Wherever I am in the world, people make negative comments about people in other countries. Not necessarily racist comments, but little sentences that make me cringe.
Regardless of what country I am in, what culture I am defending, there is always some kind of negative comment and assumptions and wildly inappropriate generalisations. (fyi, they're hardly ever aimed at me - they are totally innocent. But it just irks me nonetheless.)
'Only in
Oh wait.. I've heard that too. Whilst in
Oh and whilst living in
'Oh yeah, that Jewish country'.
'Sorry?'
'The one that's in the Bible'.
'I don't follow..'
'The
It was upon further confused contemplation that I realised she was talking about the book of Philippians in the Bible. Reading the word in print, it it doesn't seem so hard to confuse them - But, really?
I wish I had these all written down, because these are the only ones I can remember. I have been asked some weird stuff.
Just last night over dinner, the ladies at the next table were exclaiming how 'the Australians.. they're all sloppy. They just do things that way'. I think generalisations are just so weird. Terms like 'They always..' 'The Germans do this..' Etc. It kind of makes me feel a bit sick.
I just want people to realise that everywhere is the same. Everyone is the same. We are all one people. Nobody is better then anyone else, regardless of what kind of house they live in, whether they talk loud on the phone, if they have to walk a while to get water out of a well, if they only have one car rather then 3 - if their family doesn't own a TV .. Where we live is purely a matter of where to point at on a map. Our world's colourful cultural patterns are so beautiful. I just want everyone to understand them so they can appreciate the design to it's fullest.
14 comments:
Well put sis!
Seriously? Someone asked you those things about the Eiffel Tower and the Jewish country? Amazing!
Actually, not so much. Back in the 1980s we went to a family wedding (my side of the family) and my snotty California nieces and nephews actually had the gall to ask my girls if we had regular TV channels where we lived, the implication being that our state was so off the planet that we couldn't possibly have modern conveniences. They told their cousins yes, but that we had to go to neighboring large town to use the phone, and that we actually have paved roads now. In their Calif. superiority, they actually believed it for an instant. That shut them up.
(Please, don't anyone respond by badmouthing Calif. I'm from there, my family lives there, we are not all that arrogant)
I couldn't agree more! Well said! :-)
Boy, those Californicators! :)
Rach, you have always been 'irked' by this type of attitude all your life. Refreshing, and a good reminder when I start to say anything negative about anyone. You always help me to see the positive.
You forgot the one when we were in the Philippines. When we said we were from Europe, they said "Oh, London." Like London IS Europe. hahaha.
By the way, I feel bad. I'm totally guilty of doing this. I generalise all the time. Although when I do it, I actually realize that it's just a generalisation, and that individual people don't necessarily fit. For instance, some Coloradoans can drive, I'm sure.
Naughty me. ;)
It's all those Californians that have moved to Colorado, Allie! It used to be a lot better when I first moved here 30+ years ago! How's that for a generalization?
Well put, Rach. I'm sure I'm guilty.
It can't all be Californians!
HA HA HA! I can't believe it! Holy crap! Sorry, MG... :0)
Was this: "'The Philippines.. It's that Jewish place in the Bible.", asked by an American, per chance?
HAHAHAHA. I'm doing it too now.
It's true though, how ignorant people are. Even though I love to partake in America bashing, Canadians can be just as stupid...not as often, but when they are...whooo boy.
In NZ and OZ I got asked the stupidest questions about Canada. In America, ditto. In Europe, it's stupid questions about other places. In Canada you can chance upon someone who has never heard of Finland.
Uneducated and ignorant people are everywhere unfortunately and come from every country. Just some are worse offenders than others.
i felt kind of bad after posting this, because we all do it.. i even do it. it's just i heard someone say something, and went straight on over to 'post' and wrote about it. maybe not such a good thing! :)
morning glory - those were both said to me in all seriousness!
mom - i didn't realise i'd always been like that. interesting!
allie, don't feel bad - we all do it, don't we?
wanderlusting - it was actually an English person that said the Philippines and Jewish. The Eiffel tower one was an American though :)
So the old Canadian vs. American things is true, aye? :)
When I tell people I'm from Idaho, they pull the old line out "Do you do nothing but eat potatoes there?"
Um, yeah... all day long...nothing but potatoes.
Or this: "Do you have any big cities there?"
No...we are all inbred hicks and we don't even know what the internet is.
Believe me Rachel..it's everywhere..even between the states there are derogatory comments.
Pretty much, but not as bad as Scottish vs English. We are more on the NZ vs Oz level.
That said, because Canada is the underdog, I will always take the underdog's side, ie Scotland over England, New Zealand over Australia. And Finland, Norway and Denmark over Sweden.
Though I think my Norwegian/Finnish parents hatred of Sweden has a lot to do with that last one :P
It even happens within the same country. Because I'm from colorado, everyone automatically assumes that everyone is a ski bunny, that we live under a mountain of snow and that everyone lives IN the mountains.
Irritating, but so true. Good to be more aware of this!
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