Quotations from foreign visitors

The following observations are taken from actual comments made by foreigners about Americans.
Read each one and think about what each comment says about the U.S. culture relative to others.
1. Visitor from India
“Americans seem to be in a perpetual hurry. Just watch the way they walk down the street.
They never allow themselves the leisure to enjoy life; there are too many things to do.”
2. Visitor from Colombia
“The tendency in the US to think that life is only work hits you in the face. Work seems to be the one motivation.”
3. Visitor from Kenya
“Parents are so occupied earning the weekly or monthly pay that they find very little time to devote to their children.”
4. Visitor from Taiwan
“Before I came to America, I always heard how hardworking Americans are, but compared to my people they don’t seem to work very hard at all. Why, Americans only work five days a week!” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. Visitor from Japan
“Family life in the U.S. seems harsh and unfeeling compared to the close ties in our country.
Americans don’t seem to care for their elderly parents.”
6. Visitor from Colombia
“I was surprised, in the United States, to find so many young people who were not living with their parents, although they were not yet married. Also, I was surprised to see so many single people of all ages living along, eating alone, and walking the streets alone. The United States must be the loneliest country in the world.”
7. Visitor from Indonesia
“In America, people show hospitality to strangers, but do not care for family members.”
8. Visitor from Cameroon
“It is shocking to me to see how the father and mother in America kick out of their family their own children when they become eighteen years of age. The most surprising thing about it all is that the young people do not seem to mind it or think it is too cruel to be thrown out of their own family but they accept it as the natural and normal way of behaving.”

9. Visitor from Iran
“It is puzzling when Americans apply the word ‘friend’ to acquaintances from almost every sector of one’s past or present life, without necessarily implying close ties or inseparable bonds.” 10. Visitor from Somalia
“I am worried that you have too much democracy in America. There are so many separate voices and so many selfish interests that you cannot accomplish anything for the general good of the country. You are even prevented from controlling your criminal element for fear of denying the criminal his freedom.”
11. Visitor from Japan
“Unfortunately, I have been given a bad impression by some American students who speak of their own country very badly, especially of its foreign policy. I knew all the foreign policy of
America isn’t good; but I did not want to be told so by a native. I hate people who speak badly of their own land, even if they speak the truth.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12. Visitor from Indonesia
“In the U.S., everything has to be talked about and analyzed. Even the littlest thing has to be
‘Why? Why? Why?’ I get a headache from such persistent questions. I still can’t stand a hardhitting argument.”
13. Visitor from Australia
“When I talk to Americans, they never really want to disagree. Why are they so afraid to show their colors? They talk like resumes instead of letting you know who they really are. We want blokes who care enough to disagree with us.”
14. Visitor from Ethiopia
“The American seems very explicit; he wants a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’- if someone tries to speak figuratively, the American is confused.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15. Visitor from Iran
“The first time my professor told me:’I don’t know the answer- I will have to look it up,’ I was shocked. I asked myself, ‘Why is he teaching me?’ In my country, a professor would give a wrong answer rather than admit ignorance.”
16. Visitor from Indonesia
“I was so surprised and confused when, on leaving Whittier Hall, the provost, in person, held the door for me in order to let me pass before he would enter the door. I was so confused…a man who is by far my superior holding the door for me, a student?

17. Visitor from Korea
“In a twelfth-grade social studies class, the teacher gave choices of assignment for the next class. I didn’t like the idea of pupils choosing the assignment. I wonder what these pupils will do later in life when there are no choices in the duty assigned to them. They must learn while they are in school how to do well the jobs assigned to them from above.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18. Visitor from Japan
“The Americans were very kind to invite me into their homes for dinner, but always, as soon as dinner was over, they would ask if I wanted to take a tour of their house as if it was some sort of a monument. I really did not want to, but I could not tell them no, so I said, ‘Yes, please.’ They were so proud to show off all their prized possessions. It made me think that
Americans are all very materialistic. I was also shocked that the bathtub and toilet are always together in an American home and how close the toilet usually is to the kitchen.”
19. Visitor from the Netherlands
“America is really a salesman society…they are always selling something. They are selling their product, their company, their services and they are selling themselves—and doing quite well at it too.”
20. Visitor from Netherlands
“Imagine my astonishment when I went to the supermarket and looked at eggs. You know, there are no small eggs in America. They tend to be jumbo, extra large, large, or medium. It doesn’t matter that the medium are little. Small eggs don’t exist because, I guess, they think that might be bad or denigrating.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21. Visitor from Lesotho
“Some Americans I have met seem to like to live with animals, more than with people, and they treat their pets like human beings, even kissing them and holding them on their laps.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22. Visitor from Turkey
“Once in a rural area in the middle of nowhere, we saw an American come to a stop sign.
Though he could see in both directions for miles and no traffic was coming, he still stopped!”

Sources:
There is a difference: Seventeen intercultural pespectives, John Fieg & John Blair
American Education through Foreign Eyes, Anthony Scarangello