for anyone to completely understand.

[RACETRAITOR]