Denying My Nationality 3 Times Before the Rooster Crows

9-12-2006
What can I say about being an American…………. I am proud to be an American and truly love my country and what it stands for. For all the good America does in the world, it is a bit unfair how tarnished our image has become. Most Americans that have not traveled abroad have no idea how bad things are in other countries. America is a large Country and there are plenty of ignorant Americans who have no respect for other countries and there cultural differences, but in contrast there are also many people of other countries who have the same types of unjustified prejudices. These days it is painful for me to see how ignorant and cruel people can be at times, there is a large amount of resentment and negativity in the minds of foreigners toward the USA that has been greatly illuminated by the media. It makes it hard and seemingly unbearable at times to be an American Ex-Pat.
The first time I encountered this epidemic was when I was in Istanbul about 6 months ago. It was Anzac day so a lot of Ausies were in Istanbul celebrating their cherished holiday and honoring their fallen countrymen. As my friends and I met dozens of Australians it was alarming to hear some of the comments that were made toward us. Many of them did not want anything to do with us because we were Americans. This was shocking to me because I was not aware of any animosity amongst our two countries. Throughout the weekend the prejudices became more and more apparent. Many of the Australians we met had no respect for our government and because of that resented Americans in general. I left Istanbul with a bitter taste in my mouth, and a new found realization that the image of America and Americans has been changing rapidly in the last few years for the worse.
My second experience was in Ios (a Greek Island near Santorini) about a week ago. My friend Aaron and I were at a Disco and were enjoying a drink outside with a handful of seemingly friendly people. One girl approached us and began to talk to us in an accent I was not Familiar with (maybe Scandinavian). She asked us where we were from, and when I told her that we were American she appeared disgusted and immediately turned away without saying another word. I was shocked at this, and tapped her on the shoulder and said “so…….you hate Americans or something?” She looked at me with a harsh look and said….”do you hate Iraqis?” I responded by saying “Well I personally get to know someone before I make my judgments on whether I like them or not….. I don’t hate individuals or groups of people based on the government of their country”…..she thought about what I said for a second…..she then changed her tone and gave her approval of my statement and became very friendly again. Later on that night I was on the dance floor with a group of girls when I asked one of them where she was from, she looked at me and said… “where are you from?”…. I said I am an American…….. she then gave me a brutal look of disgust and resentment, and immediately all three girls turned there backs on me as if I were scum. That was the last straw for me and I was ready to go home and sleep off the night of horrible realizations. The next day Aaron and I tried to figure out a way to get along with people and avoid these harsh prejudices and stereotypes. Aaron came up with the idea of telling people we were Canadian, this was a good idea because our accents were about the same and no one seems to have negative feelings toward Canadians. I was not completely a fan of this idea, but I also did not want to have to go through what we had to experience the previous evening. When we arrived at the Disco at around 12:30am we came across a few Australian guys wearing togas and standing by the entrance of the club. We struck up conversation with the friendly Ausies and told them we admired the togas. After a bit of conversation they asked us where we were from, Aaron immediately blurted out “we are Canadian” the Ausies looked at us with approval and laughed and said “cool, at least you guys are not Americans” and then they continued to give us advice on where the hot spots were around the Greek Isles. I felt a bit like a traitor denying my country and it didn’t feel right to be ashamed of being an American, but it truly showed how pleasantly different things would be for us at that moment; based solely on lying about the country we were from.
I am writing about this because I feel very strongly that people should not stereotype, and resent people do to things like race, ethnicity, religion, country of origin, ect. Maybe it was good for me to experience these things……it definitely helps sometimes to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. I can compare this to how many Americans feel about the French. I can imagine how Americans of French origin felt when American media was bashing French people, and when businesses were doing stupid things like changing the name of ‘French Fries’ to ‘Freedom Fries’. Most people who lashed out against the French in this period had no idea why, and absolutely no educated reason for their actions. It just seamed right to people because everyone else was doing it and the media said so. Can you imagine how horribly uncomfortable it would have been to be an American or Ex-Pat from the Middle East after the 9-11 attacks………… These unfortunate people were automatically looked at as terrorists just because a small group of people from their geographic area of origin were responsible for a massive terrorist attack. What I have been through and have experienced living abroad, is only a small fraction of what these people must have felt; but it does give me the opportunity to reflect and to empathize with them. People need to realize that Stereotyping is wrong, and that it is important to judge the individual not the group. And it’s OK to disagree with what other people think, or the way our Government, or other Governments are run, but keep in mind free thinking and diversity are important things. We are a nation of diversity, where we are free to speak and express our feelings and views freely. It is not fair to exhibit prejudice or lash out on people that think differently than you, or to judge a group of people based on the actions of a few.
OK I will stop ranting and raving about my views and opinions…….but I just wanted to let people reading know that hating me or anyone else because of the country they are from is Bull S###! And that it is important for everyone to respect the views and differences of others.