16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here
It’s a bit startling to be confronted with the fact that everything you find customary is a surprise to the rest of the world. This article has gathered opinions from all over the globe (mostly non-western) of great American wonders, from politics to food to family relations, and the results can be quite shocking. Some of these reactions might make us giggle, for example John Levingster’s surprise at our slang like “OMG;” others may cause us to squirm with discomfort or shame, like Rakib Islam’s remark on our severe poverty and homelessness; others still remind us of our inherent privilege of living in the first world, for example our hot showers, washing machines, and wall-to-wall carpeting.
It seems that some of these surprises in American culture are fostered by the image that the United States projects to the rest of the world through media: news outlets, music, television, movies and books. Hollywood’s creations are prolific throughout the world and most Americans would agree that neither racy action flicks nor optimistic romantic comedies reflect reality; however, as we paint these self-portraits we can hardly expect that they will not be considered authentic.
It seems no one is exempt from misconceptions about the rest of the world. We all hold truths of how we consider ourselves, our nation, and the rest of the world; however, we have to realize and accept that they may not always be true. This article perfectly exemplifies the importance of travel and how it provides a new perspective on the world and its diverse people. In our increasingly global culture, it is impossible to grasp any sort of understanding of a foreign people without living among them and trying to experience life in their shoes. This type of openness to diversity will foster a more understanding and communal world.
After reading these accounts of what is surprising about America, I began to think about what surprised me about Paris when I studied abroad there for 5 months. Some are silly, all are eye opening to the fact that we never give a second thought to things that could be completely different somewhere else. (*These are all my personal experiences and interpretations, and if any of them are misguided it only further proves that we can even misconstrue a culture in which we live*)
1) There’s different sized paper? I’m almost embarrassed to say I had no idea that the US was the weird one when it came to paper size; everyone else uses A4!
2) Where’s the recycling? Paris wasn’t very big on recycling. Unlike the separated bottle and trash bins we have in the US lining our sidewalks, Paris just does trash. However they are very conservative when it comes to other resources like water and electricity.
3) When’s the next train? Oh, here it is now. The metro is far superior to any public transportation I have ever taken in the US. It’s always on time and waiting 5 minutes for the next train is considered a “long wait.” I very much miss the metro.
4) French people are nice? It’s pretty unfortunate that the major stereotype for French people is that they are “snooty” but the vast majority of French people I met were very nice. Meeting strangers in Paris is just like meeting strangers in New York city ; for the most part people keep to themselves, but when you do get the chance to talk to someone, interactions are pleasant. French students were very interested in American culture and excited to practice their own english.
5) You heard what? One of the most surprising things was being confronted with stereotypes about America. I met a girl who was sure that gun violence was constant and ubiquitous throughout the US. On a less political note, some europeans were shocked that a normal dinner time was about 6pm
