Foreign-born SIL bashing Americans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank God you have your spy network to route out anti-American activity, OP.

I would start by tapping her phones. A little more evidence and you can book her a one-way ticket to Gitmo!

With bizarre posts like this derailing her thread, I hope the op isn't still reading. Who needs this.

[Anonymous]

I am a Brit who emigrated here and who became a citizen decades ago. I love the US and get sick of fellow Brits who whine about life in the US when they know damn well that most of us have a far better life than we did in the UK. I tell them that and they don't always take kindly to it.

Having said this, I have done a lot of international travel both on business and for pleasure and it is almost universally true that Americans are very critical of countries where they live as expatriates although they enjoy a privileged status there. They do this especially about third world countries and it is quite appalling how they react to the locals in those countries. But even countries in Europe and elsewhere are not exempt from the same condescending attitude.

If you spend any time with Americans who are retired in Mexico or other parts of Central America, you will find the very same thing. They gripe endlessly about life in Mexico and having to deal with the locals who they are often look down on. They make little effort to become fluent in the language and are almost impatient when they have to deal with people who don't speak English. But they continue to live there and enjoy a higher standard of living than they would in the US on a limited income.

So before one is too critical of OP's SIL it helps to maintain some perspective and realize that Americans do the very same thing when they go abroad.

[Anonymous]

People can stay here but still feel highly ambivalent and critical. US citizens born here like to criticize, so immigrants should also be allowed to have their views. Let it go, OP.

[Anonymous]

I am an immigrant who came here as a teen. I have been here for over two decades and love this country. But now that I have two elementary-age children I am shocked at how low the level of the education they receive in a supposedly excellent public school is compared to what I got at the same age (although I only discuss this with a couple of friends with similar background/experience who understand what I am talking about). I don't think that makes me unpatriotic.

[Anonymous]

She can't think it's so bad here. After all she's living here. She probably is sad that she is far from the home she grew up with.