When I signed up for the study abroad program in Berlin I knew that I was about to face an experience that I never had before. As an international student, I was already ‘abroad’ in Miami yet I was looking forward to sharing the experience of immersing myself within another country along with my American friends. Growing up, my parents always insisted on traveling and seeing different parts of the world. The places I have been to and what I have seen has opened my eyes and allowed me to welcome all new adventures. Therefore, when it came to spending three weeks in Berlin, I stepped foot on Iberia plane flight number 6122 with no expectations for my experience but an open mind and an optimistic attitude.
I am an Israeli citizen who was always aware of the anti- Americanism behavior that many Americans faced when they traveled abroad. The last thing I expected when coming to Germany was to see the results of stereotyping and the negative feelings towards Americans come out and take place. The typical stereotype of Americans in Germany, besides that all are fat, overuse the words love and like and cannot survive without fast food, is that they are loud, rude, and completely ignorant of the cultures of other countries, (Dodson, 2005) in our case of Germany.
Traveling around Berlin with a large group of English speaking students has turned many heads, involved countless stares and side comments made by those around us. This negative disposition of Americans has amazed me primarily since I am not American. Although I cannot say that any of us are bothered by the looks and little chats behind our backs, it is still amazing how the simple sound of an American accent makes us the center of attention at any situation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment