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embarrassed to travel abroad as an American now?
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Anonymous
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Due to the US yet again blowing up the world, is anyone else compeltely embarrassed and ashamed to be an American, especially when traveling? Many other countries are economically suffering (e.g., exploding gas prices) due to a dumb war US started. And not only that, our stable genius prez insulted everyone for an entire year straight, plus impose tarriffs on everyone yet is now pleading for international help.
It is has never felt this terrible to be an American. How do you feel while traveling abroad now? Do you try to keep as quiet as possible to conceal your nationality, although the clothes and mannerisms are a dead giveaway. Have you gotten hostility if you've traveled within the last two weeks? |
Anonymous
| Even last year I traveled through Europe was Canada hat. Ppl knew but at least they knew why. |
Anonymous
| My mannerisms aren't very stereotypical American. I also tend to dress in a more European style. I just try to blend in with the crowds. Depending on how tan I am, I've been mistaken for being from a couple different countries. |
Anonymous
| How are you dressing that it gives away you are American? Maybe work on that. |
Anonymous
LOL, I bet you’re super noticeable PP. Your loud, nasal American voice gives you away instantly. I live in Europe and see people like you everyday. Everyone knows. Fortunately they don’t really care. |
Anonymous
^^Also, people can talk all they want about trying to blend in and “look” European, but the dress and mannerisms don’t matter at all. The ONLY thing that matters is your race and appearance. I’m a blonde haired blue eyed American and I am always addressed first in Norwegian or Swedish or Estonian or Swiss German or French, while immigrants who have lived their entire lives in those societies are addressed first in English. That’s just how it is. |
Anonymous
Right but you have to be talking in order for the voice to give you away. I also live in Europe and it's pretty easy to blend in solo; I don't live somewhere where high fashion is the norm though. e.g., you're not going to stick out wearing jeans and sneakers. When my loud American kids are riding public transit with me that is a different story! 
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Anonymous
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I’ve been abroad in the last few months and it was deeply embarrassing to hear Canadians and Danish people talk about how Trump talks about them.
People don’t attribute his awfulness to every American though. I did get asked why more Americans don’t protest and I explained that some of us do but it’s hard to have a mass protest becausr we are such a huge country and the media doesn’t always cover smaller protests. |
Anonymous
Jeans and sneakers? Is it still 1992? I see plenty of Europeans wearing all kinds of things, even Skechers! Again, the only thing that matters in Europe (and these days more than ever) is you your skin color, way more than in America. In my experience all treatment revolves around that. |
Anonymous
Irrelevant comment. |
Anonymous
^^And I’ll add that this is not limited to Europe. I can’t just put on local dress and blend in in Japan or Nigeria. This whole idea that dress makes you “blend in” is ridiculous. You either look like the majority of locals in a given country or you don’t, and nothing you put on can change that. |
Anonymous
I mean that was kind of my point, I'm not sure why you're arguing with me- OP mentioned clothing and I still see outdated advice on these forums to "dress like a European" when IME they don't really dress that different than the rest of us. I also think your experience about all treatment revolving around skin color is a bit of an overgeneralization and country-dependent but anyway.... |
Anonymous
Then we agree. But other than skin color, how could you look like the locals, especially in more homogenous countries? And who cares anyway? It’s not like when I went to India I walked around telling myself “I bet everyone thinks I’m Indian!”. Such a weird thing. |
Anonymous
| I always try not to be flamboyantly American. I was abroad during 9/11 and I learned how to say you reap what you sow in Spanish. This is nothing new. |
Anonymous
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It's always been embarrassing to travel to Europe as an American. Luckily for me I am a polyglot and can pass in most Euro countries. Key things to remember are:
Smile less. Do not say please and thank you for every little thing. Don't make a lot of eye contact--that's considered flirting. Speak quietly...Americans are so loud culturally. Try to not have a nervous giggle, that's another big tell. European women hardly ever do this and carry themselves more confidently. Don't feel the need to fill every silence with talking. |