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EmilyGA

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  1. [quote user="Cathy"] When I was backpacking around the world (and that story could be for another thread), I learned from experience that if you heard an American accent, you would ask the person if they were Canadian because a Canadian would be offended to be called American but an American wouldn't be offended to be called Canadian.  (Can you follow this?!)  Similarly with Australians and New Zealanders. Closer to home, round here in the South West with its rugby traditions, the Welsh (e.g. my husband) get a lot more respect than the English. [/quote] Well, if someone asks me if I'm Canadian, I'll simply tell them I'm an American.
  2. [quote user="Clarkkent"] Like most people that I have ever met, people in France take take others at their face value and treat them accordingly. In other words, Americans are not hated by the French. There are, of course, individuals who will test this rule, but then there are French people who hate Germans or North Africans or East Europeans or even (God knows why) English. Do all Americans hate French - after all, there was much publicity given to french fries being renamed Freedom Fries? There are American-based websites pouring vitriolic hatred against France. In general, Europeans, and that includes British, regard George W Bush as an idiot and cannot begin to understand how a nation could have selected him as their president. They dislike what his administration has done to the world. Europeans do not understand how a nation (or so it seems) can be in the grip of simplistic religion, or so obsessed with gun ownership that life itself seems cheap. But these perceptions are the consequence of the media images that America itself sends to the world, I know a sufficient number of Americans to be sure that they are just perceptions. Provided that you do not walk around in a hermetically sealed American bubble, you will be accepted for what and who you are. Come to France and enjoy the experience. [/quote] You are right that there was publicity given to French fries being renamed "freedom fries" but there was also publicity given to some of the nasty things that people in France were saying about Americans, so I think it goes both ways, but obviously not all Americans hate people in France and obviously not all people in France hate Americans. As for George W. Bush, there are lot's of Americans who don't like him. So many people are turning out to vote in the primaries for the Democrats because many people want change, and for the record, not all Americans voted for Bush. I was only a young teen when he was first elected, it's not like I had any say in it, so I don't think it's fair to involve politics with other people just because of their nationality or hold them responsible for something that they can't control. It's ridiculous to generalize over 300 million people and assume they're all right wing conservatives who have a gun collection. I'm a very liberal person, I even have a feminist bumper sticker on my car, but I am a Christian so I guess I'm in the grip of "simplistic religion" and I do agree with the second amendment, but it's my right as an American to agree or disagree with our constitution and I don't go around shoving my opinions down other peoples throats. I know lot's of atheists and many of my friends are against the second amendment, but I'm not preaching my opinions to them or anything like that, and I don't plan to do that anywhere else. I think it would be nice if people simply looked at other people as fellow humans instead of assuming things about them based on where they come from. I don't think I should be hated just because I reside in the geographical region identified as the United States, but I guess it doesn't work that way.  Iceni's post is a great example of how too many people judge people based on nationality. I think it's extremely ignorant if Americans are telling people they're Canadians (and I think it's ignorant to suggest that), I know a lot of Canadians who would be offended by that. I appreciate the advice everyone has given me and I will check out the Americans in France website that was mentioned before. I'm sure I will still be worrying about what other people are thinking of me when I'm in Europe, I suppose that's narcissistic, but I've always been self conscious. Being self conscious about being American will certainly be a new experience.    
  3. I'm 18, currently living in Raleigh, NC and I'm planning on spending a few months in Europe before I start college. I would like to spend most of my time in France but I can barely speak French and I'm American, which I'm assuming might be a problem. From what I've heard, it seems like the majority of French people hate Americans. I'm well aware that Americans are hated all over the world (so I'm not saying it's only French people) but I get the impression that many French people really hate Americans, hate our culture, way of life and generally believe we're all fat and stupid. I once saw an answer on Yahoo Answers from a man from France who compared America to cancer and I recall reading an article once about anti Americanism, and the polls showed that 80% of people in France did not like Americans (not just the government, but also the actual American people). I would really like to visit France but I feel that because I'm American, it might be a problem. I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this, but I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, just looking for some advice. Would most people in France be able to tell that I'm American and because of that, would people most likely be turned off by that?
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