Before I offend anyone, let me start off by saying...I'm American. Here are some stereotypes about Americans that I've found to be true. (Obviously, though, there are exceptions to every rule, as a stereotype cannot fully capture the diversity of an entire people.)
They are loud: Today I was in the sauna, a traditionally quiet place, when two young ladies came in absolutely cackling. They proceeded to chat at a very high volume throughout my fifteen minutes in there; I wasn't upset, I just thought it was peculiar given that there tends to be an unspoken rule that one must be silent in the sauna. But I also notice this tendency to be quite loud in myself. Why? I wonder if it relates back to our brand of nationalism, that American exceptionalism that tells us we're the best, we're entitled to take up space. Perhaps that lends a sense of "main character energy" to our interactions that makes us want to be heard. And even if we're not nationalistic or embody that type of energy, it is well-known that people emulate the voices (the tone, the volume, the pitch, etc.) of those around them. I'm also curious to know how the colonization, immigration, and enslavement that mark the backdrop of American history are a contributing factor: so many people speaking different languages all in one place, most likely raising their voices to help be understood.
They are overweight: American food culture is in large part premised on convenience, in tandem with its hyper-capitalistic milieu--we are constantly rushing and looking to cut corners, and thus our food must be fast. It must be made and consumed quickly. We aren't savoring our food like you'd find in Italy and Spain, so we're overeating; we're not buying fresh fruits and veggies from the market, so we're consuming lots of products that are heavy in all types of bad fats and sugars. Add on top of that the rising cost of food, and many people just can't afford to eat healthy items; many communities, like brown and Black ones, often do not have ready access to grocery stores.
They are incredibly friendly: Although we can be quite mean in our politics, and indeed racism and sexism are rampant, in casual encounters you will find Americans to be very bubbly and talkative. This does come across as fake to non-Americans at times, but Americans are genuinely interested in chitchat. In the South and Midwest, this is especially accentuated--folks tend to live in smaller communities, and life is a bit more slow-paced, so in those regions people are more keen to offer a smile, a kind remark, a helping hand, etc. I am also guessing that our propensity to smile a lot can also be tracked back to our diverse history, in which communities would have an array of cultural and linguistic groups: if you can't talk to your neighbor, you can at least smile at them.
I have several other stereotypes in mind that I'd love to address in a follow-up post. Would love to talk more about the "dumb American" stereotype, for sure. Let me know your experiences with the above, and what other stereotypes you've found about my countrymen. Thanks!
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