The Ugly American, Myth?

I worked for the United Nations in Kosovo, where my peers were mostly Europeans. I asked them why Americans had a bad reputation in foreign lands as loud, obnoxious and demanding. Many suggested we are so used to comfort and wealth, we cannot imagine other people living any differently. As such, when we don't get what we want, we attribute it to some kind of "reverse discrimination."

Some cultures for example enjoy long, drawn out meals. American diners are often offended when their waiter does not hover, checking in every 5-10 minutes. Americans often exhibit their frustration, forgetting they are GUESTS in someone else's home. The following is a quote from a 1950's novel, a Burmese journalist states, "For some reason, the people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They're loud and ostentatious."

My take is the spoiled child syndrom. In America, relative to other countries, we have it all, have had it all since we can remember. We're used to things runnign efficiently, used to businesses who do anything for their customers. Chalk it up to socialism, culture whatever, but other cultures do not see the world like we do. The perfect recipe for a culture clash.

Americans who are demanding abroad would never act the same at a neighbors house. We must remember when we travel we are guests, not owners. All people are proud of where they are from, whether they have less money they we do. When we act superior and demanding we are really saying, "I'm an American and I deserve the best!" Ask yourself, do you like it when your rich relative comes over and never shuts up about his new vacation home?