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.
