Americans, does it bother you when immigrants complain about America?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the comments people make here are valid. However, there is an extreme American fragility held by a small number of people on this site. Just look at the thread about how British people cuss so colourfully. See the responses about them being obscene, elitist, emotionally repressed or white racists. A few people just can’t handle Americans being the best at everything.

*not being the best

I'm not contending that we are the best but we are so.much better than most of the world.

you just proved her point.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't bother me but I do wonder why they came and stay here if they are so miserable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't bother me but I do wonder why they came and stay here if they are so miserable?

Me too. I'm fine with recent immigrants complaining, I just wonder why they don't move somewhere else or back home. It's not like it's 1900 or something, we have the interwebs and plane travel.

[Anonymous]

It kind of bothers me when people paint Americans with a broad brush. Yes, some people eat junk and others are really healthy eaters. Some people dress poorly, some dress up. America is a melting pot. There is so much variety and diversity, the whole gamut. Complaining about certain things is skewed when the opposite is also true. Why complain about junk food when there are entire aisles of vegetables in grocery stores, farmer's markets, etc. Just because something exists like junk food doesn't mean all Americans like it. You're basically biased and stereotyping and fixating on what bothers you. You see what you want to see and ignore the other evidence to the contrary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a white American man. I am an Asian immigrant who received her citizenship upon marriage to him.

Lately, he gets angry and defensive and calls me "anti-American" when I complain about various things. U.S. Foreign policy, the junk food, the lack of style of fellow Americans.

He says if I live here, I should be happy and not anti-patriotic.

Wondering if other Americans feel this way?

I find your imbalance in relationship the most concerning!

Feel free to complain away, I agree with you. I grew up here and wish the people dressed more nicely instead of like slobs (not the DC area but other parts of the country), drive thru food is bad for you and Americans do utilize them. Getting mad at you for just voicing your thoughts and opinions? Oh no! Let it rip woman!

[Anonymous]

No it bothers me that maga morons have no clue.

Their whitey white boys are not to put a roof on a house, mow a law, work at McDonalds etc, pick fruit or other foods.

Idiots all of them.

[Anonymous]

This is stupid. Immigrants are allowed to complain just like anyone else. It's our god-given human right.

I was born and raised in the US, and I complain about the US. Endlessly. I've also lived in 5 other countries. I've complained about those places, too, while I was there. All countries have pros and cons. We're allowed to discuss both aspects freely.

I never understand why Americans are so uptight. We really cannot take ANY criticism or we lose our minds. Contrarily, other nationalities (Brits, Irish, etc) are famous for their self-deprecating humor and seem not to be so offended. We need to learn to relax. Pointing out a flaw does not diminish your standing as a Proud American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in Healthcare and I am the only US born person in my department. All of my coworkers talk about how much they hate it here! The food is a special complaint but also they complain about oversexualized culture and the men complain about women in the workforce. All of these except food should be verboten topics but I don't rock the boat. Occasionally I've asked why they're even living here and it's always "great money".
As an aside the higher ups were planning to bring in pizza to show their appreciation. I said that no one but me would eat it (last year they all refused it) and they really ought to order another type of food if they wanted people to enjoy it. We ended up with nothing.

Over sexualized culture? Where did they immigrate from? Salt Lake City? We are basically sexually repressed.

I’ve heard this too. This man explained to me how his sisters weren’t like American girls, they were conservative about sex. He said it like it was a common opinion. He was from Eritrea.

Um, see the other threads talking about kids having sex at ages as young as 12, mothers buying vibrators for their daughters, and parents providing space and privacy for their teenagers to have sex. Maybe you haven’t seen it, but it’s out there.

The East Africans I know who are talking about this often mention the vast amount of porn that is produced in the US and makes it way around the world to them. They seem to have the idea that every woman has an only fans.
It's not really shameful for a woman to have sex outside of marriage in most places in the US. Those "traditional" values are still given lip service in many many countries whether they are followed in actuality or not.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. Complaining is the American way. Welcome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't bother me but I do wonder why they came and stay here if they are so miserable?

Me too. I'm fine with recent immigrants complaining, I just wonder why they don't move somewhere else or back home. It's not like it's 1900 or something, we have the interwebs and plane travel.

A lot of immigrants DO return to their home countries (45% estimated). This was also the case back in the days of homesteading, plenty of European immigrants who tried homesteading in the US ended up returning.

It also matters whether they have a (safe) place to go back to.

Movement between countries is not exactly a free market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is stupid. Immigrants are allowed to complain just like anyone else. It's our god-given human right.

I was born and raised in the US, and I complain about the US. Endlessly. I've also lived in 5 other countries. I've complained about those places, too, while I was there. All countries have pros and cons. We're allowed to discuss both aspects freely.

I never understand why Americans are so uptight. We really cannot take ANY criticism or we lose our minds. Contrarily, other nationalities (Brits, Irish, etc) are famous for their self-deprecating humor and seem not to be so offended. We need to learn to relax. Pointing out a flaw does not diminish your standing as a Proud American.

I don't think it's a matter of being uptight. I think it speaks to the certain feeling of superiority over immigrants. I think certain Americans always view us as not American so we can never complain about "their country." We will never be equal and therefore have no right to complain and should always be grateful to the Americans for letting us be here. This is certainly not a sentiment of all Americans.

I'll give you an example of when someone tried to pay me a compliment but was super rude instead. I speak English without an accent. Not because I'm smarter, harder working, or more talented than any other immigrant. I guess I'm just lucky to have picked it up easily. I was talking to an American guy who said to me"Geez, why can't more immigrants be like you? You speak English so good and I don't have to strain to understand you." Nevermind that someone who might be a little harder to understand is possibly ten times more educated, smarter, or talented than me. He wants more people who SOUND like him.

[Anonymous]

I think it can come across as rude and ungrateful--depending on what it is and how often you're complaining. Generally speaking, complaining doesn't change anything and only serves to make those around you wish they weren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it can come across as rude and ungrateful--depending on what it is and how often you're complaining. Generally speaking, complaining doesn't change anything and only serves to make those around you wish they weren't.

So then, you care equally whether Americans complain or whether immigrants complain?

[Anonymous]

Why would I care? They live here too.

[Anonymous]

I am an immigrant. Here are things I complain about -

Poor quality of education in K-12 (both public and private), lack of exams, textbooks, standards. The horror of "no child left behind" that is graduating functional illiterates from high school.

I also complain about the litter on the sides of the road, ugly newer buildings, poor public service. I complain about illegal immigrants. I complain about politics in America. I complain about how ill-informed Americans are.

I also complain about guns, and I complain about ineffective policing and justice system.

Other than that?