Perspectives on Americans (US citizens)

As a study-abroad student, I am required by my college to complete homework. One assignment is interviewing other students about their perspectives on “Americans.” The assigned questions are fairly lifeless, so I came up with a few complimentary ones to help expand each interviewees perspective.

The first person I interviewed was a Palestinian student, Mya (name changed) 

The first question: How do you view Americans?
Mya answered with a sentiment that I’ve often heard here in Israel, but with more poetry: “They are their own faraway island.” I chuckled, agreeing, and simultaneously thought of “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main..”, a John Donne quote regularly used. The quote’s source is a paragraph in a larger work, but it became so popular that most people think it is a singular poem.

Mya explained that she thinks of Americans this way because they choose to be  isolated and involved too much in just the American world. She brought up that too many Americans (outside of our program) choose to travel throughout the states rather than abroad, despite being financially able to explore outside of the US.

I nodded, thinking of the many Americans I know who fear traveling outside of the US and of the ones who have no interest because “ ‘Murica’ is the best”.

Curious, I asked how she would describe “American” personality. She told me that they are very nice people. I was surprised, and she explained her travel experiences in the US. She’s been to Virginia, North Carolina, and California. She said she was surprised by the hellos that she got in the streets, that Americans were very friendly.

Mya paused for a bit, and reflected that Americans typically show that they are happy, smiling all the time. This seemed a bit perplexing to her, and when I asked, she responded, “They have genuine smiles, and you wonder how that is?” This really moved me, for several reasons. Genuine is a small but powerful word. I think there is potentially a significant difference in perspectives about happiness occurring between Americans and Mya.

Americans: I considered how most Americans I know seem to be striving for happiness, confident (or hopeful) that it could be a state of being. At the same time, I’ve found that Americans struggle to find a state of happiness, and often shy away from conflict for fear of jeopardizing that quest. Despite their relentless search for a state of happiness, and their self-induced isolation, they still find happiness elusive.

            Mya: She commented that she chose to stop watching Hollywood movies, because they always predictable, and portray a very comfortable picture of the world, not a reality. As a Palestinian, it is impossible to detach from the painful political realities she lives in. That is not to say that Americans do not experience their own tough situations and traumas, but I do not think they are built so concretely into every-day life. Perhaps for Mya, seeing American, genuine smiles all the time emphasizes a carefree attitude, one that stems from being isolated and unaware. I’ve seen Mya genuinely enjoy the good moments we’ve had so far. But I think her genuineness stems from the appreciation of good moments in life. If she is pursuing “happiness,” it is a celebration of the good experiences and a recognition of life’s injustices, not a life experience that is isolated from all the horrors and injustices of the world.

Mya also offered a few other opinions. She also sees Americans as hard working, fascinating, and innovative. She is impressed with their drive to create and be productive. At the same time, she dislikes other parts of American life, such as the conspicuous consumerism, modeled through tv adds and the sheer quantity of super-sized items.

Second Question: What are these beliefs based on?

Mya answered first, “As the Power of the world.” She meant that it is impossible to not learn about America. She examined media, and how it often portrays Americans as stupid. But then she considered her travels in the states, and how that demonstrated other facets of American culture ignored by the media. Mya particularly focused on American higher education. She said that even after being educated in France post-high school, she felt impressed by the structure of American higher ed. In France, she felt educators didn’t care about her as an individual, that a “sink or swim” attitude is institutionalized. Her brother is pursuing his PhD in the US, and she admires how educators are invested in the individual student, readily giving guidance and advice.

Third Question: Do I fit your image of an American?

I laughed as I asked this question, because I anticipated her first response. Mya chuckled and said, “Yes, you are very nice, smiley.” She noted that I seemed to be very mature, much more so than she expected out of a 21 year old American. We both laughed at that, because she’d told me a little about her American cousins, and how they had gone a bit wild, partying, to experience “life”. I’m straight-edge. Haha.

The second person I interviewed*: H, Arab Israeli “Borat”

*This was a comical interview, so please don’t be literal.  

How do you view Americans?

H: Americans, at least the people that I meet, are self-centered, they think the world centers around them. However, “One bad one good,” it really depends on the person. They have a very superior attitude. Also, Americans “don’t shy” [meaning free or promiscuous]. Also, Obama’s good, he’s an exception in America.

What do you base your beliefs on?

H: Meeting people and media. Israeli media: Walla. I like the show Friends, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They are good things. I started thinking about America when I was 15. All the time, you hear about America. First met an American maybe when I was couch surfacing, and then on Kibbutz [Ketura]. It’s an American Kibbutz.

Do I fit your image of an American? **(I am a dual citizen)

H: I think you are more Canadian. I love Canadians more because they are more social. Been told Canada and Australia is good because they don’t make assumptions about us. You and Sami are good girls.  (H asked his friend before he met Sami and I, “are they beautiful?", so that seems to be a stereotype).

Other than these interviews, I haven't heard much expressed interest in American culture. Truthfully, my other American friends  and I bring American culture up a lot as a way to deal with homesickness or just to celebrate great times with friends.